It has just been announcedthat once again the Monti hawkers willing to pack up their business are going to be given a golden handshake.

A few years ago, in the time of the Nationalist administration, they had a golden handshake when they were moved to Merchants Street. This time it is more than golden, a diamond handshake worth €80,000. I read that it was accepted by half of them. I am not surprised at all.

What I am afraid of is that this generosity is becoming like a game. During the Nationalist time it was because there were too many of them and the place they were going to move to was not big enough. Now the whole thing is going to be repeated, with the government being massively generous with the people’s money.

Is this the game that is going to repeat itself after every election to honour the politicians’ promises? It is not for this purpose that politicians are elected.