Ken Mifsud Bonnici, an international constitutional and institutional lawyer with ties to the European Commission, when commenting on the state of our democracy (The Sunday Times of Malta, May 7) declared:
“A deeply-flawed Constitution has left Malta facing serious constitutional and institutional failures and a collapse in the rule of law. This crisis started in 1964, when the British gave us an Independence Constitution that was deeply and severely flawed.”
In its editorial ‘Mockery of Basic Values’ (April 18), the Times of Malta said: “While the [Maltese] economy is passing through an exciting economic cycle, maladministration and rising corruption have dragged the country’s moral standards down to the lowest level ever.”
Where is the solution to the apparent erosion of the ethical and moral fibre of Maltese society? Some see the solution in a change of government. But if the malaise is in the flaws of the Constitution, as Mifsud Bonnici alleged, a change in government will not solve the problem. Maybe a change in the Constitution will.
Others argue that if the main political actors in the Maltese drama remain the same, not even a change in the Constitution will bring about effective change. Malta will continue to be governed by a group of people whose main drive in the political sphere will always remain the acquisition of votes to put them in power in the first place. This will mean, often, pandering to the wishes of selfish groups, as seems to have been the case in the last couple of years, indeed ever since Malta became independent 50 years ago, and even before.
In his article ‘Crisis of Institutions’ (April 9), Ranier Fsadni contended that Malta “has a crisis of solidarity (“What joins us together?”) and a crisis of identity (“What are we for?”). He concludes: “The real lack is that of narrative – of a meaningful story that gives us identity and solidarity and which organises our national dialogue. To have such a narrative, institutions need to recover a compelling sense of a common wealth and a common good.”
Things are developing very rapidly and these are bound to leave very lasting effects on the fabric of Maltese society, which is shaken to the core
In this connection perhaps Maltese society can look more attentively at the proposals made by Archbishop Charles Scicluna in his article ‘Criteria for Good Governance’ (April 22).
“In 1964, Malta became an independent state with a rightful place in the society of nations. The Independence Constitution adopts its list of fundamental principles and its list of fundamental human rights and aspirations. But the people of Malta, organised as a State, will foster and promote their common good to the extent that they share in the transcendental aspirations of the human family in the everyday workings of the authority, the powers, the governance of the State.
“In other words, I am proposing the four transcendental values: unity, goodness, truthfulness and beauty as criteria for governance, that governance worthy of the human family towards which politics should, and hopefully does, aspire.”
What Fsadni and Scicluna proposed seems to be supported by Tony Micallef, a specialist in business ethics, who in his article ‘No Integrity, No Trust’ (April 13) contends that: “Around the globe many are concerned, others even angered, by the ever-increasing lack of ethical sensitivity and total disregard to integrity by some people in power and by certain corporations and organisations... Only by nurturing an ethical culture, with a focus on integrity, can organisations and institutions earn our trust.”
This stance is also supported by British philosopher Jonathan Sachs who, in his book Not in God’s Name, searches very deep for the ways things are evolving in Europe and the West, and so also in Malta, at present.
He contends that “man is a meaning-seeking animal... and, if there is one thing the great institutions of the modern world do not do, is to provide meaning.
“Science, technology, the free market and the liberal democratic state do not, and cannot, answer the three questions every reflective individual will ask at some time in his or her life. Who am I? Why am I here? How then shall I live?”
Sacks argues further. “The world’s great faiths provide identity. They offer meaning, direction, a code of conduct and a set of rules for the moral and spiritual life in ways that the free market, liberal democratic West does not.”
In Malta, at present, things are developing very rapidly and these are bound to leave very lasting effects on the fabric of Maltese society, which is shaken to the core and seems to be desperately in search of more meaningful societal and political relationships. The rise of coalitions is a distinct pointer.
Irrespective of who wins the general election on Saturday, Maltese society, where sovereignty really lies, should see to it that the Convention on the Constitution is called, and led, by the President of the Republic immediately after the new administration takes over... with civil society taking centre stage.
Institutions like the University of Malta, the Academy for the Development of a Democratic Environment (Ażad), the Ġużè Ellul Mercer Foundation (ĠEM), the Today Public Policy Institute, the Centesimus Annus Foundation – Malta and similar institutions should help the President carry out this very vital national task for the well-being of Maltese society.
Tony Mifsud studied politics and social affairs in Oxford.