Janice Bartolo, Current Affairs Commentator
“While some of us debate what history is or was, others take it into their own hands.” Such are the words written by Michel-Rolph Trouillot in his thought-provoking study of historical narrative entitled Silencing the Past.
In order to explain the relevance of these words, we must go back in time. In 1919, the Maltese colonial government was unable to provide sufficient food provisions for the Maltese. At the time, the cost of living augmented radically, as the whole continent was going through post-war hardships. Restrictions on imports meant food scarcity and therefore inflated prices. Most workers could not keep up with these increases and the riots that followed reflected the substandard nature of economic and political life. Our islands had become a place where only a few prospered, while political progress was stunted because of the need to make an imperial fortress out of Malta.
Today could not be any more different. Some may spend hours musing over the notion of history and its alleged tendency towards repetition, perhaps in order to pinpoint any similarities between years that are almost a century apart. Others will endeavour in making past, tragic situations a thing of the past. They will strive to make future recounts of today positive ones.
Perhaps the most telling difference between 2018 and 1919 is the concrete commitment towards a fair society. The Labour Party in government is rooted in socialist values; therefore battling poverty and deprivation is top on its agenda. This is no easy ambition, for until very recently, Malta was comparable to Mediterranean countries where material deprivation is of tangible concern. We are now at par with Scandinavian countries by the likes of Denmark, well-known for high standards of living. Eurostat estimates a decrease from 4.4 per cent to 3.3 per cent among those who are materialistically deprived and living in Malta.
The voice of the few may sometimes resonate loudly, yet this does not give it legitimacy
This confirms the effective nature of the various social measures that this government has undertaken, including the introduction of in-work benefits, youth guarantee, the tapering of social benefits and increases in social benefits and pensions, among others. It is also indicative that, very much unlike 1919, our country’s economic growth is reaching all factions of society. Such results were only possible due to the surplus experienced in public finance.
Finances alone do not suffice in the making of a just society. There has been ample recent criticism and protests referring to the rule of law in Malta, within a context of serious paradox. Members pertaining to different groups have incessantly employed unorthodox methods in attempts to belittle and outright defrock those who occupy positions that are key to the very concept of rule of law, such as the Police Commissioner and the Attorney General.
We have witnessed politicians use parliamentary privilege to hurl irresponsible allegations. We have seen Nationalist MEPs beg European institutions to find faults in our judicial system, when the very Commission believes there is none to be found. That is a very far cry from when the Maltese fought, as a nation, in defence of their legitimate rights. The mind only wonders what any one of the fallen victims of the Sette Giugno revolt would have thought of this scenario.
The voice of the few may sometimes resonate loudly, yet this does not give it legitimacy. The results Malta is obtaining when it comes to the judicial system are indicative of the frugal nature with which some are choosing to take to the streets. The Justice Scoreboard recently issued by the European Commission places Malta on top of the list regarding the amount of civil, commercial and administrative cases that are concluded.
I do not like to ponder too much on whether history goes on in a loop. Rather, I like to think of this day and age as one in which finance, civil liberties and justice have never been better, and whereby history is being made for all the right reasons.
Roberta Metsola, Nationalist MEP
Our forefathers earned us the right to self-government, the right to be an independent nation among the league of nations. Independence is never gifted. It has to be earned and sometimes the price that has to be paid is terribly high. Even if the road to our independence was not as bloody as that of other nations, yet we do have our share of Maltese patriots who paid the ultimate price for standing up against the foreign rulers. On June 7, we commemorate the memories of the persons who were killed in the uprising of 1919. We salute them as we salute all those who came before them and who suffered because they believed in the right of every Maltese person to determine his own future.
We should do more than simply commemorate. We should continue the push for democracy. We should continue the push against abuse of power. We should continue the push against new forms of colonisation. We should continue the push to protect the interests of Malta and the Maltese people from those who have the power to use and abuse the resources of our islands.
What are you willing to give up to protect our country for our own sake and in the interest of future generations?
In 1919 it was clear who and what stood in the way of our independence. We knew what was stopping us from being able to be in control of our own destiny. We wanted important decisions that affected our livelihood to be taken by our own elected representatives. We expected that these decisions be taken by these representatives in our common interest and not in the interest of some foreign power.
Unfortunately, today we find ourselves in a situation where our government is failing to protect the common interest, our common good. They have traded our assets for next to nothing. Think of the land in Żonqor, think of the hospitals given to Vitals, think of the shady deals that underpin the gas-powered power station. Who gained most from these deals? Was it us the Maltese people? Unfortunately, we came out as losers and the people responsible for the big losses are still in office deciding our fate.
There are those among us who fought against the destruction of our country’s assets. There are those of us who stood up against the car-boot sale of our nationhood. Daphne Caruana Galizia was one of the most prominent of them all. She paid the ultimate price for standing up and speaking out against the rampant abuse and corruption that has sadly become the hallmark of Joseph Muscat’s government, characterised by its inability and unwillingness to do anything about Konrad Mizzi or Keith Schembri. For those with everything to lose, it is business as usual. For the rest of us, our calls for truth, justice and accountability will only grow louder.
As a nation we should stand up for ourselves against people who abuse us, against people who abuse our nation and betray their oath to protect the common good. This is what our forefathers did in 1919 – they stood up and made history and history has judged them well. On the other hand, history has never been kind to any person who knows better, but who through excuses or complicity continue to defend the indefensible.
On June 7 we commemorate the lives of those who fought for our country’s self-determination and ultimately paved the way for independence. They paid the highest price. As we mark Sette Giugno, ask yourself – what are you willing to give up to protect our country for our own sake and in the interest of future generations? Muscat, Schembri and Mizzi are betting their house, literally, on people being too comfortable, too scared or too influenced to do anything. Prove them wrong.
If you would like to put any questions to the two parties in Parliament send an e-mail marked clearly Question Time to editor@timesofmalta.com.