As published on the Malta Independent: 13/02/2014.
The father of a democratic and European Malta, Eddie Fenech Adami, has just turned 80. His milestone has given us the opportunity to reflect on the political vision that he has bequeathed to the country.
My generation grew up to the echoes of Dr Fenech Adami’s rallying cry of “Xogħol. Ġustizzja. Liberta’”. Employment. Justice. Liberty. Three simple words that managed to encapsulate what the PN stood for, in our journey towards a functioning democracy.
After 11 months of Joseph Muscat’s Labour Government, in which we have seen one upheaval after another, perhaps it is time to revisit our roots and examine how far that vision applies to the reality we are facing today.
Take employment. We have seen our exports go down and unemployment rise. The recent news that more than 100 Arrow Pharm employees will be laid off is worrying news indeed. Our solidarity is with the workers – but that is not enough. We must do more to ensure that alternative employment is found and that the negative effects on all those families will be as mitigated as possible.
Joseph Muscat is beginning to discover that a job creation strategy has to involve more than simply placing everyone who has appeared on a Labour election billboard on the Government’s payroll or given a promotion.
We need to work hard for job creation in Malta to be made a priority of this government and we need to ensure that the climate for companies to invest in the Maltese workforce, that was so carefully nurtured by previous Nationalist administrations, is not lost.
Any employment strategy must not only be about creating just any jobs, it must be an all-encompassing strategy that approaches the issue holistically and while focusing on those areas that are in the most need. Gozo, to mention one example, is an area that requires more long-term planning to ensure that investment is attracted and that high-value jobs are created there.
Take justice. The first EU Anti-Corruption Report was published this week, it showed that a staggering 83% of Maltese and Gozitans believe that corruption in Malta is widespread. They pinpointed shortcomings in environment & planning and the lack of transparency with judicial appointments as the main causes of concern. It is very worrying.
The recent furore surrounding Magistrate Carol Peralta’s Christmas party and the subsequent arrest of the Times of Malta journalist who investigated it is well documented. While Judge Farrugia Sacco’s impeachment motion and the games being played to ensure that this process is drawn out for as long as possible is another case in point. The Nationalist Party has been absolutely clear on this issue and has appealed to the government not to create further obstacles for Parliament to immediately decide on the removal of the judge
Take liberty. We have seen the authorities make a request for a journalist to reveal his confidential sources in court. In the wake of the story, I have submitted a written Parliamentary Question to the European Commission asking it to clarify how far European legislation governs the protection of journalistic sources in Member States and for a breakdown of legislation governing the protection of sources in every Member State.
It is totally unacceptable in a democratic society, which values a free and fair press, for pressure to be exerted on journalists to reveal their sources. Confidential sources are a crucial aspect of any free press and their protection is fundamental to this pillar of our society.
The protection of sources is essential for a free press to function and as a Member of the European Parliament’s Committee of Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, I will continue to closely following this issue as it develops.
Dr Fenech Adami’s vision of Xogħol. Ġustizzja. Liberta’ remains an important point of reference in today’s European Malta. We have to remain vigilant to ensure that the freedoms that we have worked so hard and so long for are not eroded and that all the achievements on Malta’s road to a functioning democracy are not taken for granted.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-02-13/opinions/xoghol-gustizzja-liberta-3942514689/
