One of the most swift and rattling features of a Labour Government is how quickly and thoroughly it succeeds in changing Malta’s reputation and image abroad. Never totally convinced about this rock in the Mediterranean in the first place, with conflicting stories and opposite views knocking against one another like friendly enemies, the international community, or at least the historically connected ones, tend to hold a rather sceptic view of Malta’s place, people and culture.
It is not that they are antagonistic towards us or mean us any disrespect or harm. It is just on a human level, where some niggling factor continues to give rise to a doubt or it may be in their sub-conscience where they find it rather peculiar that we speak what sounds like Arabic but make the sign of the cross.
Many people nowadays turn out to be something other than what they were thought to be. England is currently struggling to make sense of their peaceful multi-cultural society which like an incurable virus continues to produce hard-line terrorists heading for the Middle East with not so nice plans in mind. America has a headache with spies and whistle-blowers derailing their security infrastructure and Italy produces a scandal with the regularity of a seasonal crop of tomatoes. So we should not wonder if we also are not as consistent in our behaviour as our solid bastion walls may suggest. Even our slogan for tourism says Surprising Malta.
With Malta’s entry into the European Union in 2004, however, huge effort was made before accession and after, to consolidate an image of the country as reliable, proficient, efficient, friendly and conscious of its obligations under international law. By enacting as many EU laws as quickly as possible, we would convince without any more doubt that Malta is a partner that can be relied upon and could achieve great status for its tiny size.
The effort to be made was not small. Tourists, even from the UK still seem quite amazed at our ability to speak English fluently yet many are quite quick to associate Malta with Libya and Gaddafi. Maybe because Gaddafi was quite a well known figure and we gained by association. But quite swiftly after Gaddafi comes the now fading but not forgotten idea that Malta at one time had a rather busy past. So, we cannot blame the hard-working Representatives in Brussels and the Prime Ministers who staked their own reputation by Malta’s own, that the job of making us credible overseas was of paramount importance and local lore and provincial politics could wait.
There should be no shame and there should be no waivering. Our duty was clear, our opportunity was now and our future was at stake. At last, too, here was the opportunity to settle once and for all the good name of Malta on Europe. Small though we may be, in stature and might, our voice was to be heard and our place amongst nations secured. As more and more European Conferences were held in Malta, exhibitions held in the foyer of the Berlaymont and Malta House, official visits made and gbejna and galletti distributed alongside a glass of Maltese or Gozitan wine, we were beginning to heave a sigh of relief. We had made it, we had convinced the doubting, the snob, the powerful and the leaders of countries, that they need no longer hesitate to endorse Malta.
As fate would have it, the Libya crises landed on our doorstep and Malta’s response was unequivocal and earned us respect and approval as far as the United States of America.
So it is of little wonder that whenever an election comes around, as it must, though some might prefer it wouldn’t, there are many who become anxious and immediately start to shut down the hatches and check their passports.
As faithfully as the local festa, the day of demolition came. The votes had not even started being cast but the shadow of doubt had returned. Our Commissioner in Brussels was to resign and clear the desk forthwith. In itself a matter of grave concern, it could still be kept from tarnishing our reputation. But, alas, the grievance did not stop there and to this day, like the bumbling Maxwell Smart with the shoe telephone, the comedy goes on.
Swiftly followed by the IIP and the two inch thick directory of newspapers and web-sites that mocked and derided our islands, not for whatever economic plan we had, but for not holding precious and intrinsic, the value of citizenship and trading it in like currency. And strangely, when until just a short while ago, they had been convinced that Malta was doing very well indeed, that unemployment was one of the lowest in Europe and that no bailouts had been sought. How is it, therefore, that we now are in such desperate need of cash? Greece did not do it so how bad could it be in Malta?
The EU did itself no favour by turning on one foot from outrage to sanction but with an election coming up, no votes should be lost.
Act two – Libya and China. With the EU package lying on the shelf like some dirty money to be laundered, we should return to “Maltese Made” and use our re-conditioned motor friends of Libya and China. These countries never looked down on us, when we needed them they delivered and although Libya has some difficulty presently such as being perceived as a failed state, and China is not our idealogical neighbour, that’s where we will place our tent. Eager to show the Europeans that we will not be judged by any state and that we can do it alone, we re-start in safe mode. An exaggerated sense of self importance makes it all the more necessary.
On the other hand, when asked recently by the media on what Malta’s position on the UN vote for Israel’s seat would be, the Minister of Foreign Affairs replied that this is not something to divulge but something to be evaluated on the spot and that such decisions should not be made public but kept quiet for advantage. Really?
Why should this matter to the good people of Malta & Gozo? They have enough concerns of their own to stay bothering about where the money is coming from and what Europe thinks of us. Unfortunately, this is precisely why they should indeed be aware. As a matter of fact and not prejudice I can say from experience that a German will be ready to immediately point it out if you have not used the right spelling of their name. Even with those oe characters and consonants that follow one another - that can cause dyslexia to the most capable of spellers, that is no excuse. And in China, before any contracts are signed, as I discovered first hand for myself, it is expected that you go out with a guide to buy a substantial gift for the President of the Company – a tradition which has given rise to endemic cons. So beware next time you are about to sign for a huge consignment of shoes from Shanghai. This means that we may think we are impressing but outside our shores they are quick to see a fool and slow to restore confidence. And confidence once lost means we also lose our place and our fortune because our fortune depends more than anything for us on our good reputation.
Our reputation is essential in attracting investment to Malta. It has taken a Maltese economist, amongst others, to get the reputation of the Vatican bank restored. Maltese clergy have been given Positions of great trust in the Pope’s own Secretariat. When sought Maltese persons are to be found in sensitive and important jobs. What is good can be seen. But how long can we trade with opposites and jeopardize our good name before we see our jobs and control of our destiny sail quietly out of the harbour whilst we watch the fireworks?
Get Smart.