European powers demolished Libya by blasting Ghaddafi out of the picture without knowing what would happen afterwards or perhaps even caring to know. Egypt went through moments of hope, towards a management riddled by a rigid dogmatism, and then slid towards a sterile militarist regime. Algeria remains stiff as wounds inflicted during a bloody civil war still need to heal.

Despite the huge problems it still faces, of all the countries of North Africa, Tunisia seems to have succeeded best in achieving a balance in its governance, between the old and the new, after having like the other countries, experienced the turbulence of the so-called Arab spring. It has developed democratic institutions in a framework of tolerance and compromise.

Now it has become the target of terrorism aimed to destroy what was achieved in recent years. If Tunisia is undermined in this way, the North African crisis will have become a total one. That is what extremist elements whose values it is difficult to understand, seek.

Tunisia is surely a country which merits full support and solidarity - based on facts, not words - from Europe... unless that is, we feel relaxed about letting the crisis in North Africa go totally out of control.

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Public service

The claim that a general politicisation of the public service took off during the seventies or eighties of the previous century is unfounded. That in those times, management standards declined cannot be denied. In part the reason for this was that new and complicated pressures were arising within the civil service as a result of economic and social developments that created demands with which traditional management structures were not designed to cope.

As of the end of the eighties, under the Fenech Adami administration, all out politicisation of the civil service triggered the damage. Supposedly objective structures were set up to organize promotions and to choose civil service heads on three year or similar contracts. Committees would be established to organize the selection processes. All were made to run according to a set political compass. Meanwhile, ministerial secretariats expanded till they became a parallel civil service.

I can only smile when I read the accusations now being made by the party in Opposition regarding public service management.

It's a pity to have to say this: I cannot see any other way by which the present administration can balance the partisanship that prevails in the public service, except that of moving along the same lines as its predecessor in government. 

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I understand why everybody tries to appear quite satisfied with the decisions of the European Council on immigration. At present, it is not a good idea to show disappointment with what is going on for that would increase the sentiment of pessimism, which is the last thing Europe needs.