I was surprised to learn about the resources available to non-resident ambassadors in capital cities where they are accredited.

When they visit “their” capitals, travel and accomodation expenses are paid by the government for a limited number of days. To organize their activities, they have access to practically no budget. Effectively to make some impact, they must behave like active members of an NGO. This also holds for non-resident ambassadors to EU members states.

One comprehends why over the years, non-resident ambassadors preferred to stay at home, rather than make themselves seen in the countries to which they were accredited.

All this is curious because meanwhile we have been learning about the fabulous payments allocated yesterday and today to posts whose importance was trumpeted high and low, but for which the commitment, talent, effort and results were just miserable.

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“We'll do what we want”

Archbishop Scicluna as quoted by the media: “Parliament can do what it wants and we too will do what we want...”

One understands and appreciates the prudence maintained since this extraordinary statement was made. An ordinary citizen like me does not have to show it.

In a parliamentary democracy, Parliament does not function in order to do what it wants, but to legislate in the name of the people, in line with the results secured in democratically held elections. If it acts in breach of the Constitution, procedures exist to provide remedies.

One presumes that the “we” referred to by the Archbishop is the Catholic Church in Malta, as an institution. He certainly could not have referred to the majority of the population. In the last democratic occasion when the Maltese people expressed their view on a particular issue – the divorce referendum – the Church’s stand received a strong vote of no-confidence.

The Church cannot do “what it wants” in this country, just like any other citizen or institution. It must respect laws passed by Parliament.

Everyone is entitled to his/her views about the proposal not to consider anymore the vilification of religion as a criminal act (I happen to be one of those who have doubts about it).

But there can be no reservations about the following: that Archbishop Scicluna and the institution he leads use this as a pretext to declare that they “can do what they want” deserves full condemnation.

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The party's over

The end of summer marks a change in the country’s consumption and expenditure patterns. Beyond food and drinks sales which accelerate as the festa season develops, traffic patterns, acute parking problems, monies spent on decorations, partying and fireworks, all help to steer economic activity in a certain direction.

Surfing on the wash of tourism, which this year struck top form, festas give a strong boost to domestic consumption. Still, I may be mistaken, but was there this year a decline in the collective trips to festas organized for tourists? – a consequence perhaps of the fact  that a growing percentage of holidays are now being booked through the internet?

In short time, popular expenditures will become defined by the needs of “autumn”, such as the purchase of educational material for schoolchildren.