We should not run away with the idea that the last European Council has happily closed the controversy regarding whether the UK should stay in the EU or leave.
Many European governments are at present operating in coalition mode. It would not be surprising were a party now sharing in some government or other, becomes sniffy about the package that is being proposed.
The topics due to cause most disquiet relate to the workings of the UK’s social welfare system for workers who enter the UK from other parts of the EU; and the involvement of states outside the eurozone in decisions taken by euro countries.
Then there is the European Parliament where a substantial number of MEPs could be tempted to contest the agreement that has been reached.
Finally, there is the British people due to vote in a promised referendum. Almost all the most recent referenda conducted in Europe turned down proposals which had been drafted in Brussels.
It is true that those in favour of the UK’s exit from the EU are split. This does not necessarily mean they will be unable to mobilise strongly the votes of those who favour Brexit.
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Institutions
As a nation, we still need to face up to the challenge of how best to ensure that our society is run by institutions which function according to transparent and participative procedures. It is natural that in a society as small as ours is, the belief prevails that individualist or charismatic ways of doing things would be more effective.
Yet, the organizational problems that a small society must be able to solve can frequently become as complex as those facing a larger society. Many social and economic factors all too often come together to define the decisions that must be taken.
This aspect is becoming increasingly acute due to the ways by which social media, including those in Malta, have promoted the spread of interpersonal communication. Meanwhile, civil society, especially in the fields of environmental protection and of entertainment, has become more influential.
Much still needs to be done before our institutions can show that in a post-modern world, they have the ability to conduct flexible, transparent and robust operations.
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Umberto Eco
Umberto Eco’s death has left a big void in the European cultural and intellectual landscape.
I confess to not knowing him so well: more from the articles written about him than from what he himself wrote; and mostly from his totally fascinating novel “The Name of the Rose”. Strangely then, when I tried to read other famous novels of his (“Foucault’s Pendulum”, “The Island of the Previous Day”, “Baudolino”...) I got stuck and stopped after the first few pages. Who knows why this happened... My experience with Coetzee or Garcia Marquez for instance, was completely different.
During the last two days, the references to his work and the expressions of respect towards him were the best confirmation of Eco’s huge contributions. I had better find time to again go back to the novels of his which I abandoned too quickly.