The debate about how to run checks and balances in modern democracies is a crucial one. Such mechanisms are essential to ensure that there is no take over by the tyranny of a majority or by the nihilism of a minority; as well as to ensure that politically important decisions by the government or other power centres, are taken under transparent conditions.

We have not had this debate in Malta. Indeed, it gets totally swept aside. Or instead it gets diverted by attempts that seek to introduce locally the arrangements which have been established elsewhere... without any consideration as to whether they apply to circumstances such as ours.

It might be the case that proposals made on this basis could end up having more deleterious effects than the total absence of any recognition that we need serious checks and balances to be in force.

Without an awareness of the limitations that exist in a small society like ours – where everybody knows everybody else, is related to everybody else, and depends on all the rest – it will be difficult to devise effective checks and balances.

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Corruption in Europe

For a number of people at the European Parliament and outside, it is useful to raise polemics about corruption allegedly occurring in Bulgaria, Malta, Rumania and other EU countries which find themselves at the back of the pack.

When once or twice, I recently asked why European delegations are not sent to investigate corruption and abuse of power in Spain or France or Germany, I got no reply.

In Spain grave corruption accusations still hang over the government of the Popular Party, including its leader Prime Minister Rajoy. The other parties have refused to contemplate a coalition with him precisely because of corruption allegations. Equally, disturbing cases have arisen in France (where for instance, ex-President Sarkozy allegedly received millions of euros from Ghaddafi to finance his presidential campaign). Then there is the Volkswagen scandal, which God be praised, was not discovered by the German authorities, but by the US.

I usually do not like to cry scandal at this or that development in Europe. Faced with the blatant hypocrisy of certain European figures, I am no longer so reluctant. Helped by Maltese citizens who should know better, they repeat corruption allegations against the Malta government, that whether true or false, are intended to achieve occult aims.

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Disrespect

Then we had the ridiculous bleating of the Greens’ MEP Sven Giegold about how from Malta, the Labour government and/or its representatives showed disrespect towards the European Parliament and its delegation of last December sent to investigate the rule of law in Malta.

Giegold has his own agenda. Good luck to him in proceeding with it as he thinks best. He has followers in Malta to applaud and boost him.

Personally I have no problem to also respond and behave in the same way as the Malta government representatives, which in his view, amounted to disrespect towards the delegation led by socialist MEP Anna Gomez. That delegation had no credibility. The same judgement holds for the report it published. It is so strange that its members felt they could pontificate about the institutions of a country in the wake of a visit that lasted for less than just two days.