What makes us Maltese? Is it our culture? Our physical features? Our language? Or none of the above? This week the question was kindled through the idiotic suggestion that a Miss Malta entry should not qualify for the honour due to the colour of her skin.
The wave of support for Martha is an indication that our colour does not qualify us as Maltese, and that maybe solidarity and pride in the nation does.
Martha just wanted to put her good looks at the service of the country. Just like Neil Agius, the record-breaking swimmer braving the channel to Sicily, Martha and the other misses from all over our towns harbour the dream of representing the beautiful side of Malta.
What is that if not a pure form of patriotism? If only our politics was inspired by Neil, Martha and their colleagues!
For our politics right now give a much less patriotic rendition of accounts. As we speak, Malta’s name risks being downgraded by the Global Financial Action Task Force following another negative Moneyval report. Our industry stands for integrity but the jurisdiction which hosts it risks a downgrade to the grey-list with Panama and the Bahamas. Kind of ironic right? First they want to take their money to Panama to escape scrutiny, then they turn this island into another Panama to suit their projects.
That is not just a technical downgrade. This has real bread and butter implications. Jobs are hanging on the line.
I have been involved in negotiations at European level on IGaming and Financial Services and can tell you that, up till 2013, Malta’s strongest defence of European freedom of movement in these areas was its strong rules & implementation to counter money laundering, fraud and other economic crimes. That was until 2013.
From then on, we started a gradual and continuing decline which put Malta’s name in the midst of Panama papers. That was only one act of a trend seen all across the board. FIAU reports shrouded in mystery laying idle in police drawers, feet dragging for three years to implement EU legislation on Money laundering and passport sales putting at risk the whole integrity of the Schengen system due to the lack of transparency on the new Maltese.
Will PM Abela take heed of Europe’s continuing concern on anonymous passport sales making Malta the soft underbelly of the Schengen security system? How long can they take us on this ride of trying to keep face with Europe while obstinately pursuing the same tracks at home?
We are the melting pot of the Mediterranean.
Our culture is as diverse as it is national and local. Our language is written with a hundred typos by most of us and snubbed by the rest who would rather teach bad English to their kids. And yet there is something that unites us beyond all of that.
It is the thing that drives Martha, Neil and all Maltese of good will, we want to make this nation proud to be our motherland. We want to earn the privilege of being Maltese by striving to give a good name to our nation. Can our politicians please realise this and wake up from this road to oblivion?
Peter Agius, EU expert & PN MEP candidate