A security measure by which for some time, European security forces can store full information about the air travel of all passengers in Europe remains stalled. The data is considered extremely useful to monitor and control suspicious movements by persons planning terrorist attacks.

It is true that the data can be abused, with detriment to the privacy of citizens. This has already happened in the recent past. Indeed as a result, a majority of MEPs is linking the approval of the new security measure with the adoption of another directive that would strengthen the protection of citzens’ right to privacy. However the text of the directive relating to privacy remains pending.

I agree that both measures should come into force as soon as possible. Still, given the ongoing terrorist threat, and as the text protecting privacy has been delayed for technical reasons, I am unconvinced that the decision to continue to postpone the implementation of surveillance over passenger movements is well taken.

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Toni Abela

Nationalist opinion makers can say what they want: the truth is that underhand methods were used to ensure that the nomination of Toni Abela to the European Court of Auditors was poisoned by the false allegation that he was part of an effort to cover up drug trafficking. Nobody in Malta has any doubt that the allegation is false.

However when, as happened, it got resurrected in the EP forum, it is difficult to blame MEPs if they try to get to the bottom of the matter. The problem is that to explain how false the allegation is, one needs time in order to clarify circumstances in Malta that are far from the experience of European parliamentarians. At a hearing being conducted by a parliamentary committee to decide on a given nomination, the time that one needs to put across the facts at issue, are necessarily subtracted from time that is supposedly being allocated to explain how one proposes to carry out the duties for which one is being nominated.

We need a different procedure to address the problem of how a nominee can defend him/herself against accusations that are being made about his/her integrity.

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Europe and Turkey

With time, the relations between Europe and Turkey are taking an increasingly schizophrenic twist. On the one hand, we are told how the two sides need to collaborate because this is to their mutual interest. On the other hand, criticisms of one against the other can be heard – against the authoritarianism of the Turkish government from the European side, against European  “hypocrisy” from the Turkish, or at least from President Erdogan.

Where will all this lead to? Will the agreement reached by the two sides about Syrian refugees plus other issues be observed? Can it be implemented?

The basis for the agreement seems rickety, especially if matters get more complicated in Turkey due to the terrorist attacks it is being subjected to. As of now, among other consequences, these have been instrumental in making the Turkish government harden its dealings with the Kurdish community.