One of the biggest failures in Europe as of now, is in the poverty sector... if “sector”  is the appropriate term to define where the problem lies. Here’s one target set by the European Union in its 2020 strategy that it definitely will not reach. The European Cmmission itself acknowledges this.

Not only will the target for the reduction of poverty by 2020 not be achieved; more than that, poverty will have increased by comparison with the level that existed when targets were being set.

One might argue that the poor can be forgotten quite easily, once one makes sure that they are given their welfare niche and the guarantee they will not die of hunger. However, the real target should be to ensure that the poor are given the means by which to overcome their condition.

It is clear that without massive public input, it will not be possible to roll back poverty, even less eradicate it. The state can no longer keep back from providing better coverage against poverty, as well as better control over those big companies and wealthy individuals that fail to pay their due taxes. In Europe at present, the poor have increased in number by the millions, while tax evasion and avoidance have increased by scores of billions.

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Pain

Professional and voluntary associations held their congress in a Brussels hotel to discuss the problem of pain and its cure. They believe that in the life of a person, a stage could be reached when the experience of past and present pain caused by some deep disease, becomes chronic.

At that stage, in and of itself, pain should be recognized as another separate disease and has to be treated as such.

The associations are doing their best to get doctors, nurses and drug companies to acknowledge this state of affairs, and are lobbying political leaders to introduce the concept of chronic pain as a disease in the administration of public health programmes.

They invited me to make the closing address at their congress, since with the agreement of the Malta government, they plan to organize their next annual congress in Malta.

From what I heard and learnt about the endeavours being made in this field, one can only conclude they deserve full support.

Recently I noted how, given that during the first half of 2017, Malta will be in the presidency of the EU, European health professionals and activists have been seeking the support of Maltese MEPs for their activities.

It is our privilege to extend to them our support, since they consider it to be valuable.   

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It's tribal

If one must speak plainly, it is hardly possible not to conclude that we still here in Malta, play the political game according to tribal rules.

This might not necessarily be such a bad idea, although it has now reached the point where political controversy hardly focuses on ideological choices, as much as on the contrast between individuals.

Like in football.

Once you support Napoli or Dortmund, then for you, the strongest controversy is about how good their respective players are, and whether they’ve played a good game or a bad one.

You’ll praise the players on your side to the skies, those on the other side are just weaklings.

In fact, political tribes have now come to resemble quite closely those that flourish in commercial sports.