Yesterday evening provided a clear image of the real state of the country, now about to assume the presidency of the European Union.
On the one hand there were the country’s leaders – the President, the Prime Minister, the Archbishop, the Leader of the Opposition – all joining in to wish the Christmas Greetings to the nation.
But inside Parliament, just a few metres away, all was mayhem. Deputy Speaker Censu Galea, who has been filling in quite often for Speaker Anglu Farrugia due to the latter’s peregrinations, had a hard time to control a verbal duel between Minister Owen Bonnici and Opposition Deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami. Harsh words were used by both sides. No quarters were taken, or given.
The Deputy Speaker had to suspend the House for some minutes until order returned.
The previous day, Monday, an especially unpleasant episode took place. ‘New’ MP Edwin Vassallo most probably made a slight mistake: he quoted from a National Audit Office comment on the Ministry of Tourism and seemed to hint this was during Minister Edward Zammit Lewis’s time.
Minister Zammit Lewis was outraged (before him there had been another minister – Karmenu Vella) but he then committed a faux pas – he practically told Mr Vassallo to get back to his shop.
He may have said other things: Mr Vassallo later claimed the minister had told him to step outside, “just like boys at school” as he put it.
One may think that with Parliament most probably adjourning today for the Christmas Recess, tempers are frayed and the continued political bickering, a relentless stream on the airwaves, in print, and on every conceivable media, is taking its toll.
Heaven knows how worse it will be by this time next year, with the election approaching.
What strikes one is the very evident chasm between the sugary words and expressions of love and solidarity that are used on special and solemn occasions and the hatred, the venom, the aggressive tones, that are used when we get political/partisan speeches, which we get every Sunday from the leaders, every day in the infinite press conferences that are given, and of course in Parliament.
How can it be we are such a schizophrenic, bi-polar, people, sugary one minute and venomous the next?
All this, of course, undermines all Christmas wishes we may exchange. If we really believe in what Christmas symbolizes – the brotherhood of man – it would be far better not to exchange such wishes than to annul them the next minute with hate speech.
We do not pretend to change our national temper or characteristics, but we must state loud and clear the country expects much better from its leaders. It’s all very well for them to pontificate on what the others must do, especially the media, their pet hate, when they should be the first to give an example.