Deep questions about security and terrorism in Europe remain open. Some say that the blowback of Islamic militants to Europe which was expected to happen once ISIS were almost destroyed in Syria, still has to materialise by way of important acts of violence. Others consider that it is still too early for the prospected attacks to start rolling.

And there are those who claim that European security services have succeeded well in preempting the movements of militants returning to the European countries of which they have citizenship. In silence if not in the dark, they are taking the “necessary” measures.

Probably what has been of help over this, was the agreement between the EU and Turkey, by which the immigrant flows from the Middle East were dammed up. Up to two years ago, those flows had been rising steadily. If that had continued to be the case, they would have offered much greater cover for returning militants to infiltrate European capitals.

It would be a mistake however if those responsible for security anywhere in Europe were to stay back from reinforcing security measures wherever possible, and doing so always – one hopes – in full respect of the law.

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Law enforcement

In past months, we have listened to so many sermons about the rule of law, as hysterical attempts proceeded to stamp the island with the “mafia” label. One hardly needs to twitter or retwitter on this point: many such attempts, over the top as they were, originated from people who feel they have been thrown out of the Garden of Eden because the oldstyle PN is no longer in government.

Thankfully, that’s the way it now is.

What such people do tend to forget – which shows them up as not being in good faith – is the most important claim they should be making, if we are going to refer to “the law”. The biggest flaw of our society is not that the rule of law is not respected. It is that we bother least of all about enforcement of the laws.

This is true on a judicial level, since court decisions are frequently delivered years after the need for them emerges. It is also true on an executive level, where we ignore flagrant abuses that happen in streets,in business dealings, as well as in relations between citizens or within families...

The votes cast in general elections account for this state of affairs. Everybody stands in fear of their reach.

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From three continents

Lula in Brazil. Guen-Hye in South Korea. Zuma in South Africa.

All happen to be ex-Presidents of their country who ended up in prison or are heading in that direction.

The big accusation they face: decisions they took or failed to take were corrupt.

One can be sure that much of what they were accused of was raked up by adversaries who were qute relaxed about going on to the bitter end. But this does not explain everything. In all political activity, whether partisan or not, calculations are continuously being made and remade.

What is disturbing about these events which span three continents, is that they apparently confirm the statement that politics are necessarily a corrupt activity. The three Presidents belong to three different political orientations.