There was a time, not so long ago, when the EU as an institution, was considered to be at the forefront in promoting the social values of solidarity. Those who viewed it in this light included unions, as well as civil society organizations, which all got it to back them in the fields of social services, the defence of workers’ rights, the environment, family welfare and other questions. The EU would not only proclaim social values. It would also propose action at a European level toensure they were put into practice.

Today, the Union has lost much of the gloss it had gained on the social front. It still proclaims the same values as in the past. However in practice – especially within the euro zone – its efforts have been directed to propose and lobby for policies that were sure to have negative social consequences for many people.

This has not really happened because European leaders became more hardnosed and reactionary than they were in the past. The reason is that economic and financial measures have been adopted which attach the utmost importance to financial stability in societies where the principles of free trade apply. While succeeding in this aim, the same measures have sown the seeds of political and social instability.

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UK ties

For more than two centuries we have been in a “privileged” relationship with the UK – in the sense that as a colony and even after Independence, the economy as well as our aspirations were strongly linked to that country. In commerce, industry, tourism, investment, technical and professional education, migration, management norms – every step we took frequently reflected tendencies for the better and also perhaps for the worse, reaching us from the UK.

These remained quite influential even when Malta became a member of the eurozone.

But there is a likelihood now that the situation could change drastically once Brexit comes into force, no matter whether it is soft, hard or no-deal. For the first time, Malta would be totally tied into a operating system, that of the EU, which supposedly will be completely distinct from that of the UK. When centuries ago, this happened with Italy, our distance from that country became much bigger that the one determined by geography.

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Wolves

Granted: when every week the results are published and match commentaries are delivered, the games played by Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English league are given second to third place by way of attention.

However for people of my generation, their reappearance in the top competition is nothing if not miraculous. They’re like the phoenix rising out of its own ashes.

We remember their team as one of the best, if not the best, always endowed with a good probability of becoming champions. Together with the players of Manchester United and possibly Arsenal, we as children would look for and collect the photos of Wolves players on the packets of breakfast cereals.

When Wolves plunged ever deeper down the relegation spiral, I was among the first to lose interest in English football.

Now things are really looking different. The Wolves are playing well. If they keep it up, next year they should again be among the best, if not the best.