I must admit that I was totally surprised by the recent twists in Italian politics. Given the times we’re in, Italy like most other countries needs a stable government, well positioned to keep some kind of check on the impacts of the pandemic.

Instead, the Conte administration – which indeed with all its defects, had significant public support – collapsed for reasons which seemed to have been motivated by personal pique. Negotiations intended to establish a new government were I believe judged by many as convoluted, in order to make them look like they were serious politics when basically  they related to calculations of a completely personal nature.

At least, that was my conclusion.

If it is correct, no matter how competent and admirable Mario Draghi is as a person – or if his mission to replace Conte fails and someone else as competent as he is or even better is found – Italy will have lost much of the essential time it needs to overcome its present crisis.

Which is a great pity from the perspective of all the Italian people – as well as from that of all Europeans, not least the Maltese.  

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CONSTRUCTION REGULATIONS

The ways by which the regulations concerning construction in urban zones were written and are being implemented clearly provide insufficient protection for citizens (and their interests) who happen to live close to where houses are being demolished and new ones being built. Apart from the fact that practically no remedies exist to counter the inconveniences and worse which such construction generates (noise, dust, blocked streets, exagerrated delays in the completion of works...), people are being put in a situation of great physical danger.

More than once, even fatal incidents have occurred when the demolition of old buildings triggered the destruction of housing to the side, where people lived.

It is true that despite all the structural changes that the Maltese economy has undergone, the activity of the construction sector still signposts best the extent to which the economy is in general doing well or badly.

No matter, the time has come to say enough! The laws and regulations governing the sector have got to be made sharp, effective and based primarily on the interests of the “common” citizens and their family.

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PARTY STATIONS

The sense of outrage shown by those who criticise the political parties’ radio and TV stations probably no longer impresses anybody. I for one never believed in the “impartiality” and “objectivity”of the so-called “independent” media, but I never believed they should be regulated or stopped, whether in print format or when broadcast.

That members of this section of the media feel they should now dictate that the political parties’ media stations must be abolished in the name of “impartiality” is a sick joke. For if one applies the same criteria to independent media outlets, a similar conclusion should follow.

At a time when social media are continually pumping out all sorts of messages about all issues under the sun, the fixation against the party media, whether they are impartial or not, has all the features of a jihad led by people who still live in the age of the dinosaurs.