European socialists are doing the right thing – and I am fully aligned with what they’re stating – when they insist on the priority of an environmental policy that will contain climate change. And when they also insist on the need for this containment to be carried out in a way that protects the social standing of those who will find their lives affected negatively by what should be going on.

For instance, it will not do if in order to keep climate change under control, it is taken for granted that  the life of scores of thousands of coal mine workers and their families must be disrupted. The forward movement towards an envronment that is cleared of the factors that damage climate in a big way must be carried out in tandem with social measures guaranteeing that the resulting burdens are distributed fairly and with justice.

To be clear, the European Union is making this claim in the Green Deal which it is advocating. However, some disbelieve that the claim will be really honoured in practice. So it is essential that social aims are proclaimed with the same... if not greater... force as environmental targets.

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REGARDING RUSSIA

I have already said it a number of times but I must repeat. For years, I have believed that Russia was not dealt with sensibly by Europeans and Americans alike... and I still think I was right on this point.                  

Russia reacted strongly to what was being forced on it and in the process, committed mistakes that were hardly minor. Still I could consider and understand the “logic” of the action undertaken by the Putin administration... and not simply in terms of the nationalistic language it affected.

But now, to be sure, I hardly feel like I can continue to “support” the Russian administration like I did till some time ago... at least I did this to the extent of not approving initiatives that were hostile to Russia.

I spent long years in Opposition and I understand well the problems experienced by whoever carries this position. The manner by which the government continued to deal with the effective Opposition leader in Russia in the past months has been incredibly arbitrary, not to say criminal in scope. The explanations being given to explain this behaviour cannot be believed.

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RIGHTISTS IN MALTA

Spokespersons of the right in Malta – mostly PN followers – possess a very peculiar characteristic. Although in recent years they seem to have split into a number of different camps, I note how the same characteristic still distinguishes them from others.

It shows up in how their modes of expression and condemnation can have no limits to the bitterness and sharpness they summon, quite often with little clear reason to justify such an approach. But then when some third party comes in to give them a similar makeover, they quickly revert to the saintly mode and play the aggrieved. They will even complain about how others are contravening all rules of fair play.

I must say that over the years I met many spokespersons who were past masters in the arts of flaunting a fake sainthood; and that still impresses many people. I will not mention these representatives here in order not to reopen wounds that have been healed.

But I must say that today’s spokespersons of the right are not outshown in this regard by their predecessors.