No matter what some may be claiming: Prime Minister Abela is doing a good job of keeping the right balance between the progress achieved in the years prior to his premiership, and the changes that his administration must carry out.

It is not an easy task. The judgements that the Opposition and the so-called independent and voluntary NGOs promote must be considered with scepticism.

It will remain crucial for all those who man Labour’s political machine that they play their game correctly. The emphasis will need to be on how the government is working hard to revive the economy. Time should not be wasted on diversionary tactics and arguments about this or that, as the Opposition which still lacks a coherent message, would prefer.

It might also be a good idea form this perspective for the recovery plan which the government has presented to the European Commission in order to access newly available European funds to be publicised more widely. This should not be done simply through speeches crammed with nice words but by explaining one by one and in simple words, the projects that have been identified.   

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CONTRASTS

The kind of young people I used to meet when I was myself young and then for some generations later, would mainly complain about one aspect of our society. You could not feel free personally in it – there were too many social controls.  (I’m compacting what they said into a short sentence.)

Today among young people of the same sort whom I happen to know, the conversation has changed radically. Complaints raised focus on how there are not enough controls on those with power in our society – independently of whether they hold it because they are wealthy, well connected or have political clout. Emphasis is placed in this regard on environmental protection and the abuses prevalent in the construction industry.

I am not guaranteeing that these views are shared by the majority of young people. Which is why I only mentioned they are held by a certain number of them and for sure.

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IMMIGRATION NEEDED?

Does Europe need immigrants or not? If yes, for what? – and would it be everywhere or in specific regions?

The point arises because at times, one hears that there is a need for immigrants to “replenish” populations where birth rates have declined and are not making up for the deaths that occur plus older people who retire from work. One sometimes also hears how economic sectors are struggling to stay in business because they’re not attracting as many workers as they require. Moreover, there are employment sectors which are failing to attract (if they ever did) European citizens who just refuse to take up a job in them.

Still it hardly seems as if there is a clear view regarding where and how needs exist and how they could be met through immigration.  Or perhaps better, such a view is rarely expressed clearly and strongly in political discourse. Which is quite strange since it is from this point that a rational discussion had better begin about how Europe should respond to the immigration challenge.

However, that approach might clash politically with the fact that in various regions around Europe, the unemployment rate has stayed relatively high.