It couldn’t have been otherwise. For many, the New Year 2022 is carrying forward fears and uncertainties. The persistence with which the Covid-19 virus continues to disrupt life has brought us close now to a third year dominated by an infectious disease that has a global reach. Despite the ongoing efforts to roll it back, we might be reaching a point where government finances and national economies will no longer be able to keep pace with its effects.

Possibly, the sense of unease one feels because of all this is really grounded in the realization that the current trouble cannot be cleared by a person or a family acting alone. All of society needs to achieve “victory” over the pandemic – and not just the society of a single country or continent, but of the world as a whole.

Although a wide co-ordination has been maintained in this effort, we are still well away from any unified and universal campaign.

I cannot remember any New Year that kicked off on this basis, one which cannot even be compared to a world war. This may be why many are feeling less than tranquil  

*** 

LEADERS FOR EUROPE

The view recently expressed by some media that the European Union has been left without a leader following Chancellor Merkel’s departure seems to me to be rather overblown. It is true that Merkel served or was considered to have served as the anchor around which some major EU policies were developed. At other moments, as during the 2016 refugee crisis, also true, she quickly adopted a strong and distinct policy position... though this did not happen so often.

In reality, Merkel led “from behind”. First she would let issues come to a boil, while positions and claims would come out in the open. Then according to where the best balance of compromise could be drawn – not least in her own country – she would play her game. Where and when she did things on her own – as in the case of immigration – she later took time to compensate for the fall-out of what she had decided.

This is not the same as denying that Merkel played a central role in the Europe of the past years. However, within the same terms of reference she followed in this role, it is one that can be carried forward, if not by just one person... then as well by several, in alternating mode.

*** 

CONTRACTORS’ REGISTER

Many moons ago, it was declared that for the construction industry to really modernise, there needed to be opened a register where contractors are classified according to how big or small they are, in terms of own funds, equipment at their disposal and employees available to start work. In this way, the classification would show for which building contracts, private and public, a given construction firm would be suitable.

Almost everybody agreed with this idea and that it needed to be put into practice. But then it never was. Who knows why...?

Which reminds me of the lands register (the so-called “kadast”) which was going to be established and which presumably should have been considered as an indispensable tool. Well, that register was started in 1958 and has to date remained in limbo.