In the blink of an eye, 2022 is history and here we are, starting a new year – 2023. Many of us, at this time, traditionally engage in an exercise of soul-searching and resolution making, with a view to improve certain things that may not be going in the right direction in their lives. This year, I wish to humbly propose a number of resolutions for our country.
2023 should be the year when Malta gets it right with Justice. It has been a while now that people openly feel that there is no sense of justice in Malta. Justice, obviously, is a fundamental part of a functioning, free democracy and with its decline, comes lawlessness. In 2022 Malta had the slowest law courts in Europe, with cases taking significantly longer to be concluded than any other European country. This plays very comfortably into the hands of individuals who might want to take advantage of this situation, creating a situation of impunity at the detriment of law-abiding citizens.
2023 should also be the year when we make a real commitment towards our environment and public health. This administration was returned to power based on a series of promises that it would put a greater accent on environmental issues, following the abysmal performance by previous PL administrations. Sadly, so far we have seen precious little in this area, and I really hope we will be proven wrong about it all being an elaborate ruse of green-washing. Malta remains a leader in terms of poor air quality, leading to an alarming incidence of respiratory diseases such as asthma. Air quality needs to become a national priority, since we literally live on it!
2023 should be the year when the Opposition finds its soul and purpose and starts acting like such. Never has the country needed a functioning Opposition more than today. The government knows this and uses the Opposition’s rifts in its favour, knowing that it will get away with the unthinkable. This situation is unacceptable. We need a united Nationalist Party that stands for a real vision, all of Malta can get on board with.
It also wouldn’t hurt if we would be a bit more careful with our words as well, as they go a very long way.
2023 should also be the year when we seriously address our traffic situation. We simply cannot continue to place thousands of new cars on our roads every year – this is simple logic! Our traffic is quickly outgrowing infrastructural projects, which the country carried out, to the tune of millions of euro, a few short years ago. We cannot continue building wider roads, we must limit the number of cars on our roads.
2023 also ought to be the year when the country makes domestic violence a thing of the past. Bernice Cassar’s killing, late in 2022, chilled the country, as we were faced by a reality which is often hidden away from view and suffered by the most vulnerable among us. Linking to my first point, we need a better equipped justice system that truly offers support to those who need it. We cannot have reports going virtually ignored and hearings being scheduled for a year later. Again, this plays all too well into the hands of the abuser, often resulting in the ultimate price being paid by the victims.
And finally, 2023 should be the year when we send a strong message to make mental health a priority. As proposed by the professionals, I completely agree that a new mental health hospital should be built in the vicinity of Mater Dei, and the country should invest more in revitalizing its mental health strategy. We need to do more to actively prevent suicide and remove the stigma related to mental health from our society.
I genuinely believe that we can achieve all of this, if we all agree to cooperate, for the good of all of the country.
I wish the readers of The Malta Independent on Sunday the very best for the new year.
Alexander Mangion is the deputy mayor of Attard