In a minute society like ours, it is difficult for matters to move forward without reliance on networks of friends of friends. Not only in government, as many believe, but just as much – perhaps sometimes even more – in the private sector.

Realistically, the problem is how to limit this “natural” tendency and prevent it from undermining all serious administration. For in any society, meritocracy is a valuable endowment. Among friends of friends, people with prudence and skills can be found, but too frequently, one finds that they only have only one or not even one of these two qualities.

Which is why it is important to set a rulebook for the best surveillance of the friends of friends phenomenon. Surely not by simply insisting that it should be totally prohibited and then closing one’s eyes to it. That would parallel the situation in the drug scene which is supposedly under total control but where in fact drug use has proliferated. It would be better to establish clear limits regarding the spread of friends of friends networks in public and private governance.

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THE MESS IN FRANCE

At least in France the extreme right ended up in third place in Parliament, although it had aimed to secure an absolute majority by which to run the government.

For the rest, the French political situation has really become messed up. The strongest political group in Parliament, the left wing coalition, is not based on a stable union between the parties that make it up. Moroever an essential goal of the coalition will be to reverse the pensions reform that President Macron rammed through during the first two years of his present mandate in the face of strong opposition. How can Macron’s political group which from being the biggest one in Parliament has been relegated to second place, agree to the liquidation of the reform? Meanwhile like the left, the extreme right is against the reform.

For the coming year, if not more, the French political scenario is likely to be one of turmoil and confusion.

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REGARDING MSIDA

My grandparents were residents of Msida, some uncles and aunts continued to live there for years, so that I followed closely how that neighbourhood was developing. It met the same fate as Marsa. Caught between two larger urban centres (in Msida’s case, Valletta and Sliema) they ended up as passage ways for ever increasing traffic.

Naturally I fully disliked the proposal for flyovers to be built now around Msida. The character of what once was a pretty inlet will be totally wiped out and its sad fate will be confirmed to serve as a traffic carriage way, that in future will be reaching for the sky. The alternative proposal advanced by the Chamber of Architects regarding what could be done instead was therefore interesting.

What I absolutely failed to understand however was why such a proposal was published so late in the day. It is clear that the agencies in charge had proceeded according to the established rule book as they guided their project forward. It is hardly appropriate to halt such a big project, whatever one thinks about it, when the preparatory work for it has been done in an open and correct manner.