That we are a small country impacts how foreigners and their governments consider us. It is a natural state of affairs that we frequently try to ignore or deny. I remember the theatrics indulged in by PN protagonists when once I said that with Malta in the EU, we would be like a minnow placed in the same bath tub with whales. But that's the case now.
The argument that Roberta Metsola has "made it" to the presidency of the European Parliament in no way contradicts this reality. She reached that position on the basis of her personal merits and and skill to manoeuvre within her political group. A country of comparable size to ours, Luxembourg, has had Jean Claude Juncker as European Commission President, in addition before him to Gaston Thorn and Jacques Santer. Even so, that small country hardly gained any extra influence or advantage on top of what its own, overall situation gave it.
A small country can only sustain and strengthen its reputation in such a way as to earn an international regard greater than what its small size can command by showing competence in governance in terms of - democratic system; economic progress; social justice; and environmental protection.
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INQUIRIES
The controversy about a reform in the organization of magisterial inquiries has continued to run. I doubt whether it is raising so much interest among citizens in general. This doesn't mean that the points being made are unimportant.
What astonishes me is how - even if one would be going out of subject - when magisterial inquiries are being discussed, nothing is said (?) about "run of the mill" inquiries during which a strange procedure is followed. When for instance, a traffic fatality occurs on our roads, and a magisterial inquiry is being carried out: apparently, till it is ended, the victim's family is left completely uninformed about what is really going on and whether the authorities are going to take action. Such a procedure seems designed to create even greater anguish for victims' relatives.
Do ongoing proposals actually provide for some change that would be legally acceptable, at least for such relatives to be kept better informed about how the death of their dear ones are being investigated?
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TRAFFIC
As was to be expected, the growth in road traffic of recent years has led to an increase of accidents, some fatal. People assume automatically that they're caused by car drivers who to put it plainly, either just lose all control over themselves with frustration or indulge in abusive behaviour. This is surely true in certain cases.
However the problem of too much traffic has become too widespread for such an explanation to cover all occurrencies. In the picture enter buses, industrial and construction engines, motor cycles, bicycles and pedestrians. All are having to face different challenges because of ever increasing traffic volumes. Not to mention public and private construction works that help to increase the congestion. Everybody is making mistakes, which given circumstances on the ground is inevitable.
More controls and greater co-ordinated attention are needed to guide all sectors which have an impact on traffic flows towards the appropriate behaviour.