In recent years, there has been robust and sustained economic growth in Gozo. Meanwhile a number of announced major projects were kept pending or were always being promised for some near future. They included a Malta-Gozo tunnel, an airport, the enlargement of Gozo's hospital, the purchase of a new ship for Gozo Channel, the upgrading of Mġarr harbour... I never agreed with the first two in this list because there's no doubt they'd do more harm than good.
However given the progress that has been recorded, what conclusions can be drawn? That growth would have been stronger had the projects been implemented? That with or without them, there would have been no difference in growth prospects? That growth was in fact principally generated by the very good economic results achieved in Malta because that gave Gozo the push it needed? Surely this last development did help since a substantial segment of the Gozitan economy now depends on internal tourism. But I do not believe it accounts for all the growth that has been registered.
Moreover, beyond the growth rate, what should also be considered is whether in the recent past Gozo has diversified its economy sufficiently or whether it has gotten boxed into a smaller number of activity segments.
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SPAHN
Up to two weeks ago, Jens Spahn was still leading the CDU parliamentary group in Germany and he was praised for the very good work he had done in that role. Meanwhile, at an estimated expense of a quarter of a million euros, with his husband, he hired a woman in the US to conceive and give birth to their baby. When the child arrived, Spahn released the news on a popular daily and informed chancellor Merz of the happy event.
In Germany, the law prohibits citizens from renting "a womb" to have a baby. However if they do so abroad, they can still bring the baby into the country and register it as their child. Spahn believed that what he had done would be tolerated... German christian democrats oppose the practice of "wombs for hire". Recently in an internal party vote they renewed their stand against. In the past, Spahn as well had spoken publicly against.
The backlash was enormous. Spahn soon had to resign.
It was an instance (perhaps exceptional) when the "private" life of a politician veered too far away from the norms which his party... including himself... wanted to apply to the private lives of other citizens.
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STRESS TESTS
During the euro crisis, so-called "stress tests" were introduced to investigate the viability of banks. They are still being applied. On the basis of such tests, banking results are subjected to sometimes radical variations in the circumstances which led to the achievement of good to very good outcomes. In this way, it is estimated how a bank could respond to situations of crisis if they arise, even when they're not likely.
It seems to me that similar tests could and should be carried out on other aspects of economic and social administration - like gross domestic product; the management of critical infrastructure - energy, internet, water; and public health... Too often, scenarios develop in which because times have never been so good, almost nothing is done to get ready for when they go bad.