Last Saturday’s environmental protest brought together many different parts of society, of all ages. So far it is unclear whether the rally will have any noticeable effect on government decisions or actions. In a radio show the following day, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat promised that the next national budget will include environmental measures to improve […] More
Loud street protests are all over the news. People were out marching, demonstrating against governments. Peaceful protests in Hong Kong have been going on for months but have become increasingly complex and violent. Partly, the protests there are calling for greater democratic freedoms. Closer to home, tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets […] More
A glimpse of a small arm tattoo recently took people unawares and reminded them of the book ‘Invicta: The Life and Death of Daphne Caruana Galiziaʼ, published shortly after her assassination in 2017. I took my copy of the book off its shelf, and sadly revisited it. This month, Daphne would have turned 55 years […] More
Leadership style matters. The same situation can be handled very differently depending on the approach. Some people are lenient, others are strict, some are fair and others not. The rules often don’t even need to be changed, for big changes to be felt on the ground. Good governance makes a difference. Last Monday, I attended […] More
In the blazing summer sun, anger at the building frenzy just adds to the heat. Hot on the heels of the Central Link project, two controversial development proposals in Gozo, at Qala and Sannat, are now in line for approval. Taking note of the public mood, Adrian Delia appeared on national television last Thursday and […] More
The Prime Minister takes perceptions seriously and has lodged the term in his vocabulary. In a talk on the national budget in October 2018, he said that poverty is ‘not a perception’. In 2014, he had also assured everyone that heavy traffic is ‘not a perception’. Everyone will agree with him on that. The proposed […] More
A protest against the Central Link project is planned for this Sunday. The anger at the government’s mindless obliteration of the country’s natural and cultural heritage is spreading. Farmers are also protesting. The government is offering deals to compensate for the fields to be sacrificed for the project, but this ignores the fact that farmers […] More
Opposition to the proposed City Centre by DB Group at St George’s Bay shows no signs of letting up. It is not easy to battle against such a big project. They will build it anyway in the end, is the dejected thought. But experience does show that it is always well worth a try. The […] More
Just imagine if the Environment and Resources Authority Head was replaced by a government backbencher. Even if ERA were to act most professionally, its credibility would be wrecked. The Planning Authority’s leadership is perceived as a political mess already, but imagine if the chairmen of the boards that grant permits at the Planning Authority, were […] More
The Planning Authority often gets it wrong when issuing permits. But on the restaurant at Dwejra, it did the right thing. In 2017 it had decided that, in order to respect this protected area in Gozo, no further expansion of this restaurant would be allowed. But it is always Sod’s Law for those who want […] More
A move was finally made yesterday within the PN, aiming for a vote of confidence in Adrian Delia’s leadership of the Nationalist Party. The required number of signatures was quickly collected from PN councillors for an extraordinary meeting to be requested. Moves are afoot to shake things up. This reflects the mood of many people. […] More
The construction industry disaster has briefly opened a dark window. Collapsing blocks of apartments, and building site injuries or deaths, are terrifying. Safety procedures are now hastily being rewritten, papering over the cracks. The government is scrambling to shut that dark window. A beast lies inside, an ugly monster with a long tail. These tragic […] More
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