Crying for the moon

This piece is addressed to Hugh Peralta who, alone in writing, expressed his views on my feeble attempt to inject a small dose of sanity into the political game on EU membership, which we have been subjected to watching ad nauseam.

For, after all, our politicians have succeeded in making a game of such an important issue. If only it could feature in the games theory! But even this would still be crying for the moon.

Since my suggestion of a 'political pact' (or 'pact with the nation' as Hugh improved it) was published on May 5, we have had the World Cup in football, and Roland Garros and Wimbledon in tennis, both lasting only a few weeks. The EU membership game, however, has dragged on and on, with no end in sight as yet. To avoid such an occurrence, in football they agreed on the penalty shootout and in tennis on the tie-break. In the local political scene we cannot even agree on a referendum. The reason, clearly, is that in the political game it is unthinkable for any leader to surrender one iota on any issue in the nation's interest. This would be a sign of weakness, not statesmanship. Taboo.

No chance for the citizens to see the game coming to a national end, unless there is a change in leadership from either or both sides. And, in this country, leaders do not usually willingly give up their post, sometimes not even after an election disaster, e.g. both our current leaders. And presidents can do little to bring the parties to some sort of an agreement on such an issue that should really transcend everyday politics.

Verbal reactions to my proposal have refreshingly been aplenty. But in writing only The Sunday Times editor called for the parties' comments. Which never happened.

In Malta everyone is resigned to the fact that one is either actively on the political bandwagon and hence heeded, or outside the political arena and hence ungraciously ignored. There is absolutely no place for voices from outside the parties, even those of independent political commentators.

Their cries are instantaneously catapulted in the wilderness of the ignoramuses, inhabited by the masses which, however, will inevitably be asked to determine the EU membership issue in the near future, despite the persistence of our politicos to add confusion, twice confounded, to the brainwork of the 20 per cent or so uncommitted citizens.

The government insists on a referendum immediately after the conclusion of negotiations with the EU without allowing much time and resources for the anti-membership groups to have their say. The opposition will boycott such a referendum if held before a general election, thus rendering nigh impossible to determine its veritable outcome. And then a general election soon afterwards which may well point to a direction opposite that indicated by the preceding referendum.

Like many other citizens, Hugh and I have cried loud for the moon. But, somehow, I did read that man managed to get there. So there is still hope.