Independence Day celebrations

It would seem to me that the Independence Day celebrations, which took place over a week ago - a Nationalist Party jamboree for the diehard faithful, ending with a mass meeting, every wretched September - are well past their sell-by date. Though I have never set foot at the Granaries on one of these occasions, it is obvious to most that this charade is pretty stale.

In the horrendous bad old days one could understand the objective of the party but times have changed quite dramatically and anything with a confrontational undertone should be scrapped or phased out rapidly.

Polarisation and triumphalism, however benign, are to be frowned upon. They certainly will not garner any votes and can only irritate the apolitical.

The customary bunting and banners, military parade and wreath-laying, and Mass at St John's Co-Cathedral should surely suffice in this day and age. The old mentality should be changed and the Maltese should move forward as Europeans, rather than persist in retaining outdated rituals that tend to irk the likes of the more moderate readership of The Times. Imagine the Brits having an annual week-long binge in Trafalgar Square celebrating Waterloo!

The PN administration should seek to instil vigorous enthusiasm in the EU project meaningfully by embracing the official opposition, unions and all other entities in society, to ensure that membership of the EU is a success from the word go, rather than limp forward and waste 10 odd years as the Greeks had done on joining.

The sooner the wearisome and tedious old fanatical "colour divide" is laid to rest, the better for one and all. Let's bury the hatchet, forget the spot, and get on with gearing ourselves for the very daunting, albeit potentially rewarding, task ahead.