Malta has changed. Some argue for the better, others for the worse. But there does exist a grand sense of alienation. A sense of giving up. A sense of ignoring the greater scheme of things to which we all belong.
Surveys show a detached population who has increasingly lost interest in a collective vision. Indeed, we are experiencing a disenchanted society, isolated from the political class, bar those in an intimate relationship with the government.
Malta is no longer safe and secure. There is no longer the liberty to walk freely in the streets and, in the prime minister’s own words, we are now forced to think twice about whether we can trust our children to roam the outdoors alone. Indeed, this is the feeling of many parents, elderly and teenage girls who I meet on a regular basis.
The Nationalist Party incessantly underlines that an institutionalised culture of ‘everything goes’ is detrimental to society. In response, we are labelled negative by the Labour government. But this is indeed the prevailing culture in our society today, whereby it has become solely about the individual interest and not the collective one. An “I’m all right, Jack” mentality.
If this is the culture that the majority wishes to continue sowing into our nation and raise tomorrow’s generations in this way, then so be it. A majority, silent or not, always has the final say. But it is fundamentally wrong. This is not the Malta most of us remember. God forbid if Malta didn’t change or evolve but our values are being lost and a free-for-all mentality prevails.
We are prone to a road infrastructure which keeps causing major traffic problems and congestion at all times of the day. A nation which is choking inside a bottleneck it itself created, also due to the considerable influx of foreign individuals on very low salaries and who reside in miserable and sub-standard properties.
The Maltese feel alienated and shunned by their own nation- Julie Zahra
Young people look on helplessly as the price of property continues to increase and they can barely afford a decent one-bedroom apartment in a remote locality. The prices of many essential items continue to rise on a regular basis, with many families not being able to make ends meet and being pushed to the brink of poverty.
We see a rapidly declining environment with buildings devoid of any kind of aesthetics. An environment which has shunned anything intended to safeguard our Maltese identity and patrimony, with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and the Planning Authority in cahoots together.
We are back to a public broadcaster, which has a constitutional obligation to be independent and impartial, that continuously censors the opposition’s agenda and substitutes it with Castille-imposed propaganda.
It has become increasingly the norm for many to state that if the opportunity arises, they are ready to leave Malta, for they see no future here at all, either for a career or for a decent standard of living.
This culture where ‘everything goes’ has ensued a new reality, where the Maltese feel alienated and shunned by their own nation, conscious that the country’s wealth is being distributed between a selected few who gorge as much as they can at the expense of others. Many are fearful of arguing about this out of fear of retribution by the government.
Slowly, throughout these past 10 years, the Labour Party has created a risky ethos for itself and for the nation, which has on more than one occasion already compelled us to pay a high price.
But this state of affairs cannot persist for ever and there will come a day when people will see through the government’s impression of perfection and magnificence. One day, to quote Hans Christian Anderson, the majority will realise that “the emperor has no clothes”.
Julia Zahra is PN spokesperson on culture, art and national heritage.