The war that changed everything

We have all sat with bated breath watching the desperate scenes of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing across the European Union’s borders. We have all shed a tear as we listened to the cries of desperation of a young child begging his father to live after having been run over by an invading tank. The scenes of devastation and human despair linger in our subconscious as we get to bed each night and are there when we wake up.

Our children come back from school asking us questions we cannot answer, yet we wish to answer. How do you explain to your teenage children what led to this unrelenting war? Why are 18-year-old Russians being forced to kill? Why are cancer patients being treated in subways and basements? Most of all, how do you explain to anyone why governments elected to protect their citizens are so callous in their actions to allow mass bloodshed for unbridled power and influence.

In many ways our election campaign in Malta has been overshadowed and muted by bigger existential issues.

Malta is a 40-hour drive through Italy, Slovenia and Hungary to the Ukrainian border. This is how close we are to a reality that has shaken the world order to the core. After the events of the past week the world will have changed. Something has shifted and it is this shift that a next Maltese government has to contend with.

This war cannot be underestimated. It will have devastating consequences on Europe. For decades, we have taken peace in Europe for granted.

Now we must fight for it or we risk losing everything we have worked for.

The words of Ukraine’s brave President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cannot be taken lightly.

“We are thankful, but it’s too late,” he said shortly after sanctions were imposed on Russia. “After Ukraine – if we don’t exist, God forbid – then it will be Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Moldova, Georgia, Poland and they will keep going on until the Berlin Wall. They will continue.” Make no mistake, Russian people are not to blame for this war. This violence is being instigated by one man who became too powerful, Vladimir Putin, and who many Russians around the world are bravely trying to stand up to.

Like them, we cannot just sit back and watch our European values being extinguished, a country’s sovereignty being stolen, innocent civilians being killed, and millions being displaced from their homes.

For decades, we have taken peace in Europe for granted

It is indeed sobering to think that as we discuss whether to increase student stipends by 15 per cent or 25 per cent, young Ukrainian students are either fleeing their country or making Molotov cocktails in their basements. Some are joining their country’s army and others have already been killed by bombs that are tearing entire cities to the ground.

As we contemplate the building of a new mental health hospital to cater for Malta’s spiralling needs after a pandemic, we are faced with new questions as to how our collective mental health will be impacted by this war.

It is with this backdrop that we will be casting our votes come March 26. As we line up to vote at the different polling booths around Malta and Gozo it is a good time to think of the many lines of refugees in Poland, Romania, Moldova, Hungary and Slovenia and the many others internally displaced. When will they get a chance to cast their vote again in their own land? When will they see their homes again?

As we line up to vote let us all recognise the privilege that we have been given to vote for our representatives. Let us understand not just the symbolic power of our vote but the actual power we hold in our hands to choose the best women and men to lead Malta and Gozo for the next five years. Five years of challenges. Five crucial years where Malta’s foreign policy will be put to the test. Where Malta will be called to take a stand and join the international community in creating a safer and freer world.

The choice will always be in our hands. Beyond the political rhetoric and the promises made during this election campaign, we are being called to vote for individuals that have enough heart and courage to take the decisions that are required to restore our global reputation and work hand in hand with the international community to ensure peace and prosperity.

This will not mean selling out to convenience or pressure from individuals. It means taking a stand and not compromising on the values we hold dear. The values of democracy, freedom of expression, the rule of law and most of all the value of our independence.

This is an election like no other. I recognise and understand the huge responsibility I have entering this race. I recognise the tough decisions that are required to restore our nation’s name and am willing to take them. This is no time for words but for actions and I am as ready as I ever will be to honour our flag and ensure that it flies confidently alongside every other European nation.

I am ready to do my part; my team is ready to do their part; what part will you play? 

Bernard Grech is leader of the Nationalist Party