It’s been a tough year. That’s a perfect blanket phrase which thousands of us, irrespective of our backgrounds or life choices, will identify with. Most of us are looking forward to the day when we’ll be free of restrictions, anxieties, maybe even responsibilities.
Others have had it even worse: from victims of domestic violence to the homeless, the unemployed and the unemployed-to-be. The year of COVID-19 has been tragic under a number of aspects, more so when it comes to the lost virtue of social solidarity: we read of the elderly passing away daily, now as a mere statistic which doesn’t conjure the shock of the early days; we forget, way too often, those whose struggles go beyond staying safe from COVID – such as mental health patients, the disabled, and other vulnerable segments fighting their wars in silence.
That phase of the pandemic seems very far away and, while I’d be tempted to add “thankfully”, I also think warmly of the displays of solidarity that characterised last spring: from food deliveries for the elderly to homeless shelters taking in huge numbers of homeless people; from volunteering initiatives to the simple acts of kindness that make it to the media every once in a while.
All that has vanished once the economy reopened. And while living in semi-lockdown is by no means desirable, I can only feel like I’m ruing a host of missed opportunities to make our society a better place.
The future looks already very bleak in the employment sector. Not just because of the damage the pandemic has wreaked to the economy but also because it has not curbed the already rampant abuse of workers’ rights. These days, ordering a pizza involves exploiting somebody else, most probably a third-country national employed on a dubious contract and paid a pittance while a complex web of holding companies and operators dodges taxes, regulations, laws.
New Finance Minister Clyde Caruana, who had engineered a mass importation of foreign workers (“labour policy”, they called it), already promises some unwelcome surprises in the near future. Kickstarting the economy only appears doable through the continuous exploitation of those at the bottom, to the ecstasies of the construction, tourism, catering and nursing industries.
You didn’t see this one coming: it’s been another black year when it comes to the environment. I have no trouble admitting that things are better on Aaron Farrugia’s watch, although something tells me that controlling wild beasts such as the Planning Authority isn’t his forte.
Aside from the untameable shrew that is the Planning Authority, we’ve seen a roaring escalation of another wild beast, Infrastructure Malta. Headed by Frederick Azzopardi, a cross between Vincent Pastore from The Sopranos and Sicilian actor Franco Franchi, the ‘roadbuilding’ agency has bullied its way into countless fields, threatening farmers (directly) and their livelihoods without having filed as much as half a permit application. Their failed surprise assault in Dingli was yet another bullying expedition, however, this time it all went pear-shaped, exposing Azzopardi and his gang for what they are: a bunch of bullies in a suit who believe they can do as they please and who have declared a fatwa onto every single farmer in Malta.
The future looks already very bleak in the employment sector- Wayne Flask
Count on the Malta Developers’ Association to live up to themselves: every month, as we read of new cases, deaths, layoffs and the odd construction accident, they issue a press release celebrating increasing property sales. It’s what vultures do. It would be interesting to know how many of these sales are concluded hurriedly at below-par prices, since the MDA had loudly encouraged us to make hay while the sun shines. But while the clouds of the pandemic hit most of us, we get to see Marthese Portelli and Sandro Chetcuti smile on their sun decks.
The real obscenity, however, was the handing over of Aħrax and Miżieb to the FKNK. I won’t repeat what I’ve said elsewhere but I’ll just say this ain’t over.
This year was also the year in which the Pace family lost their wife and mother, Miriam, buried under the rubble of her own home. I’ve had the opportunity to meet the family and I’ll admit it was one of the toughest meetings I’ve ever had because the injustice they are going through is one of the most heart-wrenching stories I’ve ever witnessed and it goes on to this day. Why the prime minister keeps ignoring calls for a public inquiry beats me because, unless there are things that need to be hidden, this family deserves closure and justice.
Finally, the erosion of solidarity has also made its way into the institutions. Which is why we continue to see the normalisation of racism in the media, with the state broadcaster suddenly going full Daily Mail with titles designed to hurt, discriminate, isolate and, yes, create an outlet for hate.
Another institution which has lost its solidarity is the judiciary. Heavily criticised by the Council of Europe for its insensitivity in handing down judgments on domestic violence cases, the judiciary and the police contribute to a climate of omertà. Silent suffering, humiliation, marginalisation, fear: how long is this going to go on for? But, there again, I expect too much: the judiciary is as heartless as those who wrote the laws or refuse to write new ones.
The new year will bring ‘continuity’ for us activists too, sadly. Every week, we receive new stories where people from different walks of life have their rights trampled upon by politicians, developers, government agencies or a toxic combination of the three. Next year, we’ll live to fight each and every day.
I always thought Times of Malta would regret giving me this column and give me the chop faster than Ian Borg would a tree. Yet, two months down the line, here I am.
I wish everyone at The Mothership a happy festive season while thanking the editors for giving me the opportunity to write for this paper, especially on behalf of this fine group of people – thanks to whom, and with whom, I proudly and, finally, stand for something.
Wayne Flask is a member of Moviment Graffitti.