[DEUTSCHE COLI] German authorities are smarting from the latest discovery in the e. coli saga. Far from having been hatched in a Spanish farm during some lazy siesta, it turns out that the bacteria were unknowingly cultivated in a farm in Uelzen (south of Hamburg), Germany. The North-South cultural divide that tends to crop up in EU debates from immigration to work to money had shifted for the worse when the Spaniards had many fingers pointed in their general direction at the end of last week. Ay Caramba! There are many red faces in the German house now as the EU health ministers convene in Luxembourg today to decide how to solve this latest crisis.
[HANDOVER] In Portugal the centre-right Social Democrats delivered a sound beating to the outgoing socialists and took over the government of the Iberian state. They will not be able to do much with government other than attempt to steer Portugal to safer economic waters as their government is tied down by economic constraints of the last EU bailout.
[YEMEN & LIBYA] The Yemeni pro-democracy protesters celebrated a mini-victory when President Saleh was forced to leave the country after being wounded following an attack on his compound. Also in the Jasmine Revolution, there are no signs of change from the Libyan front. As the interpretation of the UN resolution is stretched to its legal limits little ground has been gained in the fight to remove Ghaddafi from power. Last week Malta joined the growing list of countries that recognise the Benghazi based anti-Ghaddafi government. Babysteps.
[CONSCIENCE] The unofficial ballots have it in favour of the AYES in case of a vote in the Maltese parliament on divorce legislation. The discussion has not abated though as some representatives insist on putting conscience before representative duties. The other (hidden) crisis is that of civic awareness on the part of the voters. Will the two main parties manage to realign their supporters along traditional fault lines? Will the PLPN get awat with the Great Deception that they are fulfilling their representative roles in a liberal democracy? Meanwhile former PM and President Eddie Fenech Adami has a peculiar solution for representation in the 21st century … does redefining issues as “moral” really help the functioning of representative democracies?
[HUNDREDS] turned up for an animal cruelty protest in Sliema in an encouraging popular move that could only be a good advert for Malta following the negative press in the Star saga. The Maltese people do have a heart that beats independently after all. The real question is do they have a free-thinking brain to go with it? Tomorrow morning at 9.30am will there be “hundreds” of people convening on Hastings with AD – putting that extra bit of pressure on our parliamentarians to respect the will of the people? One can only hope so.
Related articles
- Tests To Confirm If German Farm Caused E.Coli (news.sky.com)
- E. coli outbreak blamed on German vegetable sprouts (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Understanding Eddie (akkuza.com)
- J’accuse: Far from the madding crowd (akkuza.com)
- J’accuse : Sophistry, Protagoras & San Ċipress (akkuza.com)
- J’accuse : CTRL + ALT + DEL (akkuza.com)
- J’accuse: Conscientious objectors and objectionable consciences (akkuza.com)
- As the dust settles – Citizen Jack (akkuza.com)
- J’accuse : Thoroughly Modern Malta (akkuza.com)
