Thursday, June 27, 2024

One to One fuq Campus 103.7


One To One fuq Campus 103.7 - Michael Briguglio jiddiskuti temi kurrenti ma' mistieden - mit-2 ta' Lulju, kull nhar ta' Tlieta fl-12pm, b'ripetizzjoni fid-9pm, il-Ġimgħa 2pm, u s-Sibt 9am

103.7FM | DAB+ | www.campus1037.um.edu.mt

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

#Ħsibijiet (106) L-Indipendenti u d-demokrazija

Paradoss politiku: Filwaqt li rappreżentanti ta' partit huma accountable għall-membri tagħhom, dawk indipendenti huma accountable għalihom infushom. Jiġifieri dawk ta' l-ewwel jaf għandhom iktar checks and balances, jaf jgħaddu minn iktar deliberazzjoni, u jaf ikunu iktar demokratiċi.









Monday, June 24, 2024

Why is Malta’s south red and the north blue?

 


Regional voting patterns are result of a complex interplay of history, economic conditions, social structures and cultural identities. Daniel Attard interviews sociologists Godfrey Baldacchino and Michael Briguglio in this Times of Malta article. 

Link:

https://timesofmalta.com/article/why-malta-south-red-north-blue.1094081


Saturday, June 15, 2024

#Ħsibijiet (105): Kunsilli Lokali

Il-PL ġab 52% tal-voti, Il-PN 45%, u oħrajn kważi 4%. Il-PL naqqas 15,700 vot, u l-PN żdied b'11,000 mill-aħħar elezzjonijiet tal-Kunsilli fl-2019. Prosit, grazzi, awguri, u rispett lill 11-il kunsillier (minn 471, u b'madwar 9,000 vot minn xi 257,000 vot) li ġew eletti f'isem ADPD jew indipendenti. Hawn min għal skopijiet politiċi (jew wishful thinking) qed jipprova jagħti l-impressjoni li dan huwa xi grupp magħqud jew li saħansitra l-ewwel darba li ġew eletti kunsilliera ta' dan it-tip. Dan hu l-istess tip ta' żball analitiku bħal meta wieħed jassumi li dawk kollha li ma vvutawx huma xi grupp omoġenju, forza ġdida eċċ. Filwaqt li m'għandix dubju li kunsilliera mill-ADPD jew indipendenti jistgħu jagħtu (u uħud, diġà taw) kontribut kbir lill-lokalità rispettiva tagħhom u anke jikkonsolidaw il-pożizzjoni tagħhom, din hija ball game differenti għall-aħħar minn dik f'elezzjoni ġenerali, fejn l-għażla ewlenija hi jekk il-votant iridx lill-PL jew PN fil-gvern.


                            

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

#Ħsibijiet (104): Cassola, MEP, and beyond

In the European Parliamentary Election, Arnold Cassola once again took the independent route, after leaving Alternattiva Demokratika some years ago. He had a very good campaign, but was not elected. As my colleague Andrew Azzopardi stated on Campus 103.7 earlier today, Arnold's share of votes was much less than the comprehensive votes obtained by PL and PN respectively.

During the campaign, Arnold stated that if he was elected, he would have joined the European Greens - the same European Greens whose pro-choice abortion stance is a major priority, though he cites this policy as the reason why he left AD.

Today, Arnold was quoted by the press about the need of a 'centre-green-left' grouping. Such a party already exists (ADPD), and it has a democratic decision making process through its members. Not to mention that talk of a broader green-left formation has been making the rounds since the 1990s but never really succeeded for various reasons.

Arnold had it easier this time around also because practically all the independent media gave him lots of favourable coverage. If his centre-green-left party is formed, I wish it luck, particularly in deciding who will lead it and in having an agreed stance on various issues.

In the meantime, I reiterate that the only alternative government to Labour is the Nationalist Party (and vice-versa) - and it is the people who have been consistently showing this through their free vote in the past decades.

In this context, the PN can opt for a reasonable and moderate voice which speaks up not only for those who already have considerable media coverage, but also for the silent, invisible and often forgotten majorities who speak through their vote.

Incidentally, in 2017 I had publicly appealed to AD - then led by Cassola - to join the PN / Forza Nazzjonali coalition, but he disagreed.