Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1244022
7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 6 MAY 2020 NEWS ANALYSIS What will change? be difficult for governments to procrastinate further. Another taboo which has been broken throughout the EU is the ob- session with deficits, something which curtailed social invest- ment on any massive scale. After pumping so much money to save businesses from collapse, gov- ernments have acquired greater legitimacy when it comes to in- tervene to protect their citizens. But COVID-19 and future pandemics may also give states greater powers to override indi- vidual rights. So far there have been little signs of this in Malta. A social insurance is needed for low-income earners and small business owners The Maltese government has ensured that anyone losing his job during COVID 19 is entitled to €800, a sum which is slightly higher than the minimum wage. Although temporary this meas- ure has set a benchmark for a national basic income scheme, which is increasingly being seen as a permanent insurance against the risks posed by a very volatile, globally interconnected economy. The idea that the State should keep a reserve of money to be used in times of emergen- cy has also received a boost. The government may well use this argument to legitimise dubious schemes like the sale of citizen- ship programme. No more privatization of health services Maltese pride in its health sys- tem is at an all-time high. The Maltese success in flattening the curve may well have been a col- lective effort but it also depend- ed on a well-functioning and efficient public health system. The pandemic has dealt a blow to the idea that privatised enti- ties perform better than public ones. In this sense one expects that future governments will be more reluctant in privatising healthcare services as Konrad Mizzi did when he sold public hospitals to foreign concerns. This was one issue where the Nationalist Party struck a chord by demanding the renationalisa- tion of the hospitals which were first sold to Vitals and then re- sold to Steward. COVID-19 has reminded us of the existence of the working class The working class which is also increasingly composed of women and migrants, has kept the country functioning in sec- tors ranging from healthcare to retail, waste collection and de- liveries. Workers in these sec- tors were also among the most exposed to risk despite being among the least paid. It remains questionable wheth- er these workers will feel em- powered to demand better working conditions. One major obstacle is that many of these workers, especially foreign ones, are easily replaceable by others willing to accept low-working conditions. A glimpse into a car-free future COVID-19 has given us a glimpse of how life would look like in our towns if traffic is heavily reduced. Not only has this enhanced livability in our towns and villages but has al- so resulted in a reduction in air pollution levels which impacts negatively on the health of the population. While the hardship endured on those whose livelihoods depend on tourism, the total drop in tourist numbers would also offer a glimpse of a Maltese summer without tourist pressures on the country's infrastructure, beach- es and amenities. Nationalism thrives more than class identity The display of Maltese flags on balconies stood as a reminder of the enduring appeal of national- ism which has largely replaced identification with class, espe- cially among Labour-leaning working-class voters. The dis- play of flags coincided with an increasingly hawkish migration line pushed by Prime Minister Robert Abela who is tapping in- to nationalism in the stand-off with the European Union, with migrants serving as pawns in a show of force aimed mainly at the local audience, in what in- creasingly appears as an attempt to distract the populace from more pressing social and eco- nomic insecurities. In many cases nationalism is fueled by fear of the "others" who are increasingly seen as a possi- ble source of disease and insecu- rity. And while the government is justified in demanding more European solidarity, expecting leaders like Hungary's Viktor Orban to change tack during a pandemic, either exposes Abe- la as naïve or as someone keen on exploiting nationalism while fully knowing that stamping our feet in Europe by using stranded immigrants as pawns, will not get us far. Labour powerless with some lobbies The hunting lobby has emerged unscathed from the pandemic, with rampant illegalities char- acterising this spring's hunting season. The construction lobby also resisted calls to reduce ex- cavations despite the impact of elderly citizens who are locked down in their homes. But the contrast between the scale of government intervention in everyday life and its inability to restrain these strong lobbies may well result in a backlash among some categories of voters. The display of flags coincided with an increasingly hawkish migration line pushed by Prime Minister Robert Abela who is tapping into nationalism in the stand-off with the European Union, with migrants serving as pawns in a show of force aimed mainly at the local audience