Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1414163
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 SEPTEMBER 2021 OPINION Addressing the pressing needs of the Union IT is no secret that at any point in time, a country has many issues to face and solve to ensure it continues to progress forward. Since the European Union is a membership of 27 Member States those in charge including Ursula von der Ley- en, the European Commission President must look at the challenges and the solu- tions of the European Union as a whole. It is for this reason that the State of Un- ion address, which this year took place on 15th September and delivered by Ur- sula von der Leyen is such an important event. In this speech, the Commission President takes note of what has happened during the past year and what the focus of the European Un- ion will be for the upcoming year. As we all know, these past two years have been unlike any oth- er which has also meant that focus had to shift from those commit- ments which we were bound by in 2019 and work on the serious issues brought forward by COVID-19. Now that things are no longer look- ing as bleak, we must realise that the serious issues we committed ourselves to tackling in 2019 have not vanished, in fact they have gotten worse. We are reaching the halfway mark of the five-year Commission mandate, and it is the time to act on those promises which have been made at the start of this legislature. At the same time, we cannot deny that COVID-19 has changed many aspects of our life and so we must also tackle the is- sues which have emerged more recently. A Green Social Market economy that works for all has long been one of the main promises that have been made. We must not forget that such a change along with the uncertainty which was brought by COVID -19 means that there are mil- lions of workers in Europe which face large-scale restructuring and many job losses. This is a reality that should not be allowed to happen and that is why action is required now. The EU must increase its ambition for a strong social Europe, which supports the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and work to strengthen social dialogue and collective bargaining. Only a socially just European Union will be able to confront and tackle the issues which are upon us. It was such a shame that in the entire speech, there was only one proposal which target- ed social justice. Very little was said on how the EU seeks to fight poverty, a seri- ous issue which has only been exposed more clearly by the pandemic. Much more should have been put forward by the Commis- sion President to ensure that the European Union builds a true so- cial pillar. We must go fur- ther in demand- ing ambitious proposals which aim to harness the digital tran- sition which is ongoing and new working meth- ods which have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. New directives on teleworking, the Right to Disconnect and the impact of artifi- cial intelligence in the workplace are all issues which have increased in their rel- evance, and we should now act on these issues. The State of the Union address is a good reminder of what issues are the most pressing. There is no time to waste in acting upon the promises which were made and focus on the issues that were brought forward by COVID-19. Now is the time to use the lessons we have been taught and be ambitious enough to push for those proposals which are essential to ensure that the future of the European Union is secure and more just and fairer than ever. Alex Agius Saliba is a Labour MEP (S&D) Alex Agius Saliba thick-skinned, bad-tempered… and ready to charge at any mo- ment. Now: there was a time – be- cause all such transformations, by definition, require a transi- tional period – where I wasn't actually all that comfortable in either of my incarnations. But… and this is the really difficult part to describe… there is also a level at which you don't really have any control over the meta- morphosis itself. To put it as simply as I can: sometimes, the 'bad-tempered rhino' gets the upper… um… 'hoof'; but sometimes, it's the mild-mannered – but, oh! hope- lessly defenceless – 'little old me' that comes out on top instead. But it's not a decision I ever consciously take; it's something that just… well… happens. (And I can't even say whether it is a good or bad thing, either… be- cause there's usually a perfect- ly valid reason why that rhino comes charging in when least expected… sometimes you do need to have a thicker-than-av- erage skin; and sometimes, having a 'horn' with which to 'gore' people can come in use- ful, too…) Now: exactly where Manuel Delia would plot himself on that particular transformative spectrum – after his grand total of four years in journalism – I honestly don't know; and I will not presume to guess, either. But going only on the basis of his own, stated concerns – i.e., that he had "undergone weeks of cyber-intimidation, email and website spoofing, text har- assment and anonymous phone calls" – I think we can all see the precise moment when he realised that… erm… you know what? Maybe it's not such a good idea to take another step on that minefield, after all. Maybe it's a time for a little break, away from all the heat… And well… who can really blame him for that? Daphne Caruana Galizia used to take oc- casional breaks too, you know (though I don't exactly recall her ever making such a song and dance about it, myself). And in any case: why is that such a bad thing, anyway? It's beneficial to take a holiday, from time to time. It helps to recharge those batteries… refresh your perspec- tive (and no offence: but that's kind of needed, in Manuel De- lia's case)… And who knows? Maybe it will even help him become a better journalist. Maybe he will avail of the opportunity to actually learn a couple of things about the pro- fession he was so quick – and, by the looks of it, so unprepared – to adopt in 2017… … like for instance, the dif- ference between 'libel' and 'fair comment'… or how much 'heat' he himself can actually handle, before turning the dial all the way up to maximum… Now that things are no longer looking as bleak, we must realise that the serious issues we committed ourselves to tackling in 2019 have not vanished, in fact they have gotten worse