Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1435356
would not only derail (however briefly) the entire democrat- ic process… it would also set a dangerous precedent, that could later be used to block virtually any other type of leg- islation, too. For if any President can sim- ply 'short-circuit' the demo- cratic process at will… and if (as is the case today) there are no Constitutional provisos in place, to even cater for that kind of contingency at all… … I don't know. Perhaps Dr Azzopardi should be the one to explain the precise conse- quences of such a scenario (seeing as it was his idea to begin with; and his own area of specialization just happens to be 'social welfare'). How would society's interests best be served, by a situation where a democratic mandate can so easily be overturned… simply because it fails to meet with the personal approval of a ran- dom University academic, or a random medical union? While he's at it, perhaps Dr Azzopardi should also pre- dict how the ensuing crisis would actually unfold. If Eddie Fenech Adami is correct – and of all people, he should know – it would result in the (volun- tary or forced) resignation of the incumbent President. Now: I am the first to admit that – under those specific circumstances - a Presidential resignation would not real- ly constitute all that much of a 'crisis'… but then again, it would not exactly resolve the underlying impasse, either. Because like I said earlier: the real problem is not how the President's actions may im- pact any one specific issue… it is that the President would be wielding far more power he was never meant to have – more power, indeed, than even Queen Victoria ever wielded, at the height of the British Em- pire – in a way that would be both clearly anti-democratic, and… quite frankly… ILLE- GAL. Not to stress too fine a point on it, or anything… but the situation proposed by Dr Azz- opardi, and others, would tech- nically qualify as a 'coup d'etat'. We would have an unelected Head of State, unilaterally plac- ing limits on what sort of legis- lation our national Parliament can, and cannot, draw up… without any popular mandate whatsoever; and in the absence of any semblance of 'Constitu- tional underpinning' to boot. Naturally, I will leave it to you to judge which of the two scenarios being contemplated here – the partial legalisation of cannabis; or a protracted Con- stitutional crisis, which would (taken to its logical conclusion) render this country practically ungovernable – would be more detrimental to the well-being of society as a whole. But if you ask me, it's a no-brainer… and, well, I could say the same for the original proposal, too. A country's wealth creation and economic success are usually associated with a high standard of living. But this can only be true if wealth is distributed fairly. There is little to be proud of when profits remain the privilege of the few while most have to make do with inadequate wages. Malta can move away from the asym- metric traditional business model where a few shareholders reap all the profits while working people struggle to make ends meet. Instead, we can opt for a fairer way of doing business. A model where more per- sons experience joint business ownerships and share profits. The cooperative model does exactly this. Co-operatives are people-centred enter- prises owned, controlled and run by and for their members. Members of a cooperative take centre-stage in the running of their business, make decisions together, and reap the benefits of their work more equi- tably. They do so by following the seven in- ternational co-operative principles: voluntary and open membership; dem- ocratic member control; member economic par- ticipation; autonomy and independence; edu- cation, training and in- formation; cooperation among cooperatives; and concern for com- munity. In Malta, these princi- ples have already led to successful cooperative enterprises in various areas including mar- itime, media, education, business services, arts, transport, and tourism. Internation- ally, the cooperative movement can boast of very successful cooperatives such as FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, KPMG Inter- national, CONAD, John Lewis, Sunkist and The Associated Press. Almost 10%of the world's population is a cooperative member. As a country, we are constantly searching for new sectors that could create new in- vestment and employment opportunities. We constantly talk about financial services and the gaming sectors. We contend that the cooperative economy is a viable op- portunity for investment and employment. Moreover, being a democratic model of business based on principles, apart from being economically viable, it is ethical and socially beneficial. The Malta Cooperative Federation has just launched its proposals for the 2022 national parliamentary elections, aptly entitled: 'Unlocking Malta's Co-operative Potential'. The proposals are intended to create the necessary environment and cul- ture, that encourages more people to ac- tively participate in the wealth that they are already creating. For a start, the Malta Cooperative Feder- ation is asking for clear political commit- ment at the highest levels that acknowledg- es the Cooperatives as an important pillar of the Maltese economy. This would send a clear message that Malta is open for coop- erative business and that it is promoting a more equitable distribution of wealth that creates a better sense of ownership of the wealth being created. There is nothing stopping us as a country to expand the cooperative model in are- as that would benefit the community and consumers, including banking, renewable energy and housing. To do this, we need to embark on a comprehensive legislative exercise that, on one hand, strengthens co- operative regulation and on the other removes hindrances to the setting up of cooperatives in various sectors. The next Government should commit to pass- ing the Social Enterprise Act as soon as possible, and provide effective support for the setting up of community-based cooperatives. As a country, we need to foster a culture where cooperation is seen as a viable alternative to myopic competition. For this reason, we believe that students should be introduced to the cooperative model early on in their lives. We need to develop a new breed of social entrepreneurs that can contribute to idea generation and successful coopera- tives in different areas of the economy. Starting our working days should be something we look forward to. We spend a substantial chunk of our lives at the workplace and it should be nothing short of a rewarding experience. Being part of a cooperative provides the possibility that the efforts and skills we put into our work every day will create wealth that is distrib- uted fairly, and that benefits the communi- ty as a whole. The 2022 national elections are an oppor- tunity to decisively strengthen the coop- erative sector in Malta. At this juncture of our nation's development, with all the chal- lenges we currently face, we can all benefit by unlocking Malta's cooperative potential. 11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 DECEMBER 2021 OPINION Towards a cooperative economy We spend a substantial chunk of our lives at the workplace and it should be nothing short of a rewarding experience Victor Fiorini Victor Fiorini is Malta Co-operative Federation's Advocacy and Admin Officer victor@mcf.coop