Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/618165
16 THE Presidential speech is an in- evitable item at the annual Republic Day festivities. But because the office of the Presidency is, by its very na- ture, constrained to walk a tightrope between Malta's often warring po- litical factions, it has become almost customary for such speeches to stu- diously avoid any direct mention of current controversies. Not when the President is Marie- Louise Coleiro Preca, however. Even throughout her lengthy career in politics – Dr Coleiro Preca was both secretary general of the Labour Party and a Cabinet minister under suc- cessive prime ministers – Her Excel- lency acquired a certain reputation for outspokenness: especially when it came to issues associated with her portfolio. Poverty, social inclusion, civil rights, etc. If any expected the President to soften her approach to public speak- ing, they were in for a surprise. Last Sunday, HE Coleiro Preca delivered her second Republic Day address in that role: and like the first, she did not shy away from some very point- ed criticism on a number of points of national concern. Domestic violence, social inequal- ity, poverty, national security, the en- vironment and education all found a space in her comments: but it was the President's blunt assessment of Malta's typically aggressive political culture that struck the most resonant chord. "Have we arrived at a point where insults and verbal aggression have become the order of the day?" she mused last Sunday. "If my suspicions are, in fact, correct, I can understand why a number of valid individuals are keeping away from public life… It is our Republic that is going to pay dearly for the alarming deterioration in the way we speak to each other." Re-listening to the audio record- ing, I can't help but detect a certain sense of resignation in her tone at this point. It is no secret that the President has herself been on the receiving end of considerable verbal aggression of late; but there seems to be something else. It is as though Dr Coleiro Preca is conscious of the ultimate futility of her role, as a President who (techni- cally) has a Constitutional duty to act as a unifying figurehead to an irrepa- rably divided Republic. Is this interpretation correct? Is she concerned that today's culture of verbal aggression in (or about) politics has made the old mantra of 'national reconciliation' impossible to achieve in practice? "The way I see it, a President must act like a parent, rising above the intrigues of the children and never taking sides," she begins, as we sit in the impressive 'Sala Anthony Mamo' in San Anton Palace, Attard. It is a theme to which she will constantly return in this interview: persons in authority are in essence 'parent fig- ures' for the country. Their example has a direct impact on the nation as a whole. The choice of room for the inter- view was probably coincidental… but it has a certain relevance all the same. Anthony Mamo was Malta's first President: the only one ever cho- sen from outside the political stable, and one of the few about whom no direct controversy ever arose. Coleiro Preca invites me to consid- er that though political tensions can still be felt, the role of the Presidency itself remains respected by all sides. "Although the Presidency is a non- executive role, it has the moral re- sponsibility, and the duty, to unite the country and its people. On a pos- itive note, I will ask you to recall the fact that my nomination as Head of State came with the unanimous sup- port and approval of both sides of the House of Representatives." In her inauguration speech, the President committed herself to pri- oritise the strengthening of unity among the people of Malta and Gozo. "I've repeatedly emphasized this commitment throughout the 20 months of my Presidency…" She seems keen not to overstate Malta's divisions, too. The culture she referred to may be visible, but it is not all-pervasive. "We do unite as one nation occa- sionally: when we show solidarity with people in need, for example. I also stress that we need to recognise the fact that there is nothing wrong in putting forward constructive criti- cism of one another, as this helps to strengthen democracy…." Here she points towards other positive outcomes she observed since ascending to the Presidency. "My Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society has succeeded in bringing together hundreds of people from di- verse beliefs, opinions and/or aspira- tions, to actually come round a table and dialogue serenely. I truly believe that we can come together in eve- ryday life events as well. But we still need to work hard at this…" On the same subject: the Presi- dent also alluded to the behaviour of politicians who should (if I may paraphrase from her speech) be set- ting a better example. At the same time, she also paid tribute to areas where the country has clearly pro- gressed: for example, the economy, civil rights and so on. Would Her Excellency agree, then, that the political class has simply not matured in step with the rest of the country? Why is it – and I ask also in her capacity of former politician – that the political parties still behave as though they are at war, when the country is no longer facing the deep- ly divisive issues (EU, etc) of yester- year? "First and foremost, it is not cor- rect to label all politicians in any way. There are politicians on all sides of the House who are valid and posi- tive. But politicians need to keep in mind that they are also role models and thus, are setting trends. Ulti- mately we need to instill respect and tolerance for each other's opinions, no matter how diverse they are to our own; to deal with our own anger, and not lash out at anyone else. We need to learn that aggression, in all its forms, can only bring about negative feelings and not a sense of wellbeing and unity…" This raises an interesting coinci- dence. Others apart from the Presi- dent have raised concerns that verbal aggression among politicians may serve as a bad example, especially to children. The Malta Union of Teach- ers issued a public statement call- ing on the Prime Minister and Op- position leader to tone down their rhetoric, which was a bad influence in schools… She nods. Schoolchildren were, in fact, the main inspiration for this part of her speech. "I do a lot of school visits as Presi- dent, practically one or two a week; and when I go to schools it's not for ceremonial visits. I sit down with the children and listen to what they have to say. The first thing you notice talk- ing to them, is that children of all ag- es – including young teenagers – are deeply impressed by what goes on around them. Wars, conflicts… what they see on the media has an impact on our children as bystanders." Foremost among their concerns, she adds, are issues such as the envi- ronment and bullying. "If it's not the environment followed by bullying as a priority, it will be bullying followed by the environment…" Another issue they raise is the need for unity. "Our children do not feel they have enough peace of mind: they are anxious about what's hap- pening around us internationally, but they don't have 100% serenity in the context of their own country ei- ther. When you put it all together, it means that, when they see us grown- ups arguing in a certain way, we are not giving them the peace of mind they crave. So I, who do not want to waste my time with these visits, or theirs – and also as President: a role which carries a hefty moral respon- sibility – I voice the concerns that emerge when I am face to face with both children and adults…" In all her encounters with the pub- lic, the message she receives is more or less uniform. "If politicians think that people admire them when they behave ag- gressively, I can assure them it's not the case. There may be a few who take pleasure in this aggressive style, and in a way of debating that doesn't address the issues, and which some- times descends to the personal. But only a few…" Nonetheless, she concedes that politicians are meant to represent their constituency and be their voice in policy making, and should be vo- ciferous with respect in making their opinion heard. "Perhaps I was a bit harsh on poli- ticians in general: ultimately they all have a vision for the good of the country. It's not the objective that is a problem… but the way some politi- cians try to achieve it. What I'm tell- ing them is 'Be careful. With this way of working together, you're creating new tensions in the country. You're not giving the Maltese people – es- pecially the young – peace of mind. And that is our duty as politicians. It is the duty of anyone in authority to create an environment in which everyone feels serene, included… that he or she can move forward in unity. Unity gives peace of mind. My appeal is: let us work together for the common good. If we've achieved so much as a divided country, just think how much more we would achieve united… " At the same time, contentious is- sues will always present opinions that are at the far end of the spectrum. "I consider this to be an opportunity for healthy debate that not only puts on the table diverse opinions, but also gives the opportunity to delve deeper and not only present the face value of an argument…" Yet another reason for urging a more sober, civilized approach to po- litical debate is that the general pub- lic is no longer necessarily swayed by such tactics: they also need proper arguments. "When politicians present their arguments with respect, using a lan- guage that shows understanding and clarity, that strengthens their argu- ment. Resorting to name calling and the use of bad language will never prove a point; it only indicates that the person has no intelligent argu- ment whatsoever to put forward…" Moving away from the behaviour of politicians, the President placed particular emphasis on domestic violence – and inequality in general – in her address. Let's start with the gender gap. As both a woman and President, how does she account for Malta's failure to ever raise signifi- cantly female participation at deci- sion-making levels? "Indicators clearly show that the progress for women in policymaking and management positions has been too slow," she admits. "Any woman who broke the glass ceiling has done so with great personal sacrifices be- yond what is reasonably acceptable or indeed possible. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, our mentality is still mainly patriarchal, no matter what we may believe, so women still have to waste much of their energy in Interview By Raphael Vassallo maltatoday, SUNDAY, 20 DECEMBER 2015 Unity gives peace of Regrettably, I have to say that we have not reached true and effective equality, either. We still promote stereotypes. A woman is still judged by her looks, rather than by her contribution to society EQUALITY If politicians think that people admire them when they behave aggressively, I can assure them it's not the case. There may be a few who take pleasure in this aggressive style... But only a few VERBAL AGGRESSION 16 Interview