Some individuals were resentful of the fact that geopolitical events could have any bearing on the outcome of the song contest. However, it is rather naïve and unrealistic to assume that a massive competition in which nations are made to vote for one another can have no underlying political powerplay. While it is true that the contest’s non-political objective is one of its stated goals, this is far from the case in practice. The political nature of Eurovision has existed from its inception.

We have witnessed political messages being conveyed through the songs and performances every year on the Eurovision stage. West Germany’s contestant in the inaugural Eurovision, held in 1956, was a Jew. This was a clear indication from West Germany that it was moving away from its Nazi past. In 1993, Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Croatia made their debuts in the Eurovision Song Contest as independent nations, performing songs with war-related themes.

Armenia sent a song in 2015 that was originally called “Don’t Deny”, but was then renamed “Face the Shadow.” Despite not explicitly mentioning it, it was quite obviously about the 1915 Armenian Genocide.
“Mercy,” France’s submission for 2018, addressed the immigration situation. It told the story of a rescue ship transporting African refugees to safety in the Mediterranean, and a baby being delivered on the ship.

Eurovision has served as a symbol for UK-EU relations throughout the years. The UK finished last in the song contest in 2019, the year that Brexit was officially finalised. One may argue that this was Europe’s way of showing discontent with the UK’s choice to leave.

Even the case of who is allowed to join the Eurovision, and who chooses not to do so, reveals geopolitical dynamics. Due to a Lebanese rule that forbade television stations from airing Israeli content, Lebanon withdrew from the competition in 2005. Georgia’s disco-funk entry “We Don’t Wanna Put In,” which was an obvious jab at President Putin, was rejected from the Moscow 2009 competition because the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decided that the lyrics were too political. However, to Russia’s dismay, Ukraine won in 2016 with a song that made reference to Joseph Stalin’s deportation of Crimean Tatars in 1944. And of course, following their invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia was completely banned from participating. For a competition that professes to be apolitical, this was a very clear political message.

The winner is chosen by a combination of a panel of music industry professionals and viewer televoting. Each country can vote for other countries that they want to win, but they cannot vote for their own. Over here, geopolitics continues to have a big impact on the outcomes. For instance, Balkan or Scandinavian nations frequently vote for one another. From 1997 through 2014, whenever possible, Greece and Cyprus gave each other the maximum of 12 points. This begs the question of whether the competition is more about politics than it is about music.

The expert panel should, in principle, balance this out, and it appears that this does do so to some extent. The televoting mechanism, however, continues to play a significant role in selecting the winner each year. And as voting trends have shown year after year, countries enjoy voting for their neighbours and allies.

Despite its claim to be a non-political event, the Eurovision Song Contest has always had political overtones throughout its existence. The competition has served as a forum for nations to express political messages through their songs and performances, starting with West Germany’s decision to send a Jewish representative as a way to distance itself from its Nazi past, to more recent entries that address issues like war, immigration, and historical events. Additionally, voting trends and international alliances further emphasize how geopolitics affects the result. Since politics have always been woven into the fabric of the Eurovision Song Contest and continue to be a key component of its attraction as an event, it is unrealistic to demand their full separation.

This article was written by an independent writer whose views are not associated with The Third Eye. The Third Eye strives to be the student’s voice, and that entails giving them a platform to voice their opinions.

The post The Politics of Eurovision appeared first on The Third Eye.

Studenti Demokristjani Maltin (SDM) is one of the most prominent organisations in the domestic regions. The student-based organisation has its fundamentals pertaining to Political Affairs and seeks to echo young students’ needs and opinions.

AGM

On the 25th of November SDM held its AGM, where the new team has been announced. Hertian Salameh Cachia will be embarking on a journey to lead his colleagues and yielding the best that SDM can offer.

The official list includes:

• President: Hertian Salameh Cachia
• Vice-President: Danaya Grech
• Secretary General: Chayenne Riolo
• Public Relations Officer: Natalya Stivala
• Media Officer: Krista Pisani
• Human Resources: Sherona Briffa
• Financial Officer: Martina Micallef
• Assistant Financial Officer: Martina Mangion
• University Co-Ordinator: Krista Hili
• Junior College Co-ordinator: Neil Camenzuli
• Gozo Co-ordinator: David Borg
• Social policy and education officer: Emilia Galdes
• Events Officer: Matteo Mangion

Presidential Comment

I am humbled and honoured to be entrusted to lead the organisation through a very important period, that of change and also togetherness. I would also like to thank my predecessor for his time and dedication. Going forward as an organisation we will make it our priority in order to represent all students at UM, JC, MCAST and ITS in the best way possible. I am looking forward to work with other Student Organisations and students, irrespective of their beliefs and background. SDM will truly be an open space for discussion and thought.

Hertian Salameh Cachia

The Third Eye wishes the new executive the best of luck!

The post Hertian Salameh Cachia as SDM President 2022/23 appeared first on The Third Eye.

You’d imagine a country, constitutionally Roman-Catholic, with more than 85% of its population being ardent believers, to be fairly conservative and traditionalistic.

You’d imagine a country which has been following the path of further Europeanisation to be quite liberal and progressive.

Yet, when it comes to our country’s political climate and political culture, you realise we are somewhat unique: a country plagued by political illiteracy and political fanaticism, run by administerial-type politicians that lack any sense of vision for the state and the nation. This can easily be seen and spotted when you look towards social issues within the country itself.

We rank 1st in Europe when it comes to LGBTQIA+ Rights for 7 consecutive years, and in 2021 becoming the first EU country to legalise recreational cannabis. Then you have the polar opposite, leading Europe in the most authoritarian rules when it comes to abortion. Aside from these, let us not forget how the sex work industry in the country is an administrational blunder – simply put, it’s a wild west, with plenty of topics like euthanasia, the lack of disentanglement between political parties and media relations, and education reforms still not being talked about enough.

I might not be a medical practitioner nor student. I am but a simple political science student, however, I’d say that the country suffers from a complete Napoleonic complex.

This in itself stems from Malta`s long history of bipolarisation that acts as a slippery slope for progress and innovation.

Therefore, you realise early on that the political culture here is one based on family tradition, which often more times than not, lacks any reason and logic for their loyalty and vote.

In the “Political Fanaticism in Malta” article by independent writer Katrina, a profoundly important point was mentioned: “Politics seeps its way into our educational experience in subtle ways.” Be it the student parties, or the media, family and friends, the constant feeding of bipartisan politics and traditionalistic views on politics; we vilify politics as if it is simply dirty and corrupt; we fear discussing or openly making logical political statements – yet we glorify the party leaders as if they are above us, separate from our mortal world – and we permit ourselves to remain ignorant of political matters and ignorant of our political duties.

Essentially all this disdain poisons our minds and limits our education, which in turn impacts the level of actual active citizenry.

But to cut to the chase.

Strong political neutrality is needed to avoid the nuances of the political-religious jargon where it is not required, as to give justice to these social issues that are present in our society and to avoid the superficiality that is traditionally taken with them, primarily to tackle the misnomers associated with them.

Our political climate and system essentially comprise three actors that have a close relationship with the public and leverage over them, these being: Political Parties, the Catholic Church, and the Government.

Therefore, it is important that there is a serious public discussion without the interference of these actors. A series of debates that have the backing of the government but include all voices, not simply the powerful and popular voices, and not simply from one strain of the argument, as to provide an honest and just platform for the people, and help citizens to formulate their own opinion so as to effectively exert their right to vote.

By properly educating the public through extensive debates and campaigns that include all the relevant actors, no matter how big or small, to present the various cases for the different hotpot topics, this will help avoid sham referendums and formulation of open-ended politics that will only derail democracy further, as well as help make the public more politically literate.

This article was written by an independent writer whose views are not associated with The Third Eye. The Third Eye strives to be the student’s voice, and that entails giving them a platform to voice their opinions.

The post Malta’s Napoleonic Complex Love For Taboo Topics appeared first on The Third Eye.

When I was a first year at University, a general election took place. This was the first general election that I would ever vote in. As most of you know, it has become a tradition at this point that every election a debate takes place at University between the party leaders, an event in which attendance is limited to University and Junior College students. The event was so high in demand that the website crashed as soon as seats became available for booking, and my friends and I had to refresh for 45 minutes before we managed to secure our spot. 

In truth, it wasn’t as much of a debate as it was a mass meeting. The spectacle was dominated by cheering, yelling, and booing from the student audience, and the party leaders were repeatedly interrupted by the students. KSU members were running around frantically trying to convince attendees to calm down and be respectful, but to no avail.

What stuck out to me the most was something that happened in the middle of the debate. I was sitting behind a man who looked like he was around 20 or 21. He kept on shouting “viva l-labour” until a KSU member came up to him and asked him to stop heckling. He then exasperatedly argued that the Nationalists were also heckling and therefore he should be able to as well. The KSU member told him that if he didn’t stop, he would be asked to leave. He then turned around and started pouting and muttering to himself like a 5 year-old.

My only thought at that moment was, “I can’t believe these people vote”.

Politics seeps its way into our educational experience in subtle ways as well. The Pulse/SDM rivalry at Junior College was a huge deal when I attended. And while one could argue that Pulse and SDM aren’t officially partisan organisations, I think any politically literate person understands the connotations. SDM literally stands for “Studenti Demokristjani Maltin” and uses the colour blue. Pulse brands itself as “Social Democratic Students” and up until a few years ago used the colour red, although they eventually rebranded to orange.

In reality, most JC students only cared about Pulse and SDM because they got to attend their PV meetups and boat parties. But once politics was at play, the atmosphere became a very toxic one. Anonymous Instagram accounts would pop up to make targeted memes about the candidates. The first time that online voting was introduced, screenshots circulated of candidates encouraging voters to send them the link so that they could vote on their behalf. On election night, policemen stood outside the gates of the college to break up fights between Pulse and SDM supporters.

Today, this culture of rivalry has died down. Pulse have a complete monopoly over KSJC to the point where SDM have stopped contesting, and conversely, SDM have a complete monopoly over KSU to the point where Pulse have stopped contesting. This of course creates a new problem whereby students are no longer given a choice over who represents them, although that is a topic for another day.

Prior to writing this article, I messaged a few of my friends who are studying abroad; three are on Erasmus in England and one is a full-time student in Amsterdam. Their Universities’ student councils are composed of candidates who run independently. This phenomenon of unofficial junior political parties running for student councils is something that seems to be unique to Malta.

Politics affects every aspect of life, including work and travel. Education is no different, however the pure extent to which political fanaticism affects education in Malta is simply absurd.

Is it too much to ask for a world in which true leadership and change can come about without our culture of partisan loyalty setting us back?

Read more by Katrina Cassar on her blog!

This article was written by an independent writer whose views are not associated with The Third Eye. The Third Eye strives to be the student’s voice, and that entails giving them a platform to voice their opinions.

The post Political Fanaticism In Malta From The Eyes Of A Student appeared first on The Third Eye.

In an effort to promote student participation in student organisations and student activism, we will be giving the contesting candidates a platform to reach out to their voters. The contested positions so far are:   

• President – 2 candidates 
• Vice president of internal affairs – 2 candidates
• Leisure Officer- 2 Candidates 
• Public Health Officer – 2 candidates 
• Supervising Council without board of directors experience – 3 Candidates

President of MMSA

In this election there will be two candidates going for the role of president in the MMSA. This being The Former Education Officer for the Term 21/22 Nicholas Galea and the former Supervising counsel officer (SupCo Official) for the term 21/22  Andrea Bugeja.

Nicholas Galea:

Nicholas is MD3 student who spent the last three years as an active member of MMSA, taking the positions of assistance to the medical education officer (SCOME Assistance) for the term 20/21 and as medical education officer in (SCOME Officer) in the term 21/22. He is also the student representative on the board of studies for the doctor of medicine in the faculty of medicine and surgery.  

Nicholas announced his candidature on the 12 of March in a Facebook post saying :

“I feel uniquely positioned to share the knowledge and skills I have gained during this time and apply it to guide this association forward into the next term in this post-pandemic era.”

He followed his announcement with his promises for the presidency :

“By ensuring MMSA has a unified vision, voice, and values, our association can take the next step in extending its help and influence to medical students and beyond.

Should you trust me to be your next president, I will be an open and transparent leader; someone who will give time to all standing committees to operate effectively and who will give room to all members to grow and make themselves the best medical professionals they can be.”

We reached out to Nicholas who provided us with further comment saying:

“Should you entrust me to lead this organisation, I promise to be a transparent and formative leader and I look forward to giving each standing committee and member the opportunity to flourish both within the organisation and externally.

My plan of action is the culmination of three years of local and international experiences, which has filled me with the motivation to work tirelessly in the upcoming term and strive to improve every aspect of the running of MMSA.”

You can find more details about what he is planning in his plan of action here.

Andrea Bugeja:  

Andrea Bugeja is also an MD3 student who was an active member of MMSA for the last 3 years. His past experiences include being the Electives Officer and SupCo Offical among other local and international experiences you can find in his Fb announcement published on the 15th of March.

Andrea justified his motives for running for presidency by stating:

“Throughout these experiences it was a source of great accomplishment and satisfaction to see the difference we have been able to make, all working together to achieve similar goals, passing through similar struggles, sharing a common path. However, it also became apparent just how much room for improvement there is at hand” 

He continued to point out his focus for the presidency:

“To continue moving forward as an organisation we need to ensure our stability. We need to diversify our income, increase our certified trainers, raise awareness of what we do and increase the opportunities we offer. We need to host more frequent capacity building workshops, subsidise conferences and training costs, and increase exchanges and electives opportunities. “ 

Concluding his announcement message with : 

“As a friend and mentor once said, “Let us dare to lead”.”

We reached out to Andrea for a comment and this is what he had to say”

“My experience in our organisation has emphasised the importance of stability and improvement. We need to diversify our income, increase our trainers, settle outstanding legal matters, improve our public image, medical education, and facilities, subsidies conferences and training, increase international opportunities and the implementation of a temporary study area as well as look to the future and set the groundwork for our very own IFMSA GA.

With your help and support, I look forward to work on these and many, many more ideas in the coming term. Thank you!!”

For further details take a look at his plan of action here!

MMSA Vice president of internal affairs (VPi):

There are two candidates for the 22/23 MMSA VPi role, both of which were part of MMSA executive team for 21/22. These being Owen Cachia, Sexual and reproductive health and right Officer , and Martina Formosa, Public Relations Officer.

Owen Cachia:

Owen Cachia is an MD3 student who occupied many co-ordinator roles within his first and second years which includes ( Media Coordinator and Awareness Coordinator) within Public relations office and SCORA office respectively. He was also the SCORA officer for term 21/22. 

In his announcement he spoke of his experiences and reasons to run for VPi as follows:

“I was privileged enough to gain invaluable experience and build external relations with numerous stakeholders. Along the way, I took up every opportunity I could to listen to and help my colleagues within the Board of Directors, through which I started to truly understand the inner workings of MMSA. In addition to this, I have come to greatly appreciate the importance of the Executive Board in the functioning of the organisation. Along the way, my passion for the organisation only became stronger and thus, Contesting for this role felt like the next step forward”

He went forward with a following post on FB showcasing the focus of his campaign by saying:

“Should the medical student body entrust me with this role, MMSA’s unified image will be my utmost priority. I look forward to serve as the Bridge between the medical student body and the board of directors,in order to ensure that the student remains the organisation’s top priority.”

We reached out to Owen and this is what he had to say to our viewers: 

“My tenure as Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Officer has been an invaluable experience which I will cherish forever. Driven by my passion for student activism, I believe that through my candidature for Vice-President for Internal Affairs I can continue to contribute to the association and the medical student body, as I have done throughout these last three years.” 

For Further details about what Owen has to offer read his Plan of Action here.

Martina Formosa: 

Martina Formosa is an MD3 student  who occupied The media coordinator in her first year, The PR officer in her Second year and currently occupies the Public relation officer role for the term 21/22 while also being an active MMSA member throughout her three years tenure. 

Martina announced her Candidature on the 16th of march saying:

“Being trained extensively on the numerous aspects involved in activity management and member engagement at a pre-GA workshop on Public Health Leadership Training, has inspired me greatly on how to tackle the issue of overloaded activity calendars and decreased member participation, two prevalent issues in our organisation.

With all this in mind, I believe that I have what it takes to fulfil the duties expected from this crucial position within the Executive Board, if given the opportunity.”

She elaborated on her experience from the past term by adding :

“This past term has been a turning point in my journey so far. Being given the opportunity to gain a direct insight into the running of medical student organisations around the globe at the GA this month, has made me all the more aware of the strong suits and shortcomings in the foundations of our organisation, and how these directly impact the wellbeing of our members.”

Martina added on her announcement in a comment sent to us: 

“Having worked so closely with all the Offices, as well as all of the EB in my role as PRO, as well as having attended IFMSA trainings such as TNT, PHLT and a GA this very month, has provided me with substantial experience in feedback, student participation and engagement, and, most importantly, working with other members. I will do my utmost to work towards enhanced member engagement and recognition in MMSA, a greater focus on activity management and capacity building, as well as tackling the issue of overloaded activity calendars and decreased member participation, two prevalent issues in our organisation ” 

For more detailed information on her plan of action for the position click here!

Leisure Officer :

Leisure officer is also witnessing an election as two candidates have announced their campaign for the office. These are Tara Borg Caruana and Lara Bugeja. Both have had experience within the leisure office in different positions.

Tara Borg Caruana:

Tara is a MD3 student who served as Leisure office assistance for the term 21/22 enabling her to work closely with the past leisure officer in organising and managing the leisure office event. She also has various other past experiences as an active MMSA member which include being SCORA Peer Education Co-Ordinator and part of SCOME Buddy system for two years. 

In her announcement she summarised her plans for the office by saying:

“If elected, I shall work hard, together with my team, to maintain the iconic MMSA-Leisure reputation as well as coming up with new and innovative concepts to continue building on what past officers have worked so tirelessly on.” 

Tara also wanted to say this to MMSA members: 

“My main aim with regards to the future of this role if elected is to prioritise new and innovative events as well as to continue our iconic MMSA traditions. Whilst also, seeking to form new relationships with other student organisations on campus, as well as maintaining our current ones. On the whole I feel like my candidature for this role reflects the type of person I am, which is an outgoing person who seeks every opportunity to interact with different people and form new relationships.”

For more details about Tara’s plan of action click here!

Lara Bugeja: 

Lara Bugeja is an MD2 Student who occupied the role of leisure coordinator in term 21/22. She was also part of the SCOPET Peer ED team while also maintaining an active presence within MMSA events hosted by other committees. Through her role as Leisure coordinator she was actively involved in numerous events which include ‘Leisure Goes Camping’ and TRD’s parties among others.

In her announcement post on Facebook Lara said: 

“Working side-by side with the Leisure Officer for this year has inspired me to take on the more active role of MMSA Leisure Officer.Should I be elected, I promise to do my utmost to maintain the jam-packed calendar filled with a wide variety of events that past leisure teams have worked so hard to build. I will also ensure MMSA Leisure’s legendary reputation is upheld.”

In Comment obtained from Lara she had this to say:

“My goal is to provide students with the opportunity to find a balance between leisure and education. I have big ideas and a big passion for the leisure office and I would love to give back to MMSA what it gave to me!”

For more details about Lara’s  plan of action click here!

Public Health Officer : 

Two MD2 Students are running for this year’s Public health Office both of which were part of the previous year Public Health officer team. These are: Adriel Camilleri and Gabriel Grixti.

Adriel Camilleri: 

Adriel Camilleri was the assistant for SCOPH positioning him in an unique position experience wise to take the mantle of Public health office. His past experience include being an active part of most SCOPH events as well as numerous other positions in MMSA which include TRD performance Co-ordinator ’21. 

In his announcement post he said: 

“It is with great honour, that I formally announce my candidature for Public Health Officer for the term 2022-2023.

As Assistant for the current term, I believe I have developed the necessary leadership skills, and through working with every branch of SCOPH,  an intrinsic understanding of all the work we do, making me uniquely qualified to effectively lead a new team and to tackle those topics that we as medical students must understand. Over the past term I have truly fallen in love with SCOPH, but I believe my journey is far from over, and I would like to lead it to new heights!

When asked for comment Adriel had this to say:

“As medical students, our priority should always be to serve the community and foster a sense of trust and communication between future healthcare professionals and their future patients. I aim to do just this. Through various exciting brand new initiatives, and innovation of our most successful events, I seek to increase our relevance on both a national and international level, doing what’s best for not just SCOPH, but MMSA as a whole!” 

For more details about Adriel’s  plan of action click here!

Gabriel Grixti:

Gabriel is a MD2 student and also a national team athlete in Table tennis. His past experience include being SCOPH goes local Co-Ordinator giving him a front seat row into the planning and organisation of various SCOPH events such as Diabetes Awareness day and World diabetes day health check among others. He is also an active member in other standing events which include SCORA aborition event, SCOPET First aid, SCOME Fresher activities and other events. 

In his announcement Gabriel had this to say about contesting for this position: 

“Public health has been brought to the forefront in medicine and also in peoples lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health is concerned with the general well-being of members in society. Should I be elected as SCOPH officer, I will make it my priority to ensure that public health issues within the population are tackled in the best possible way. I would also make it a priority to ensure that medical students will receive the necessary exposure to patient interaction and also become familiar with taking some basic clinical examinations. “

Gabriel also summarised his idea and plan for the office in this Comment:

“I believe that as a standing committee our 3 main objectives should be: education, outreach and inclusion. In addition, I believe that SCOPH is a great platform not just for medical students but also for the general population.”

For more details about Gabriel’s  plan of action click here!

Supervising Council Without EB experience:  

 This year the Supervising Council without EB experience has Three candidates Running for  one position All of which are MD2 students. These are : Gabriel Camilleri, Daniel Zammit Lupi and Gerard Zammit Young.

Gabriel Camilleri: 

Gabriel occupied many roles in MMSA during his two years in Medicine. This includes Peer Education Coordinator and TRD Ceremonies Coordinator. He believes that his experience in these roles among others made him obtain the necessary skill set and experience to occupy SupCo position with no EB experience. 

In his candidature announcement he showcases his plans for the roles by stating:

“If elected, I will always carry out this role based on 3 core values;  transparency, impartiality, and fairness within the organisation. I would like to see SupCo as a fair, available and trust-worthy body which advices and assists the work of our Board of Directors whilst also serving as a bridge between our members and BD. With your support, I would be able to give back to MMSA what it has given to me during these past two years.” 

In a comment obtained by The Third Eye here is what Gabriel had to say:

“I believe that this role is the best manner to continue contributing to our beautiful organisation and give it a brighter future. If elected, I will always carry out this role based on 3 core values; transparency, impartility and fairness. I would like to see SupCo as a fair, available and trust-worthy body which advices and assists the work of our Board of Directors whilst also serving as a bridge between our members and this year’s BD.”

For more details about Gabriel’s  plan of action click here!

Daniel Zammit Lupi

Daniel occupied the roles of SCOPH goes local Co-ordinator and Non-Communicable disease Co-ordinator among being part of other events organised by different Standing committees of MMSA. It is through his roles as co-ordinator he had the chance to get a closer look into MMSA internal organisation while also positioning him in an engaging position with students. 

In his Candidature announcement post he stated what he want to implement within the role:

“I wish to establish a more communicative society within MMSA, bringing all our members together in a coherent and cooperative fashion. Optimizing the flow of information and smooth handling of functionality is at the top of my list. I want to shed light on what the supervising council actually is, that it is there to help members along the way and not punish them. It is imperative that SupCo helps carry the weight of MMSA and is always there to steer us back on track when problems arise. I will ensure that the right changes are made and that they are made for the right reasons. The implementation of justice, equality and unity is an absolute must, allowing every single student to have a voice which is heard fairly by everyone in our community.”

Daniel summarised his plans for the position by saying:

“If elected, I promise to ensure a more unified environment pillared on stronger communication and equality amongst all students. Tackling and preventing conflict is also a huge priority” 

For more details about Daniel’s plan of action click here!

Gerard Zammit Young

Gerard is an MD2 student and the current MD2 class representative with plenty of experiences as Back to basic-curriculum orientation Co-ordinator, Class representation, MD1 buddy, Blood and organ donation Co-ordinator among many others. Through his various roles Gerard has realised how important this role is and how he can contribute to it. 

In his Candidature announcement post Gerard explained his reasoning to run for this position by saying:

“Being an active member within MMSA throughout both years of my medical school experience has equipped me with a great amount of knowledge about the association’s inner workings, and I feel that I have grown into a strong advocate for medical students’ rights. If entrusted with this role, I will work to guarantee medical students’ rights, as well as work to make SupCo more accessible, transparent, and fair.” 

In a comment obtained from Gerard this what he had to say:

“Through my work within MMSA, I have gained a deeper appreciation of SupCo, and should you entrust me with the role, I vow to listen to students and work tirelessly in pursuit of justice. I will do my utmost to ensure that SupCo is an impartial, accessible, and transparent body working in the best interest of the organisation and its members. ”

For more details about Gerard’s plan of action click here!

Timeline for the election:

Candidate presentation will take place on Tuesday 22nd of march at 4 pm while Debate for contested positions will take place on Wednesday 23th  hosted and organised by the electoral committee. Thursday 24th will be a silent day and elections will take place on Friday 25th. 

The Third Eye wishes all candidates good luck in the upcoming elections.

The post MMSA Election Rundown appeared first on The Third Eye.

A total of 234 responses were gathered from the survey, therefore it can be concluded that the survey has a 95% confidence interval and with a margin of error 6.5%. 

The survey included a total of eleven questions ranging from the participant’s age to more in-depth topics such as what they seek for in a politician. The following is a summary of the survey’s most key questions:

How much do you feel empowered with your right to vote?

While a total of 54% said that they felt empowered with their vote, 29% reported they are neutral on their power to vote, with17% said they have no power with the vote.

Do you think young adults are educated enough to make such a decision?

This question is one which is frequently discussed, therefore it was only right to see what youths thought about it. 47.9% of participants agreed that youths are educated enough to vote in the election. This shows that most think that further education is needed as youth might not have all the necessary information to cast a vote.

Do you think that Third Parties have potential impact on the coming election.

A shocking 60.7% said that Third Parties do not have an impact, with only 26.4% saying that they do. Furthermore, 12.8% are unsure. This shows that most still view Malta as a bi-party system.

What social aspects are important for you when voting?

• An overwhelming majority of 75.2% mentioned that environment sustainability is an important social aspect
• 65.8% mentioned that anti-corruption is an important aspect when voting 
• 54% stated that rule of law is important for them

• Furthermore, a total of 45.3% said that health and mental health services are important social aspects
• Other social aspects mentioned were education systems, LGBTIQQ rights, technocracy, and reproductive rights  

How much do you think that politicians are likely to follow their electoral promises?

40.6% of participants are on the fence, with 37.6% saying no. However, only 21.8% said that politicians will follow their electoral promises, which gives a clear indication that people do not believe that politicians will follow on their promises.

Which characteristics do you look for in a politician? 

82.9% responses mentioned they want a trustworthy politician, following that, 67.1% mentioned that they want a good leader and 55.1% want a humble leader, 38.9% want a disciplined politician. Additional responses included competency, outspoken, and integral leader.

Do you think you might change your political party preference in different elections?

Surprisingly, 45.3% of participants responded that they would consider changing political parties, with 29.1% answering yes, and only 25.6% answering no. Based on these results, we can theorize that youths may be challenging the partisan culture of Malta.

How much influence does your family have on who you vote for?

Further results have shown 56.4% of respondents said that family does not influence them, adding to the argument that youths may be challenging partisan culture.

When voting do you tend to vote for politicians in the same party ?

The majority of students, 41%, said that they vote for candidates in the same party, while 40.2% may vote for different candidates from different parties, with 59% saying they would vote on a candidate basis.

The Third Eye wishes all candidates luck in the upcoming election

The post The Third Eye General Election Survey appeared first on The Third Eye.

Written By The Third Eye In collaboration with A Bird’s Eye View

Malta University Debating Union (MUDU) , which is an initiative between KSU and University of Malta, held its General Election debate on March 10th where five political party leaders were asked to discuss their proposals.

However, what was thought to be a civil debate between political parties turned into a negative experience for some students. Some students who managed to fill out the online form before the registration form crashed did not even receive a confirmation email, meaning they could not attend. This did not only happen to one student who was unfortunate in filling out their form, but to several others, who, even though had the required vaccine certificate and filled the form in time, did not receive the email confirming their attendance.

Moreover, photographs and videographers were asked to leave the debate a few minutes after the debate had started whilst there were ample seats available for them to sit in.

Furthermore, There were several reports of students not managing to reserve a place due to allocation of seats to several party members and youths party representatives.

Spectators of the event could easily make out the difference in the parties present:

ABBA

Confronted both the Nationalist and Labour party over their environmental and development proposals. Furthermore, ABBA answered questions but frequently confronted Robert Abela and Bernard Grech, especially on the topic of abortion, to which ABBA repeated their stance against the morning after pill and abortion. This created quite a reaction from the students present in Sir Temi Zammit Hall.

Ivan Grech Mintoff continued his argument by stating that while he and his party are not against homosexuality, they are against what the MGRM (Malta Gay Rights Movement) stands for. Moreover, he stated his position against the tunnel connecting Malta and Gozo.

ADPD

Carmel Cacopardo as leader for the ADPD answered the questions asked, instead of retaliating against his respective opponents. Cacopardo laid out his arguments in favour of a greener Malta through his proposal to increase protection of ODZ land whilst his argument that there is no space for a racing track and the limited area of land that is Malta.

When speaking about how ADPD would support artists, Cacopardo made a jab towards the budget allocated for the Malta Film Festival by the current Labour Government.

Partit Popolari

Paul Salamone started his speech talking about the current situation of the war in Ukraine, whilst referencing his experience in war-torn countries to which he felt emotional towards. Salamone continued his debate whilst emphasizing a more efficient transport system. He further talked about the rising housing prices and claimed that small apartments will start from a quarter of a million euro.

Salamone also argued in favour of providing women who wish to pursue abortion with aid and spoke in favour in adoption. Moreover, he stated his position against the tunnel connecting Malta and Gozo.

Nationalist Party

The leader of the PN, Bernard Grech did not waste time and immediately started throwing several Jabs at the Prime minister Robert Abela and his Party such as accusing the labour Party of Plagiarising their Manifesto. Grech talked about several issues such as the reality of inflation to which PN government will allocate a specific fund to tackle the issue. Grech continued to mention several proposals such as trackless tram to solve issues from public transport. Other issues raised by Grech, included the disastrous track record of the Labour Government with respect to the environment. Another PN proposal aimed towards students included a 25% increase in stipends for students that partake in student organisations and other NGO`s.

Labour Party

The Prime minister Robert Abela talked about several issues in the debate retaliating to the attacks from opposition leader Bernard Grech. Abela emphasised the tax refunds in the forms of cheques that will go out to the Maltese families in the coming days and weeks. In in response to Bernard Grech comments on the labour government track record on the environment Abela went on to mention the several environmental project and the vision of the labour government in regard to the environment. A certain issue was raised by ABBA leader Ivan Grech Mintoff where he argued that our current stance on the vaccine is discriminatory, to which Abela replied, emphasising not to make the vaccine a political argument. Abela also continued to talk about more proposals from the Labour government such as free public transport by this coming October.

Volt

While Volt was not invited to the debate, the candidates of the party showed up at the University to protest their exclusion from the debate. During their protest, candidates of Volt were interviewed by members of the Third Eye where they explained why they are protesting and showcased a number of their proposals. For the full interview click here.

Debate Conclusion

This debate marks the first time the Major political parties faced each other head to head. A point that the major political parties took seriously focusing much of the debate on responding and counter arguing each other while the smaller parties stick to safety by answering questions directly.

This debate attracted a lot of backlash from the general student population especially with regard to organization and reported selectivity in attendance and parties involved. However, It should be noted the general state of professionalism and efforts that was put into this by The KSU and University of Malta given the short period of time they had.

Photo Credit: Matthew Schembri

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Present in the meeting where PN members Karl Goulder and Michael Piccinino, along with Kris Bajada – XR Chair, Isabel Mallia -XR Secretary General, Zofia Stelmaszczyk – XR Vice President, and Kevin Vella Zammit – XR Treasurer.

Extinction Rebellion Malta had a list of topics they wished to discuss with the PN members. The topics consisted of:

Impact on Mental and Physical Health

During the first four months of 2019, 105 people died from chronic asthma as stated by Chris Fearne in Parliament. It has also been found first biggest reason of deaths in Malta are cardiovascular diseases, with 25% of the population suffering from obesity.

The second biggest death in the country was found to be respiratory diseases – in the first four months of 2019, 105 people died from chronic asthmas as stated by Chris Fearne.

Furthermore, according to WHO, 120,000 people in Malta are living with a mental disorder, and it has been proven that the global pandemic is worsening the situation.

Solutions were mentioned by XR in order to combat these problems. They mentioned how more green areas in Malta would reduce air pollutions and invite people to engage in physical activity and to spend time in a calm and healthy environment.

Environmental Committees and Developments

Previously, the Nationalist Party had proposed the creation of a new agency focused on climate change, therefore, XR feels that the PN would be open to the suggestion that there should be the introduction of more stringent Environmental Impact Assessments to be performed on new development in areas.

Moreover, XR believes that environmental organisations should have a larger say in the development of property.

Energy Generation and Sustainability

When it comes to energy generation and sustainability, XR feels that the following should implemented: the continuation of subsidies for pv installations, the development of implementation of offshore wind turbine farm, a law which states that all new domestic and industrial buildings be as energetically efficient as possible, and that all government buildings should achieve LEED certification within the next five years.

Transport

XR proposed that short-term plans should also be implemented along with long-term plans such as the metro system. Short-term plans would include wider pavements and an increase in bike lanes, which would encourage more people to travel by bicycle.

Food and Hydroponics

XR proposed the following points with regards to the importance of food and food water:

• Tackling food waste

Illegalising food waste due to packaging damage – instead, donating to a food bank. Furthermore, they also proposed that there should be a law requiring all supermarkets to have discount sections for short dated items.

• Increasing vegetarian\vegan food availability

Proposed a law requiring all food outlets to have a minimum of 10% vegan and 10% vegetarian options.

• Public awareness campaign

Environmental impact of beef and dairy by the use of public campaigns.

Extinction Rebellion Malta mentioned the above mentioned points to the members of the Nationalist Party and discussed the possibility of these new laws and proposals being enacted. While there was agreement on some of the points, others have to be thought of in more detail, however there is still the possibility of them being implemented in the future.

XR meeting with other political parties

Moreover, XR have met and are meeting with different political parties which include but are not limited to Volt and The government represented by Aaron Farrugia to speak about the climate crisis as they believe it is an important topic and one which should be taken more seriously.

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Written By Rafel Grima, a member of Moviment Graffitti, on politics

Does a fish in the ocean know that it is swimming in water? Or is it so used to its surroundings that it hardly knows better? It is a similar situation with our broken political system. Most of us are so used to it, we hardly notice the various ways in which Malta has a democratic deficit. 

That is just the point, however. The majority of people can want something, and not get it. Our quality of life can be under siege. Regardless of which of the two main political parties are in power, it seems that nothing ever changes. The reason why is simple. 

It is hard enough fighting corruption when it is illegal; but what can one do when a form of legal bribery is widespread and accepted?

That is to say, we live in a political system where our political parties are critically dependent upon donations from big businesses. These businessmen are not donating money to political parties out of kindness. It is because they expect a return on their investment. 

In exchange for these donations, our politicians change legislation. They may even go as far as to instruct their appointees in our institutions, such as the Planning Authority, to bend policies and interpret them in a certain way to favour these elites, as money pays for influence which in turn generates more money. 

In practice, it means that while the majority of people want effective, forward-looking planning and infrastructure and a better environment, the country instead keeps spiralling further down the rabbit hole of overdevelopment. This is because a few supremely powerful people are calling the shots, with zero accountability.

If a businessman gives money to an individual politician to call in favours, we call it corruption. When he does the exact same thing with a political party, we call it a donation. Malta’s political system is deeply broken. Unfortunately, there is little will to fix it because the country’s elites have a financial interest in the status quo continuing. 

It does not have to be this way, however. There are many countries that have other party financing models, which Malta can look into – not to simply copy other countries, but to take best practices from them. 

Resolving the country’s broken party financing laws is in everybody’s interest, including in the interests of the major parties. This is because ultimately, not even politicians want to be at the mercy of a few wealthy business people. 

Power should rest with the people, not with the richest of the rich. The political parties can actually free themselves from these influences, and act in accordance with principles, ideology and the common good. Reforming party financing laws means that Parliament is no longer an auction house for business people to buy out our politicians. It means giving political parties financial independence.

Event Details

It is time that Malta starts talking about how to take money out of local politics, as a first step towards a fairer democracy. That is what we will be doing at ‘Can We Take Money Out of Maltese Politics?’, hosted in collaboration with KSU. 

Held on Wednesday 1^st December during DegreePlus hours, starting at 12:15, the event will take place at the KSU Common Room. It will begin with a presentation on the Maltese electorate’s thoughts on the subject, followed by a discussion with Prof. Edward Warrington, from the Department of Public Policy, and Dr Michael Briguglio, from the Department of Sociology. 

You can find the event details including the link to the live stream of the event here!

You also find other articles about Politics here!

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“ The need for a proper reform of our nation’s constitution has been the elephant in the room for quite some time, and has been exacerbated over the past few years to a point where it can no longer be ignored.”

KSU- Kunsill Studenti Universitarji published the position paper regarding the constitutional reform yesterday, on the 27th of November 2020. The paper endorsed by 18 student organisations, had its proposals delineated after detailed consultations with the student body.

Defying the Odds

This paper was prepared against all odds, “given the political and constitution crisis which gripped the country in November and December” of the year 2019, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finally, KSU have successfully released it. We should thank the revamped Constitutional Reform Task Force for this. It consisted of several volunteering members, established at the beginning of KSU’s term in July.

In Friday afternoon’s press conference, KSU President Matthew Xuereb stated,

“The prospect of a holistic Constitutional Reform has been raised time and time again over the past two legislatures, yet the promised Constitutional Convention has not materialised. It is long overdue for civil society to be properly consulted and included in the process. For this country to move forward we must have a truly inclusive national debate on what are our identity as expressed in our Constitution should be, including all factions of society; debating our Republic’s institutions and principles is not an academic exercise but rather a duty of citizenry.”

Why do we need the Constitution Convention?

The substantive reforms that were passed over the summer were greatly needed but, ” it is imperative to highlight the stealth with which such reforms were rushed through“. KSU states in the freshly released document. This is due to the heavy-handed approach and lack of dialogue with respect to the proposed reforms.

Another aspect which adds to the urgency of this kind of Convention is accentuated by the ongoing political and constitutional fallout which escalated from the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. On top of the placement of the institutions’ functioning and the rule of law which was put under both local and international spotlight.

What does the document entail?

The document KSU published aims to represent the students if and when the Convention is convened. This is done through close consultation with its member organisations and the student body at large.

Find the highlighted positions adopted by KSU’s Social Policy Commission below (according to KSU’s official press release):

• Removing the non-alignment clause.
• Substituting the Roman Catholic religion from being that of the state to that of the majority.
• Banning the sale of citizenship.
• Adding EU citizenship.
• Increasing the President’s powers.
• Having fewer MPs, on a full-time basis.
• Appointing the Attorney General and the Police Commissioner through a qualified
majority.
• Providing for the public financing of political parties.
• Creating a Council of State to assist the President in exercising his functions.

Watch yesterday’s press conference here:

Read more about KSU’s Social Policy Commissioner for the year 2020/21 here .

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