Important things happening – Fr Alfred Micallef

Two important events will be taking place these two coming weeks. On Saturday, Malta goes to the polls to elect a new administration. On the following Saturday, Malta will host Pope Francis. The two events, one secular and the other religious, seem to be unconnected, yet most Maltese will experience the two events deeply. In this article I will limit myself to the elections.

Through voting we participate in the democratic process of governance. In our case, Maltese citizens will decide by whom they want to be governed for the following five years. Of course, our democratic duties do not end there. Elections do not give governments a blank cheque. Citizens have the duty to monitor the governance and express their opinion about what the government is doing right or wrong.

Those who govern are also obliged to follow the principle of subsidiarity, that is, “the principle that decisions should always be taken at the lowest possible level or closest to what they will have their effect” (Cambridge Dictionary). A government that usurps every activity and insists on doing it itself will not be acting democratically. Citizens should have the space to organise their lives as they please,...