Of statesmen and politicians

27 Jul 2012 Of statesmen and politicians

Posted at 2:55 PM in Blog by

Quoting Alcide de Gasperi who was founder of the Italian Christian Democratic Party and one of the Founding Fathers of the European Union , Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti recently said that a politician looks at the next elections whilst a statesman looks at the next generations.

                            ‘un politico guarda alle prossime elezioni, uno statista alle prossime generazioni’

 This also means that winning an election or being elected to parliament is not an end in itself, but a means to an end.

The end is that of furthering and contributing to the well-being of that particular society especially in the long term.

4 Comments
  • Thorny
    Posted at 18:19h, 31 July

    Xejn originali fil-quote, ikkupjata wkoll:

    A politician thinks of the next election. A statesman, of the next generation.
    Clarke, James Freeman

  • Joe Vella
    Posted at 11:20h, 30 July

    If winning an election or being elected to parliament is not an end in itself, but a means to an end, why you make a fuss all the time that you are not a minister of justice?

  • Angus Black
    Posted at 22:53h, 29 July

    “Is-sewwa jirbah zgur”! Tabilhaqq.

    Imma s-sewwa ta min? Kieku d-dinja tista taqbel x’inhi s-sewwa w kulhadd jimmira ghaliha, kieku fid-dinja tirrenja l-paci.

    Kemm huma sbieh dawk il-kelmiet ta Gasperi, kemm hu veru! Pero imissu qal wkoll li politku ma jistax isir statista jekk ma jimmaturax fuq medda ta snin.

    Tajjeb li Dr Debono fakkarna fil-kliem tad-deheb ta Gasperi, imma nghid jien, x’gie f’mohhu biex isemmihom? Tghid qed jara l-ilhinn mill-elezzjoni li gejja? Tghid qed ifassal futur gdid meta Dr Gonzi w Dr Gatt ma jkunux ‘ta xkiel’? Tghid ikun hemm haddiehor li il Dottore lanqas ma jaqbel mieghu? Tghid qed jara lilu stess bhala kap ta xi partit?

    Dr Gonzi diga statista u mhux ghax nahsbu jien, imma ghax qaluh statisti w politici barranin, bhal ma qalu fuq Eddie Fenech Adami u Borg Olivier. Dawk statisti ghax ghaddew minn maghmudijiet tad-demm u tan-nar. Il-hajja taghti l-provi, l-ostakoli w grajjiet mhux mistennija w meta wiehed jaghddi minn dawn l-esperjenzi johrog aktar b’sahtu w b’maturita li ggibu kapaci jaffaccja l-kuntrarju w jibdlu f’opportunita. Politiku ma jmurx quddiem mera w jghidilha, ‘jien statista’ ghax ikun qed jidhaq bieh innifsu.

    Noqghodu attenti lill min insejhu ‘statista’ ghax ghandna mill anqas ezempju wiehed klassiku li t-titlu inghatalu minn klikka estrema biex jghattu n-nuqqasijiet serji li dan ir-ragel kellu politikament u moralment.

    Statista huwa dak li jzomm principji sodi kemm dwar governanza tajba u kemm fil-qasam morali w mhux dak li biex izomm il-poter jahqar lill niesu stess, ifarrak id-demokrazija w jichad l-aktar drittijiet bazici tal-bniedem. Min jghix bix-xabla, jmut bix-xabla.

  • Fleur
    Posted at 20:03h, 28 July

    This is a Wonderful piece, where only a visionary could acknowledge this fact. ’un politico guarda alle prossime elezioni, uno statista alle prossime generazioni’

    Your contribution denotes that you re an idealist. Dottore stand by what you believe in and in time you will be proved right as has already happened many times before.

    You might be hampered from making a reality all the reforms that you wished to be seen implemented, hampered by persons who have ulterior motives, persons who have their own agenda, persons who have it good, and therefore won t have empathy for those who suffer. You might have been a pain in the arse to persons who were controlling the acts and Cikku l-poplu was foolishly unaware.

    You have risked a lot, because you believed a lot and you stuck your neck out, irrespective of the consequences.

    Is a person of courage delusional? I don’t think so. I think that a brave person knows the dangers but decides to face the facts irrespective of the consequences.
    The CONSEQUENCES …………

    Never regret doing the right thing. I don t. I support you all the way.

    Is sewwa jirbah zgur!