Till last year, Robert Micallef was
an unknown on the Maltese political scene but was very much
aware of what was happening. His job as an economist with
the European Commission and his work for the EU delegation
in Malta gave him a privileged position to witness all the
developments in the country’s negotiations to join
the EU. So why has he decided to venture into the political
arena? Robert Micallef spoke to Charlot Zahra about the
reasons that led him to contest the European Parliament
elections for the Labour Party.
You had no visible political involvement in Malta until
you contested the general election last year on the Labour
ticket. Now you are contesting the European Parliament elections.
What made you take the decision to involve yourself in politics
in Malta now?
The years I spent working for the European Commission and
my professional engagement with the EU delegation for Malta,
I could not have any visibility whatsoever as it was a technical
post. I did a lot of work in the background and I could
not actually engage in public debates. This is a positive
change for me. Being a candidate for these elections is
an opportunity to be in the public arena and to contribute
to Malta’s development at an important and difficult
period in our history. With political representation in
the European Parliament, Malta has an opportunity to re-invigorate
its political system and to develop more mature methods
of practicing politics. What will matter most in the European
institutional system is not the political colour but our
ability to work for Malta’s national interest and
in favour of economic growth and job creation in Malta.
My main political activity over the past few years has been
mostly in a European context. The European Youth Forum in
Brussels, which is a partner of the European Commission
and Council of Europe, was an excellent training ground.
In the early 1990s I was also elected president of the National
Youth Council and that, to a certain extent, gave me a good
feel for policy making in a Maltese context.
But it’s true, I entered formal politics in Malta
last year when I stood as a last-minute candidate for the
MLP. Several people asked me why I felt I should do so after
leaving the European Commission. What I wanted to do was
to give my contribution, at a difficult moment in Malta,
towards achieving a form of consensus in foreign policy
in Malta. I think that was a crucial and delicate moment
for Malta. Following the outcome of the referendum, what
might have happened in case of a victory for the MLP, I
wanted to help negotiate a better deal for Malta, taking
into account certain important aspects overlooked by the
Maltese government while also working towards having one
voice in Malta’s foreign policy. I felt I could be
more effective giving my contribution in public life through
political activity rather than doing technical work in the
background. Besides, having followed Maltese politics over
the years I decided I should help introduce new energy and
innovation to Malta’s political system at a time when
people were losing confidence in the politicians who represent
them.
How do you think you can bridge the gap with some of the
Labour candidates for the European Parliament elections
who are more well-known among party supporters?
First of all, I would like to say that I am very privileged
to be part of a very competent team of candidates being
presented by the Labour Party. We all have different qualities,
different experiences and I hope that we will give a positive
contribution to a public debate about the future of Malta
in the context of these elections for the European Parliament.
It is important for Malta to be represented effectively
in the European Parliament by people who, apart from understanding
the intricacies of European institutions, know the Maltese
reality very well and who can therefore expose the issues
which are important for Malta in the wider context of Europe.
Of course, being a new face, I start at a disadvantage because
you need to have a public profile, you need to be known
by people and you need to earn the trust of people. I am
confident there is enough time for all of us to participate
extensively in this debate and that we will all give a contribution
which corresponds to our experience.
How do you feel contesting the EP elections for a party
that until last year was opposed to EU membership? How do
you explain this change to grassroot Labour supporters who
never dreamt of joining the EU as well as to the moderates
who voted for the PN because of the EU ticket?
This is a very important question which gives me the opportunity
to speak about the most important challenges that Malta
will be facing in the future. I think that in politics there
is an obligation to look at the past in order to understand
the present reality with a view to planning for the future.
I think there are two very important challenges that our
nation will be facing in the future, particularly in the
context of membership.
First the economy. We need to be able to work towards economic
growth and to withstand the competitive pressure of the
single market and, in doing so, being able to absorb the
rules and regulations of the acquis in the short and medium
term. I think the success of Malta’s membership in
the EU will be measured against the performance of the economy
and our ability to create jobs. The openings and opportunities
for Malta created by EU membership will only bear fruit
if Malta manages to devise a truly national strategy for
economic growth and job creation with clear objectives.
I believe that an MLP government would be better equipped
to handle such an important task.
Secondly, a very important challenge for Malta within the
context of membership is the security of Malta and our ability
to have an innovative voice in international relations,
to be able to play a part,
a constructive part, in finding common ground with other
Member States in order to have a more effective external
policy for the EU. But we need to safeguard those instruments
which can help us give such a contribution and I think neutrality
for us will have a more significant meaning in this context
in the future. Together with the four other neutral countries
in the EU, Malta should take the lead in the frame of the
constitutional development of Europe in a way that can help
the rest of the world to achieve peace, stability and development.
Here again, an MLP government can better navigate international
waters with a view to having a voice in international politics
greater than our physical size as well as being an international
hub for various developments.
You were employed as an economist with the European Commission’s
delegation to Malta. How do you think this experience will
help you deal with EU institutions if you are elected?
Yes, I believe that my professional background, which allowed
me to go into the detail of every single chapter of the
EU-Malta accession negotiations, will allow me to understand
first how the reality of membership will impact on the various
sectors of Maltese society, particularly the economic sectors
which need to adjust to the rules, regulations and directives
of the acquis. My former colleagues at the Commission are
also of the opinion that a difficult challenge for Malta
is the ability to withstand the weight of the single market.
This is a very important for Maltese MEPs because the European
Union acquis is a moving target – there are new regulations,
there are daily developments in the single market and other
policy areas and we need to be prepared to anticipate these
developments and manage the impact on the Maltese economy.
A member of the European Parliament must ensure that the
Maltese people have a respected voice in Brussels and must
fight for every slice of support which can be achieved from
the European Union. I hope to be able to use my contacts
and my network in the institutions in order to help represent
Malta in the best possible way and to report back to the
people of Malta on the activities in Brussels so that people
will be fully informed about all developments.
Do you think that the role of Maltese MEPs should be to
defend Malta’s interests in the EU? If yes, how do
think this should be done? Would you be willing to cooperate
with the other Maltese MEPs from the PN or possibly AD in
order to protect national interests?
I think having representation
in the European Parliament is firstly an opportunity for
us to expose important local issues in a wider theatre,
and secondly an opportunity to contribute to the development
of a Europe which is under construction. I agree that making
a success out of EU membership requires a national effort
and I expect that very active collaboration between the
political parties represented in the Maltese group of parliamentarians
at the European Parliament will be the order of the day.
I think it is very crucial that at every moment where members
of the European Parliament are required to defend the interests
of Malta and to safeguard jobs, it is imperative for the
elected MEPs to act above the partisan reality and to go
a step beyond bi-partisan conflict which is normally a characteristic
of our political reality. Here I would like to appeal to
the Nationalist Party to respond to these challenges positively
and in the national interest. I am afraid that the tone
used by the Nationalist party today vis-à-vis the
Labour Party is still very similar to the pre-election mode,
trying to score points about which political party is most
pro-European. The public is tired of this divisive and outdated
talk. This should not be the language used at this crucial
stage of Malta’s history. The political language we
need today should correspond to our national effort to look
forward and work towards a successful membership, to develop
our economy and to contribute actively to the development
of European integration while ensuring Malta’s security.
In a week’s time, the Maltese
public will be using their democratic tool to participate
and vote in Malta’s first elections for the European
Parliament.
This electoral campaign is a chance to have an inclausive
debate about how Malta can best face the challenges and
opportunities provided by EU membership. Within the current
realities and time frames the discussion should be focused
on the future. The debate should not only be looking at
what Malta can get from membership but should also deal
with how Malta can contribute to the evolution of Europe’s
constitutional development.
The European Union is based on the ideals of democracy,
institutional building and citizen’s participation.
One should not forget that the Union historically derives
from the need to overcome differences and curb wars on the
European Continent. In light of recent international events,
Europe has been attempting to avoid conflicts even beyond
its borders. Although the European Union does not have a
united voice on foreign policy the majority in Europe have
condemned the war against Iraq.
The new European Union should be a union of equal partners.
Some time ago, there was a tendency to discuss the core
Europe consisting of France and Germany. Enlargement is
re-focusing Europe on to other states that may geographically
lie on the periphery of the European map.
Europe is living a new era; one of internal change and constant
challenges. To be able to stimulate the process of development
there is a need to develop a new identity for the European
Union setting its character, goals and aspirations. This
should not be carried out only in Brussels and Strasbourg
but within all member states particularly by the grassroot
societies.
Integration within the European Union does not only have
a political and economic dimension, but also cultural and
social ones. Participation in European institutions should
also be perceived as an opportunity to reassess our own
norms and methods, look at issues from a wider perspective,
exchange ideas and benchmark against other European societies.
Members of the European Parliament are a sort of double
representative. They represent the Maltese people in the
European parliament, but they also represent the spirit
and activities of the EP in Malta. MEPs are members of political
groups in the European Parliament. Political Parties can
act as a bridge between the institutions and civil society.
On one hand we can help transmit the efficiency associated
with institutions to the work of representative NGOs while
on the other hand helping to infuse the energy of NGOs and
civil society in the European institutional set up.
Members of the European Parliament should help foster a
greater sense of belonging to Europe amongst the electorate
by explaining why the work of the institutions is relevant
to the daily lives of the Maltese people.
Robert Micallef was employed as an economist with the European
Commission and worked for the EU Delegation to Malta. He
is an MLP candidate for the European Parliament Elections
