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.
He Is relatively new to the Maltese political scenario but
has been working actively behind the scenes for the past
few years. MLP candidate
Robert Micallef speaks to Sandra Aquilina about his priorities
as an MEP, his European experience, the possibility of improving
Malta’s conditions for membership and replies to allegations
against him…
What do you think are the main issues at stake
for Malta now that Malta has joined the EU?
In my opinion the most urgent issues for Malta are economic
development and security. As an EU member state Malta has
serious commitments with which to keep up such as reducing
national debt, fulfilling deficit criterias, reducing expenditure
and job creation. The government lacks leadership in this
field and other EU member states are sounding their alarm
bells because when a country loses economic track it obstructs
the rest of the European Union due to collective commitments.
Without economic growth Malta will not sustain the social
sector and welfare state. This could potentially generate
a serious crisis for the island.
Secondly, security issues will continue to raise their profile
in Europe and also in Malta. Security issues such as terrorism
and the future military profile of Europe are central debating
issues on the European Union leaders’ agenda. Europe
requires a stronger and more effective voice in international
diplomacy but this should not compromise the future security
of Malta in any way. Government must not continue to neglect
this fundamental issue.
How does your formation and background - working
within the delegation of the European Commission - help
you in your work if you are elected? How can it be used
to Malta's advantage?
I was employed as an economist with the European Commission
during the EU-Malta negotiations. My professional engagement
with the European Union Delegation to Malta was an opportunity
to participate actively in the dynamic of a process which
aimed to prepare ten countries to join the European Union.
The role of the European Commission was to handle the technical
and administrative side of the negotiations and as an interlocutor
between the accession states and the fifteen member states.
The Commission was the driving force in achieving common
positions between all countries and to help the accession
countries to implement the administrative capacity and structures
to fulfill the obligations of membership. I was responsible
for the economic aspects of the work done by the European
Commission delegation during the screening process, negotiations
and the co-ordination related to the implementation of the
Acquis.
The work that is expected of an MEP in the European Parliament
also requires a substantial amount of co-ordination. The
EP will increase in importance and a lot of future legislation
will originate from European structures. Maltese MEPs need
to be well versed with the intricacies of the system but
also very aware of the impact on the Maltese economy and
society that new European legislation may have. Do you think Parliament is sufficiently close
to the people? How do you think the gap can be bridged?
Members of the European Parliament are a sort of double
representatives. They represent the Maltese people in the
European parliament but they also represent the spirit and
activities of the EP in Malta. MEPs should help foster a
greater sense of belonging in Europe amongst the electorate
by explaining why the work of the institutions is relevant
to the working lives of the Maltese people.
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.
How do you reconcile your moderate image - having
worked within the EU institutions - with your endorsement
by former PMs Mintoff and Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici?
I am willing to co-operate with anybody who wants to participate
in this national effort that is required to meet the challenges
and opportunities of EU membership. As politicians we need
to be alert and quick minded in order to take every opportunity
to improve the conditions of membership. The results of
EU-Malta negotiations are not sacred. When the Government
states that they are untouchable it is not being honest
with the people of Malta. In fact the Maltese Authorities
are openly stating that Malta can manage to obtain six seats
in the European Parliament if it manages to convince the
other member states. This would be a positive change to
what was agreed at the Copenhagen summit when the Negotiations
were closed. So why is Government not willing to discuss
the possibility of other improvements if they can contribute
to an easier absorption of the obligations of membership
or if they can provide better saveguards for Malta’s
security? Time will demonstrate that there will be other
areas in which Malta may have to make requests with a view
to improving the conditions of membership even within the
frame of future proposed legislation. The EU is in continuous
evolution and new European legislation will build on what
has already been negotiated in the Acquis Communitaire.
The discussions related to the European Constitution are
another opportunity for Malta to ensure that the European
Union will evolve in a way that corresponds to the values
and principles enshrined in our constitution. Unfortunately
Malta has a government that has a lethargic outlook on European
affairs. Besides, the government is not well equipped neither
in handling the responsibilities of membership particularly
in the economic sector nor in managing the opportunities
of membership for example in project financing.
