Salvaging the legacy of the Maltese EU presidency
The Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first six months of 2017 was a proud moment in the history of our nation.
It was an opportunity for Malta to shine on the international stage, and shine we did. Despite the fears of some, we delivered a presidency to be proud of. As the Prime Minister said in his address to the European Parliament at the conclusion of the presidency, we achieved a considerable amount: we closed important dossiers, ended roaming charges, introduced cross-border portability which affects apps we use daily, and moved ahead on the Wifi4EU initiative.
Other important dossiers which we closed were the Anti-tax Avoidance, the Double Taxation Dispute Resolution Mechanism, Better Protection for Workers from Cancer-Causing substances, and rules on business to consumer contracts for the supply of digital content.
Furthermore, the EU joined the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women. We saw serious advancement on gas security of supply, paved the way for 5G, and reached an agreement on the Malta Declaration charting EU’s way forward.
During my countless trips to Brussels and other European capitals, my counterparts from other member states have been quick to praise the outstanding achievements of the Maltese presidency – and the fact that the government was able to deliver such a successful presidency despite the sustained campaign of sabotage was an even greater feat.
For such major events of national importance such as the EU presidency, you would expect the country to come together as one.
Sadly, however, that is not what happened in 2017. Then Leader of the Opposition Dr Simon Busuttil rebuffed overtures from government to work together in order to deliver a successful presidency for our country.
Not only did he refuse to work with the government in the national interest, he actively worked to undermine the Presidency. In the most important and sensitive moments of the Maltese EU Presidency, he collaborated with foreign politicians and media powers hostile to Malta in an attempt to discredit the country’s reputation, and all the hard work that it had put in.
It has become abundantly clear that many within the Nationalist Party actually wanted Malta’s EU Presidency to fail. While this may be inconceivable in any other European country, the Opposition’s goal was straightforward and clear as day: to sabotage progress and weaken the country.
Arguably the worst aspect of this ordeal was the fact that the Nationalist party was dead set on undermining the country’s efforts based on nothing more than what we now know to be entirely baseless and unfounded allegations against the Prime Minister’s wife.
Unthinkable as they may be to any honest individual, the actions of the desperate Opposition are not entirely beyond imagination. Many who occupy important positions in the PN – and similarly maintain their spot at the top of the food chain – were, and still are, bitter about not being in government. They believe that they are born to rule, and above all resent the fact that Labour had delivered a successful presidency just as they resent every day we are in government.
Busuttil’s behaviour during the Maltese presidency is symptomatic of his conduct during the election campaign, and seemed to set the sombre tone of the Nationalist Party thereafter. Despite the changes the party attempted to make, the former leader’s commitment to subvert the country have only resulted in serious harm to his own party which does not seem to be recovering. To the contrary, the mess left behind by the previous leader has pushed pundits to seriously wonder whether the country even has a valid Opposition.
The former PN leader and his allies tried, sadly with some shortterm success, to damage Malta’s reputation on the international stage, peddling unfounded conspiracy theories to international media houses, and speaking of Malta as a mafia state run by gangsters was the order of the day. The gravity of the situation was made even more evident to me as I chaired the last informal meeting of ministers during the presidency.
Lest we forget, Busuttil also disparaged our country at every opportunity in an attempt to deter visitors and inward investors – all for partisan advantage which thankfully the people of Malta saw straight through.
Even now, after the Magisterial inquiry exposed his lies and wrongdoing, he has shown no contrition and no humility. What is he waiting for?
For such major events of national importance such as the EU presidency, you would expect the country to come together as one. Sadly, however, that is not what happened in 2017