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Malta Business Review
EP ELECTION SPECIAL
Malta Business Review –
European Elections Special
Meet
Robert Micallef
An EU expert primed for
the job of MEP
By Martin Vella
From a list of 41 MEP
candidates vying for six seats
in the European Parliament
on 25 May there is one that
stands out with his experience and
expertise on European matters.
Having worked as an economist
with the European Commission and
as a Maltese diplomat in Brussels,
Labour candidate Robert Micallef is
well prepared for the challenge of
representing Malta as an MEP. He
has a track record as a negotiator
that includes leading the European
Union’s preparations for a €44 billion
plan to stop irregular migration
flows from Africa to Europe. MBR
caught up with Robert Micallef, an
Oxford trained economist, to discuss
his views on how Europe can make a
difference in people’s lives.
MBR: EU citizens will carefully evaluate
candidates and programmes, before
making choices that will shape the future
of our continent and our role in the world
for years to come. What are the most
important issues which the EU should be
addressing right now?
RM: We must begin with social
sustainability to ensure that nobody is left
behind. We must pay women and men
equal salaries. We must take concrete
measures across Europe to ensure that
everyone can live a decent life. People
throughout Europe need affordable
housing, better social conditions and
more support for enterprise and small
businesses. This can be done through
proper use of EU funding, incentives,
investment plans and by enacting relevant
European legislation. We need to advance
the circular economy. On migration, we
need to ensure that we find the right
balance between national security and
individual rights while pushing for a greater
facilitating role for the EU. At the global
level, Europe should be a strong voice to
promote respect for human dignity, the
principles of equality and solidarity and
respect for the principles of the United
Nations Charter.
I will work for a better
business environment
across Europe.
MBR: What does being European mean
to you?
RM: Essentially, being European means
believing in fundamental values such
as respect for human dignity, freedom,
equality and the rule of law. Being
European also means believing in an
open society as opposed to living in a
closed, exclusive society. We should say
No to politics that create exclusion and
social divisions. Maltese people are true
Europeans who deeply respect others and
deserve equal respect. We must consider
Europe as our home, a place where
Maltese and others can live together in a
safe and secure environment. However,
for Europe to remain relevant we need
more policies that commit us to a better
distribution of wealth, knowledge and
power across the continent.
MBR: How much do you intend to deliver
if you are elected as an MEP, and how
capable are you of delivering?
RM: If elected, I will use my experience
in Europe to work in the interests of all
Maltese and Gozitans irrespective of
political colour or orientation and will
do my best to help shape a better, more
socially stable Europe. I have professional
experience at the three main European
Union institutions and was posted
as a diplomat in Malta’s Permanent
Representation to the European Union
representing my country at the Council
of the European Union. I will not need
any long period of familiarisation upon
election and will get straight down to the
business of improving people’s lives by
helping to shape new European legislation.
I will work at full capacity from the very first
day. If elected, I promise that I will continue
meeting civil society organizations,
constituents and any interested parties
throughout my mandate to ensure that I
stay in touch with people’s expectations.
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