Malta's MEPs start swimming

A new five-year session of the world's biggest directly elected democratic legislative body, the European Parliament, went into action in July. The five Maltese Euro MPs were immediately plunged into the deep end of it. But differences began to appear from the start.

When they voted on the new Commission President-designate, the Portuguese José Manuel Barroso, the two Nationalist MEPs voted in favour while the three Labour MEPs voted against. Should we alarm ourselves?

A section of the local press tried to make a meal of this. We found it very unappetising. The European People's Party (EPP), of which the Nationalist MEPs form part, supported Barroso and the Nationalists pulled the EPP line. The Party of European Socialists (PES) was against and the MLP tugged the PES line - despite the fact that some PES members from the other member states did not. What is wrong with that?

In both cases the Maltese parties decided that their MEPs should toe their respective European party line and by doing this they voted in diametrically opposed ways. Next time they might be voting together as well if the EPP and PES agree to do so or if overwhelming national interest so dictates. Welcome to Europe!

John Attard Montalto, JAM as he has been rebaptised by a section of the local press, has been chastised by the same sources for taking a party of his canvassers to the European Parliament.

Pray, what is wrong with that? Visits to the European Parliament are permitted and there is also some financial aid available to facilitate them. We hope that all the MEPs will eventually take parties to the Parliament to show them how this institution functions.

And the more diehard anti-Europeans they take there the better, for they will give them the opportunity to examine at close quarters how democracy really functions in the EU. Well done JAM if you permit us the indiscretion, keep jamming it.

The Maltese MEPs were bewildered by the committees of the European Parliament to which they have been selected. Welcome to the rough and tumble of European politics. Surely they were not thinking that their wish would be their command, i.e. that they only had to wish to work in such and such committee and the Parliament of 732 members would oblige!

They will certainly have to do a lot of reading and homework to inform themselves on the matters under discussion. We wish them the best of luck. As for next time, i.e. the next round of elections in five years time, Malta's political parties should work hard on what kind of candidates they want to field. The national and European political arenas are very different and that point should not be missed.