Two weeks ago, when carrying out his Cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced on Twitter that he intended to nominate Karmenu Vella, then minister for tourism, as Malta’s next European Commissioner.
Why this nomination came so early is not clear; the current European Commission’s term of office expires on October 31. It could be that Dr Muscat wanted to avoid another reshuffle later in the year. It could be that the Prime Minister found a convenient excuse to get rid of him as soon as possible.
Mr Vella’s nomination as a European Commissioner by the Prime Minister came as a surprise to most observers. Like Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, he was a popular minister; indeed, this has led to speculation that both were removed from the government because they were perceived to be a threat to Dr Muscat’s power base. This might night not be the case, but when a Prime Minister gets rid of two of his best ministers it does raise eyebrows.
Dr Muscat decided to tweet this news. Rather strange, but it is his prerogative as Prime Minister; but once again, the government decided not to consult the Opposition over an important appointment.
This reflects a trend: the Opposition was neither consulted by the government when it decided to nominate the Speaker of the House of Representatives, nor on Malta’s President.
This lack of consultation over Mr Vella’s nomination could also be counterproductive. Mr Vella needs the support of the Nationalist Party to guarantee his appointment in Brussels. The PN, after all, belongs to the European People’s Party, the largest bloc (until now) in the European Parliament, which has to approve the appointment of European Commissioners.
Opposition leader Simon Busuttil was right to state that his party’s backing for Mr Vella’s selection should not be taken for granted.
What is even stranger, however, is Mr Vella’s partisan speech criticising the Nationalist Party during a Labour Party activity in Żurrieq last Sunday.
He has now resigned from Cabinet, and although still a Labour MP, should be concentrating his efforts at getting nationwide support for his nomination, including, naturally, from the Opposition, and portraying his vision for Europe. Partisan politcs should be a closed chapter in his political career.
The Commissioner-designate now needs to prepare himself thoroughly for his eventual grilling by MEPs, even though he will not know what portfolio he is to be assigned for some time.
Although he has been a Cabinet minister, he has very little experience in European affairs, and the tourism portfolio he occupied is hardly exposed to EU legislation or policies. Two of his Maltese predecessors, Joe Borg and Tonio Borg, were extremely well versed in EU affairs, and he will not have an easy task to follow in their footsteps.
Mr Vella must also remember that as a Commssioner he is expected to represent Europe as a whole while serving in Brussels – naturally also being fully aware of Malta’s realities and needs – and he must make this very clear to the European Parliament during his nomination hearings. It’s all very well telling his constituents that “Żurrieq gained a Commissioner” but in reality this is nothing but populist nonsense.
The veteran politician can also be expected to be asked questions about his political past, including the fact that he served as Public Works Minister as well as Industry Minister in the 1981-1987 Labour government at a time when democracy and civil liberties were eroded, and the fact that he and his party had opposed Malta’s membership of the EU. These are things Mr Vella has to come to terms with.