More than 50 speakers from all walks of economic and financial life, local and foreign; almost 500 participants, including eight ministers and parliamentary secretaries; keynote speeches delivered by the Prime Minister, the Opposition leader, a former Polish prime minister and the former director of communications and strategy to a former British prime minister.

Media coverage was unprecedented – the event made the front pages of the local print media, it was streamed live on timesofmalta.com, most TV newscasts ran it as their number one item and various columns and editorials were subsequently based on it.

Without a doubt, this year’s EY Malta Attractiveness Survey Conference struck a powerful chord.

Focusing on the lessons drawn from the past five decades of foreign direct investment and what lies ahead, it seemed to galvanise a mood in the country. More than just a report, the event generated questions and provided options, pointed to opportunities as well as pitfalls, raised hopes of new horizons and made a call for financial sobriety.

We at EY always believed that behind all our colourful and combative politics is a pretty stable set of key economic, financial and institutional challenges that have to be addressed, regardless of who runs the government.

In addition, with globalisation extending its reach on a daily basis, the sharp focus on our place in and dependence on the markets out there is what will make or break us.

Malta’s good economic standing is not hampered by social, cultural, ethnic or religious divisions. As a result, there is a fundamental convergence of objective economic interests which pull the country together.

We at EY believe we have a role to play, albeit small, in bringing this unity to the fore, to do our part in helping stakeholders keep their eye on the economic and financial ball.

How? Quite simply, through dialogue and debate. The better options for country branding, economic and financial strategy and institutional change become much clearer when private and public stakeholders are engaged in ongoing, serene and objective debate on the essentials.