Not surprisingly for a small country that happens to be an island off an island that itself lies at the periphery of a bunch of powerful players, Malta suffers from a chronic case of ‘arani Ma!’ (‘Mom, look at me!’) syndrome.
The kind of international powwow that is the presidency of the Council of the EU (coming soon to a theatre near you) tends to bring out the strongest of symptoms. Non-events like the two CHOGMs, as well as one-offs like the 2015 Valletta Summit on Migration, mean that we’ve seen it all before. Probably the most lasting legacy of the latter was the silly knot on Castille Place, but never mind.
There are two things that the presidency is not. First, an achievement. Because the presidency rotates among Member States, it is rather like a game of musical chairs – with the music stopped strategically to avoid disappointment and sulks. It is absolutely nothing to be proud of.
The second thing the presidency isn’t is some kind of limelight. The other day I heard someone say on national television that all eyes will be on us (għajnejn id-dinja fuqna). That is nonsense. I read the papers and follow the news fairly religiously. When it came to writing this, I found myself asking who the incumbent was. Slovakia it is, but my eyes were nowhere near.
We’re told that coverage will be provided by 2,500 journalists. Presumably that was the case with Slovakia, too, which would mean that six months of presidency and the collective effort of a legion of journalists did nothing to improve my familiarity with that country. I know nothing about Slovakia that I didn’t know in June.
There’s another thing. 2,500 journalists is a lot of eyes, some of which may rove somewhat. Journalists cannot always be relied on to be docile and tell the world how great Malta is and how pristine its beaches are.
A couple of months ago I met two people from Rai Tre’s Report, one of Italy’s most highly regarded for its excellent investigative journalism. It turned out their main interest was how the Maltese government would reconcile its presidency with the fact that one of its key ministers was directly involved in the Panama Papers business. No cause for celebration there.
My problem is with the fanfare, some aspects of which suggest that our tenure will be exceptional. That suggestion actually goes against the whole idea of the EU, which is about all continuity and unexceptionalism
Still, arani Ma! it is likely to be.
We can expect several weeks of triumphalism, self-congratulation and big talk. We can also expect kitsch in the manner of the knot. Plenty of it, and very expensive indeed.
On the last, it hasn’t exactly been an auspicious start. The Palace in Valletta has been lit up for the occasion in the most vulgar way imaginable. The inspiration seems to have come from places where pole positions have nothing to do with cars, and where drinks are rather expensive.
And that’s just the nice bit. Behind the lilac walls, Richard England’s 1976 chamber has been destroyed (‘stored away’) to make way for the insipid wasteland of gypsum walls and fairy lights where some of the presidency meetings will take place. That’s a slap in the face of good architecture, and the site of 40 years of parliamentary history ripped out, at a cost of €5 million.
I’m not saying that Malta’s presidency will be pointless or inconsequential. My problem is with the fanfare, some aspects of which suggest that our tenure will be exceptional. That suggestion actually goes against the whole idea of the EU, which is about all continuity and unexceptionalism. Which is why presidencies are embedded in the institution of ‘trios’, batches of three successive tenures that ensure a semblance of a common agenda.
The good news is that not all is frivolous, and that there is some serious business going on behind the scenes. The Prime Minister, for example, has given a number of level-headed interviews in which his plans for the presidency sounded fairly realistic.
With respect to the government’s priorities, it’s a mixed bag. Certainly they matter, given that one of the functions of the presidency is to set the agenda at Council meetings. The presidency, in other words, has a programmatic function which lends EU politics a sense of direction.
Malta’s priorities include migration, social inclusion and the single market.
On the last, targets like roaming charges and geo-blocking seem concrete enough, and it is plausible to expect significant progress to be made.
Social inclusion initiatives are likely to be conspicuously rooted in and inspired by government’s encouraging record on LGBT issues. A ministerial-level conference is planned, which I suppose should prove useful enough.
Migration is an altogether fuzzier matter. I’m not particularly excited at the choice of language. “Our citizens are demanding action and we cannot afford to have a complacent EU”, we’re told, which sounds like a recipe for populist disaster.
Nor am I inspired by government’s pledge to “look to the sea to ensure the sustainability of our oceans”. Given that the spot of sea that surrounds us is devastated by bunkering and tuna-ranch sludge, the sustainability of oceans sounds like hot air. I doubt Malta can lend much direction on this one.
Ultimately the presidency aims to “bring the EU closer to the people”. Whatever that means, it won’t be achieved through frills, triumphalism and claims for the attention of 2,500 pairs of eyes.
mafalzon@hotmail.com