Vince Farrugia for MEP

I was shocked to read about Vince Farrugia deciding to contest as a Nationalist Party candidate for the European Parliament Elections in June, 2009.

I have nothing against this person. I have met him only once, several years ago, at a meeting on agriculture to discuss the impact on this sector if Malta were to become a member of the European Union. To say that I was impressed with him is almost an understatement. The man is an intellectual giant! I can still recall how interesting, deeply-analytical and intellectually-stimulating his conversation was. My lasting impression of him is that of a real professional.

However, Vince Farrugia is not an ordinary man in the street. He is a well-known public figure as Director-General of the GRTU.

Now a trade union should serve the interests of all its members, irrespective of their political colour. To be taken seriously, it cannot openly espouse the cause of any particular political party. Therefore, the decision taken by Vince Farrugia to contest the European Parliament Elections on the Nationalist Party ticket is highly irregular and downright unethical.

It is ridiculous to bring forward the argument that Mr Farrugia is highly competent and will be a voice for the members of the GRTU in Brussels. That would be a very valid argument if Vince Farrugia were to contest as an independent candidate or in the name of the GRTU.

As it is, he has tied himself to the Nationalist Party bandwagon and, whether he likes it or not, he will have to follow PN policies. I find the GRTU’s support for Vince Farrugia’s candidature as nothing less than obscene.

In effect, a Trade Union is openly throwing its support behind one particular political party to the detriment of the others.

Let’s not play games, “vote for Vince Farrugia” means the same as “vote for the Nationalist Party”. Is this fair? Is this democratic? Is this the action of a serious, politically-impartial trade union?

The audacity of the Nationalist Party is incredible. First, they berate the General Workers’ Union for its allegedly close ties with the Labour Party, then they accept as an MEP candidate the Director-General of another major union! The usual two weights, two measures of the PN.

No, my friends, such things are just not on in a democracy. The GRTU has exposed itself to the ridicule of the whole nation and I am afraid that Mr Farrugia has now lost a lot of his credibility as an impartial public figure.

The Nationalists, on the other hand, have once again shown that they will always put partisan political interests before the best interests of the country. At the end of the day, politically-neutral trade unions are in the national interest. Destroying this principle is an attack on the very basis of democracy.