European Commission vice president Maroš Šefčovič has urged Maltese representatives to assume responsibility for decisions reached within EU institutions.
Addressing a public dialogue organised by the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee yesterday, Mr Šefčovič said he regretted politicians’ tendency to blame unfavour-able decisions on the EU.
“There is a trend that I call the ‘Brusselsisation’ of failure and the nationalisation of success. The reality is that decisions are taken in Brussels and not by Brussels.
“If representatives from countries took responsibility and told their citizens that unfavourable decisions were the result of compromise, I’m sure they would understand,” he said.
Mr Šefčovič, responsible for inter-institutional relations and administration, has held long discussions with the government during his two-day visit. He also met Opposition leader Simon Busuttil and Speaker Anġlu Farrugia.
We need to learn how you do it in Malta
Asked by MEP Roberta Metsola about the low number of Maltese employed in EU institutions, Mr Šefčovič acknowledged that the figures were not high enough.
Commission staff numbers are based on each member state’s population. Maltese workers make up just 0.6 per cent, while French employees make up 9.7 per cent.
“The Maltese employees within the Commission are among the youngest, with an average age of 39. This, combined with their good level of English, makes them very competitive,” he said.
The vice president complimented the “remarkable” local voting turnout, which he said translated into a strong bond between citizens and representatives.
“We need to learn how you do it in Malta if we are to tackle the problem of low voting and euro-scepticism,” he said.
Social Dialogue Minister Helena Dalli, who attended the event, expressed disappointment at a decision to axe a communications plan on EU structures.
“The EU’s participation rate is worryingly low, this needs to be tackled as voting is the union’s most democratic function. Citizens need to be informed how the union works,” she said.