In the press conference following Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s visit to the President to advise him to dissolve Parliament on January 7, a reporter asked him who he thought would be better qualified as president of the Council of the European Union for the six months when Malta would be holding the rotating presidency in 2017.

His prompt reply was that this is not a question of comparison. He wishes the best for Malta even if he is not Prime Minister.

However, a person who has consistently always believed in and promoted the advantages of EU membership would certainly be ideal for this position.

Gonzi deserves to be Prime Minister even in 2018, when Valletta will be the Cultural Capital of Europe. The regeneration of Valletta is one of the many projects to his credit that is restoring dignity to this city. The recently inaugurated Piazza de Valette presents us with a taste of the grandeur of this Renzo Piano project that has been unfairly criticised.

The people of this country stand to gain if the electorate responsibly ponders on the tangible positive results – against all odds – of this Administration under Gonzi’s leadership before going to the polls.