Prof. Guido de Marco, President Emeritus of Malta, will always be remembered as Malta’s outstanding international statesman in professional circles and a true gentleman.
I had the honour and privilege of meeting Prof. de Marco for the first time in 1992 at a Wilton Park Conference in the UK.
Having followed his brilliant career from a distance for over a decade as an avid student of international relations, I was immediately mesmerised by his unique understanding of global affairs and his ability to articulate the most complex of geo-political equations into plain language.
During the next two decades I was blessed to be able to discuss openly with Prof. de Marco international relations on a regular basis.
Despite the tumultuous times that post-Cold War relations unleashed, Prof. de Marco’s wisdom always served as an anchor when it came to interpreting the course of events.
No one could ask for a greater mentor.
Prof. de Marco referred to his stint as the 45th president of the UN General Assembly in 1990 as a ‘presidency with a purpose’.
One could say everything he did was done with a purpose.
He advocated the necessity for reform of the UN, a priority that still needs to be addressed.
Above all else, Prof. de Marco will be remembered as the statesman who succeeded in ensuring Malta took its right place in the EU.
It was he who submitted Malta’s application to join the EU in July 1990 and it was his personal conviction, drive and stamina that ensured the corridors of power throughout Europe would not ignore Malta in post-Cold War relations.
As he described in his biography, The Politics of Persuasion, being consistent, persistent and insistent was a formula that enabled Prof. de Marco to supersede incredible odds throughout his career.
As President of Malta he brought new prestige to the highest office in the land.
He will always be remembered as the ‘people’s President’ because of his open door policy towards the concerns of society and his ability to provide strength in times of difficulty and challenges.
During the past five years I was extremely fortunate to work very closely with Prof. de Marco in his capacity as chairman of the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies at the University.
His wisdom, vision and positivism were the heart and soul of all our activities.
All staff, students and friends at Medac were enlightened by his relentless devotion to working towards a better tomorrow.
God Bless you Prof. de Marco. Your legacy will live forever.