34 FMA BULLETIN - 59

VISIT UNDER EU PRESIDENCY

MALTA - A JEWEL OF AN ISLAND

On 3 and 4 April, our Association it in with ’s past, while the their willingness to help find a made a study trip to Malta - a two- Chamber, which is very modern in solution to the chaos in Libya day immersion in the long and rich design, looks forward to the future. and reiterated their support for history of a country that harbours The Parliament, which was previously democracy in Turkey. Our delegation great ambitions for Europe. housed in the President’s , endorsed this approach. In broad brushstrokes, the history of wished to assert its independence We were also welcomed to the Malta may be traced back from the of the executive by having its own naval base by Maltese army officers. Phoenicians and St Paul, through the building. They spoke to us about the armed Battle of Lepanto in 1571, which saw The Speaker of the Parliament and forces and their duties, including in the defeat of the Ottomans and was the chair of its Committee for Foreign the fight against terrorism. We were the first awakening of a European and European Affairs welcomed us taken out on a launch to view Malta identity rooted in Christianity, the to the building for a guided tour and from the sea, giving us a taste of reign of the Knights of St John until discussions on European issues. what the Knights must have felt on 1798, the rivalry between the major Our Maltese friends’ commitment approaching this magnificent island. Catholic powers, and the brief period to the European project was clearly Malta will be a European Capital of Bonapartist reform resulting in apparent during our delegation’s of Culture in 2018. I see the island French occupation until the Congress talks with the President of the as an obvious choice, given its of Vienna, to British rule and eventual Republic, the Labour Prime Minister beauty, architectural splendour independence. Malta is a product and the Speaker of the Parliament. and artistic treasures of all kinds. of and key witness to centuries of Our politically diverse group asked St John’s Cathedral, with its rich conflict in the Mediterranean and questions and offered suggestions baroque interior, honed and Europe as a whole. at a time when Europe appears perfected over the centuries Owing to its strategic position in unsure of itself and needs at all by the Grand Masters and the the heart of the Mediterranean, costs to rediscover its energy and Catholic Church, and Caravaggio’s over the centuries Malta has played sense of direction. masterpiece, the Beheading a role out of all proportion to its Malta is comfortable on the of St. John the Baptist, with its size and population. European stage, supported by its exceptionally fine use of chiaroscuro, It has been independent since 1964, rich history and its ability to act as are particularly magnificent. became part of the EU in 2004, and a facilitator and host international Our discussions with our hosts joined the eurozone in 2008. conferences. centred around the future, culture, Malta takes great pride in itself. The Prime Minister supports the politics and the importance of Its capital is an open-air museum idea of a multi-speed Europe. The European solidarity. of our civilisation, in which the old taboo against some Member The discussions were led with skill , known as ‘auberges’, States moving forward faster than and authority by our friend Enrique built by Grand Masters from the the others has finally been broken. Barón Crespo. leading Catholic powers, vie to He reiterated the priorities of the outdo each other for splendour. Maltese Presidency, based on those These ancient buildings now provide established by the Presidential Trio official residences for the country’s (the Netherlands, Slovenia, Malta) President, Prime Minister and Foreign in 2016: migration policy, gender Minister, the past rubbing shoulders equality, development of the with the present. Digital Single Market, combatting Renzo Piano has magnificently terrorism, maritime governance and redesigned the entrance to the old a specific approach for the Western Jean-Paul Benoit town and built a new Parliament, Mediterranean. PES, France (1989-1994) the stone structure of which ties The Maltese authorities repeated [email protected] FMA BULLETIN - 59 35

HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS IN MALTA

We initiated our institutional visit at mentioned the XV century when It turned out to be a relaxed and the highest level. The President of the Malta became part of the powerful extremely interesting meeting, like a Republic, Mrs. Marie-Louise Coleiro Spanish Empire and the Spanish King gathering of old friends now holding Preca, received us at the San Anton granted Malta to the knights of St a great responsibility. The delegation’s Palace in , the John in 1530. members contributed to this informal of the President since the office was Enrique Barón Crespo underlined the dialogue by making comments and created in 1974. important role played by Malta in asking questions. In her welcoming address, President relation to immigration. We talked long about the priorities Coleiro Preca was clearly speaking Before departing we could make of the Maltese Presidency of from her heart! Making many a brief visit into different rooms the Council such as migration, references to Malta’s history of the palace, among them the security, single market, social especially to how positive the one that houses the portraits of inclusion, neighbourhood policy accession of Malta to the EU in the Great Masters of the Order of and marine-time policy. Issues like 2004 has been. She expressed her St. John. The palace, built in the unemployment and protection of conviction that in these difficult early 17th century, was used as a workers, tourism and sustainability, times, Europeans must spend the residence by subsequent Grand ICTs and the recent EU commitment time needed to build a society Masters, being enlarged a number on HPC and Big Data as pioneering which stands up against hatred, of times in the process. Later it technologies and practices that social injustice, greed, exploitation, was the headquarters of the rebel are revolutionizing computational and discrimination. She highlighted National Assembly during the research in the entire public and the great role that former MEPs uprising of 1798-1888 and then private sector were discussed can play in it. became a residence for the Civil A fruitful meeting united again this She also referred to the aging of the Commissioners, Governors and great network of MEPs. Much is said European population as a source for Governors-General of Malta. about networking and in a positive concern that requires individuals and The next meeting was with the sense, but sometimes we forget that society to change their behaviour Prime Minister, Dr Joseph Muscat, the Former MEPs form an interesting in response to changing conditions a former colleague in the European and wide network that our and policy to help adapt to Parliament, who was accompanied association contributes to reinforce. demographic shifts. by the Minister for Finance, Prof. We could see the crucial role that The President of our Association, Edward Scicluna, also a Former MEP Malta is playing in the EU migration Enrique Barón, thanked her for which we had the pleasure of having crisis when, next morning, we her warm welcome and hospitality dinner with. visited EASO, the European Asylum and briefly explained the role and The meeting took place in the Support Office, which main mission programmes of our Association. In Auberge de Castille, one of the finest is to support those states subject his speech he made many references buildings of Malta that now houses to pressure on their asylum and to the and its the Office of the Prime Minister. It reception systems, to implement strong ties with Europe. He specially was originally an auberge in and develop the Common built, in the 1570s, to house knights European Asylum System (CEAS) of the Order of Saint John from the by fostering greater cooperation langue of Castile, Leon and Portugal. with and between Member States The present building dates back to on the basis of the CEAS values of the 1740s, when it was completely equity and fairness. rebuilt in the Baroque . An informal dialogue was opened Teresa Riera Madurell Participants of the Malta visit with H.E. the immediately among attendees as S&D, Spain (2004-2014) President of Malta introductions were unecessary. [email protected]