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MLP candidate Owen Bonnici speaks about the new challenges for Malta’s MEPs and his old ways of getting in touch with voters 
The youngest candidate to contest the 12 June European Parliament election comes from the Labour camp, but at 24, one cannot really say that Owen Bonnici is new to politics.
Actually, it seems this law student from Zejtun (he’s now doing law practice with former Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici) is in a hurry, having contested the local council elections, the general election and married two years ago at such an early age.
“I have always done everything ahead of my age, so to speak,” he says. “My motto is ‘just do it’. I’m doing this because it’s a new experience for me, and having studied European Studies, I’m knowledgeable about the subject. One needs to know the nitty gritty of the European Parliament. Also I felt the party needed new ideas. They are always needed after an election, especially after a defeat.” Bonnici walked his way into the party through its media as parliamentary reporter, in the wake of the 1998 electoral defeat. In the last general election he was runner-up in a by-election.
“My surname worked against me,” he says, referring to the list of candidates on the ballot sheet printed in alphabetical order. Although his surname starts with a ‘B’, it seems there were too many ‘As’ before him. “I could have easily become an MP.”
Although a newcomer, Bonnici knows well enough how demanding voters can be. He has a small group of friends taking note of people’s complaints and requests, and he also intends to open his own office soon, very much in the traditional approach of Maltese politicians.
“I operate very much like the Church,” he says without any hint of irony. “You know, the Church follows you from the cradle to the grave. There is baptism, first holy communion, confirmation, marriage … all occasions at different intervals of one’s life in which it keeps in touch with the people. I attend a lot of weddings and funerals.”
Is he ambitious? This is, after all, the same man who said he would like to become prime minister.
“I’d like to clear this,” he says laughingly. “I was asked what I would like to become when I grow older, and when I was a child I used to say I would like to become prime minister. It doesn’t mean I want to become leader now. Far from it. The post of leader demands so much sacrifice, not an easy job. This has become a standard joke … a lot of people told me how ambitious I am after I said that, but I didn’t mean it in that way, at all. I live day by day.”
Bonnici says this is “the moment of truth” for the Labour party in the wake of last year’s electoral defeat.
“I appeal to the Labourites to vote at this moment of truth. This is a difficult time for the Labour Party,” he says. “We suffered an electoral defeat, and last November we took an important decision in the General Conference, which means that the party has updated its policies to face the new reality. Some Labourites might find it difficult to move on, so I appeal to them to speak to us. We’re listening.”
At the same time, he believes a protest vote against the government will shift the majority towards Labour.
“I feel there is going to be a protest vote against the government, because there is a lot of disappointment among the people. The MLP should get the majority. That’s why the PN keeps saying people should give their preference to those who remained consistent on the EU, because it fears a protest vote. The logic behind their argument is: This is a vote for Europe, the PN has always been in favour of Europe, so vote PN. But their premise is wrong. The 12 June vote is not a vote of confidence in the EU. It is a vote to elect the people who can work in the country’s best interest. The MLP works in Malta’s interests, therefore people should vote for MLP candidates. We have no qualms about criticising the most negative aspects of EU membership in the European Parliament. Given that we were the most critical towards the negotiated membership agreement, we are the most credible in this sense.”
How does he answer Labourites who are still baffled about their party’s U-turn on EU membership?
“Yes there are people who ask me, ‘how have we turned in favour of the EU when we were against it?’. I tell them the upcoming vote is not in favour or against. We’re in the EU – that’s a fact, so the choice is to either participate in the election or to stay away from it. When I ask them whether such people would like to have five Nationalist MEPs they say ‘no, for God’s sake’.”
In the European Parliament, Bonnici believes the two most important issues the Maltese MEPs should be constantly following are those dealt with in the Committee on Economic Growth and the Security Committee. “On the latter, Malta should insist on its status of neutrality, which is becoming more relevant. The other committee is essential to tackle employment.
“Employment is a major problem. I haven’t met one family during my campaign which is not somehow affected by unemployment.”
And how is he linking unemployment with the European Parliament election? MEPs cannot create jobs.
“Whoever gets elected to the EP, especially the Labourites for whom work is the topmost priority, has to work incessantly to save jobs. We have to make sure that the impact of EU legislation implemented here will not threaten in any way the current jobs. If anything we have to increase jobs.”
I tell him there are many other factors outside the MEPs’ powers threatening jobs, such as market forces and globalisation. Is he being realistic when he promises to safeguard jobs?
“We don’t promise to generate jobs. We promise to make a case for Malta, so that our commitments to the EU will not be damaging for ourselves.” How will he do this concretely? “For example, when it comes to state aid and incentives for businesses, the EU is in general, against state aid because it disrupts the market. We have to look at our case in specie and present it as such in the EP, and to do this we have to work together with the Nationalists and whoever gets elected, so that their EP group also takes a position in Malta’s best interests.”
It is going to be difficult to persuade the European Socialists that Malta is a special case, when they are the most enthusiastic about harmonising the EU member states’ social charter. How will he convince them?
“I was in Brussels last week to participate in the young Socialists’ meeting. We were addressed by Amato and Rasmussen, and I asked them specifically whether they were ready to accept Malta’s particular case as a small island, and the impression I got was that they are convinced that the EU’s wealth has to be redistributed fairly in order to have social justice. If we agree on that principle then we can move ahead with our case. What I can say is that we were very warmly welcomed by the European Socialists and I was almost surprised by the similar viewpoints we have.”
It is ironic that a Labour Party candidate says that. After all, the Party of European Socialists is, at least in name, on the same ideological platform as the MLP. Being surprised by the fact that the MLP and PES hold similar viewpoints is very telling.
“The MLP was not a PES member because Malta was not an EU member state and the party had a different position on Malta’s membership,” he explains. “Now we have to work in the context of the people’s decision to join the EU.”
Asked if he is confident he will be elected, he says that the most important thing is that Labour candidates get the majority of votes, although he adds that he has “all the credentials” of a candidate who “knows how to work within the European Parliament”.
“I’m energetic because I’m young, and I’m also knowledgeable about the subject because I studied it,” he says. “And I’m also active in the party, so I think I stand a chance. But what is important is not to get Owen elected but to get as many Labour MEPs as possible.”
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