The PN’s surprise candidate for the European Parliament election, Joe Friggieri, says there is a place for God in politics and praises Alternattiva’s anti-abortion stand 
Like Socrates, Joe Friggieri believes in the battle of ideas; but unlike the Greek philosopher, the Maltese professor will submit his ideas to the democratic vote this June.
The head of the philosophy department at the University of Malta surprised many when he announced his nomination for the European Parliament election. Not that one can really say Prof. Friggieri was in an academic cocoon, away from the public sphere. He took a public stand in favour of EU membership before last year’s referendum, as he had done on other political issues beforehand. But standing for an election is another thing altogether and he admits to have never contemplated contesting before he was asked to by PN Secretary General Joe Saliba, one night in Brussels.
And here he is now, in his last weeks of the election campaign, on the PN’s list of candidates, in the political fray.
Ah, the political fray, what one has to go through to get more of those votes! Friggieri must have realised that politics is much more than a battle of ideas. He almost gave an arm for politics last week, during a Xarabank filming of a programme featuring all EP candidates in a sporting event. First he earned the title of ‘man of the match’ from none other than Pippo Psaila, who was the candidates’ coach in a football game against former national team players. But when it came to a relay race, the professor had a serious injury when he fell to the ground.
“At first everyone thought it was a hoax, that I wanted to attract attention,” he says, smiling as he recounts the comic side of the story. “Emy Bezzina came to give me absolution and Damian Iwueke came to give me the kiss of life, but I was seriously in pain, no joke. A doctor who was on scene felt my shoulder and immediately realised I was injured, and I was rushed to hospital.”
Far from a joke, he was found to have fractured his collar bone, but he still made a heroic departure from the ground, declaring: “I will be back in the race.”
And apart from this painful experience, Friggieri did a novel stunt abseiling down the walls of university for a charity event, earning a nice little story with photograph on The Times, not to mention the haircut which grabbed the cartoonist’s attention. Is it true he was asked to have a haircut?
“No, honestly, there were no directives,” he says jokingly. “But it’s amazing how even my haircut accentuated this endemic division in Maltese society: some told me I look better while others told me I lost my identity.”
To be fair, his campaign is a modest one compared to some other candidates’ extravagant spree, organising coffee mornings everyday, buying air time on television and holding raffles for their supporters.
If he gets elected he will be abandoning a 30-year career of lecturing at university, although he says he would like to keep some lectures here.
As a person who had the power to pass or fail so many students, does he think he will pass the democratic test in June?
“Very, very few students ever failed my exams,” he says, in what turns out to be almost an appeal to the electorate for a similar treatment in the upcoming test. “It’s a fraction of… a zero point zero something failed. You have to really try hard to fail with me. Some still manage to do it, but very few.”
Very well, but is he confident he’ll pass?
“I thought you would ask me how I would fare if all the people I taught had to vote for me,” he says jovially. “In that case I would get double the amount of votes that the most voted candidate is going to get.
“Maybe not all my former students remember me but I hope some of them acknowledge my contribution to education, to journalism, broadcasting and culture.”
He is looking forward to go to Brussels.
“I find it fascinating, to be able to contribute at that top level in the battle of ideas,” he says. “It’s a great challenge.”
He says it is, in a way, an extension of his commitment towards EU membership.
“I was all out in favour of membership and my contribution was important, as was the contribution of civil society,” he says. “EU membership was a golden opportunity we couldn’t miss. It was a crucial moment in our history and I felt strongly about it. The EU has secured peace in a region where there were two world wars that killed millions of people.
“I used to look at Malta’s EU membership as an ideal, and I couldn’t understand why all the negative opposition to our accession. The Malta Labour Party used to portray EU membership as if Malta would suffer the 10 plagues of Egypt, when European Socialists are so enthusiastic about Europe’s enlargement.
“After the referendum I felt insulted by the Opposition when it declared it would ignore the referendum result, let alone when it said it had won. I couldn’t accept that. They were too negative in their criticism. Yes, we have an unemployment problem right now, but my argument has always been that we would be better equipped to face unemployment within the EU, not out of it.
“The European Parliament is the union’s most democratic institution, because its members are elected by the people and are therefore accountable to the electorate. However, our attitude there should not be as if we’re facing an enemy. First of all we have to believe in the institution to participate fully. We have to contribute to the debate with innovative ideas, not as spectators but as participants.”
In a recent interview he said that one of the committees he would like to participate in if elected to Brussels would be that concerning citizens’ rights and freedoms. Does he consider divorce to be a civil right?
After a long moment of silence and deliberation, Friggieri comes up with a political answer, very similar to the reply Eddie Fenech Adami gives when asked about divorce.
“If I viewed divorce as a civil right I would be campaigning for it. For me civil rights mean freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of movement. We can arrive at a situation where for reasons of social order, it would be better to regularise the situation of those whose marriages fail.
“If we keep getting higher numbers of separated couples who want to start a new family, then in that situation divorce should be introduced. I’m not taking a categorical position – I’m not saying ‘never.’ But it is rather unfortunate if we get to that situation.”
But there are those who, irrespective of separation statistics, have an unsuccessful marriage and would like to marry again. What does he say to them?
“Well, I also look at public order, the common good and the needs of society as a whole. I don’t think you can only look at this just in terms of individuals’ rights. At the end of the day one gives ones word, unconditionally, to remain united to his spouse in the good and the bad times.
“Now you can say that no longer applies, but I look at the wider implications of it for society, although I don’t exclude that we might have to introduce divorce, unfortunately. I’m not categorical about it, unlike my stand on abortion, which I believe should never be introduced.”
Speaking about abortion, the PN has been making the argument that Arnold Cassola – who declared himself repeatedly against abortion – being the Secretary General of the European Greens who are in favour of legalising abortion, has a conflict of interest. Does Prof. Friggieri share this view?
“Let’s start from the positive aspect: it is positive that Cassola and Alternattiva Demokratika are against abortion. There is no discussion about it. I publicly declare that their position is praiseworthy. We’re defending the same value, a fundamental value at that, and there is consensus about it. The other argument (about Cassola’s conflict of interest) has been exhausted. We’ve heard Arnold’s position and also the position of some PN spokesmen and I don’t have much to add to it.”
Actually Friggieri wasn’t one of the ‘PN spokesmen’ who attacked Prof. Cassola on this argument and it is clear that he feels uncomfortable attacking his university colleague on this front.
“I didn’t use that argument and I genuinely feel I have nothing to add to it.”
Surely this was a ploy by the PN to scare people off voting Alternattiva. Even if the European Greens ever had to lobby to get abortion introduced in Malta they would have absolutely no say in it. There is actually a protocol declaring Malta’s total jurisdiction on abortion.
“It’s true there’s that protocol and I don’t think the question is whether abortion is going to be introduced in Malta. Arnold might have some problems with the European Greens if they had to take a stand on abortion but then, good luck to him. So far he has stuck to his principles and I admire him for that.”
How important is the separation between the state and the Church for Friggieri?
“Let’s take the situation in Malta. The Church in Malta plays a very important role; I would include it with civil society. Apart from the religious and spiritual dimensions, which I believe are essential elements in one’s life, the Church has historically and culturally played a crucial role in our identity, in our ethos, in our lifestyle.
“It’s part of our life. Even if you analyse our language, the metaphors and vocabulary we use indicate how influenced we are by the Church. It’s part of us, something which distinguishes us from Africans and also from Northern Europeans who are Protestants. Even architecturally, our life is centred around the church, and for a lot of people the Church is still a refuge.”
But what about the state? Malta joined a union that is refusing to make reference to Christianity in its constitution, while the PN keeps making reference to God, to the extent that the prime minister says ‘God is with us.’ I can never imagine a Chirac doing that.
“Don’t pick on that phrase,” he says. “It might have sounded a triumphant call, but if one really is a believer I don’t find it strange that he calls for God’s help. ‘May God help me’ is actually the call a Prime Minister makes upon taking oath. I can assure you that Gonzi knows the difference between the Church and State. We don’t have to go to the extreme of excluding every reference to God at all costs.”
But this goes against the secular European movement that is opposing reference to Christianity in the EU’s constitution.
“I don’t understand it (this movement) and I don’t think it makes sense not to make a historical reference to the influence of Christianity over European civilisation. We’re talking about a reference in a preamble to a constitution, not imposing a religion over a Muslim or an atheist.
“We speak a lot about our identity but then we’re leaving out such an important constituent of our identity. Even if you’re a non-believer, you cannot deny that Christianity was the formative matrix of European civilisation, together with Greek philosophy. Also, most of the secular values we call ‘European’ evolved directly out of a Christian philosophy, such as equality.”
That idea actually came from of the French revolution.
“But the idea that everyone is equal before God came from Christianity, which was then translated to everyone’s being equal before the law. The basic concept is theological.
“So, from a historical and anthropological perspective it doesn’t make sense to exclude reference to Christianity. Can you imagine Socialism without Christianity? That’s from where ideas evolved and which were eventually secularised. I believe faith in God can give you a solid moral base, for example in respect to human dignity.”
But democracy doesn’t afford arguments based on faith.
“It’s not about arguments based on faith, but about them being strengthened with a reference to God.”
But as soon as you put God into the discussion the argument stops there. You cannot argue rationally with someone whose reference is not reason but God.
“You do not need to bring God into the discussion but what I’m saying is that if it is part of your worldview, then you are more likely to defend a position in favour of human equality, the dignity of the human person, in a much more committed and stronger way. It’s an inspiration which can strengthen one’s commitment.”
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