It’s already ten days since the newly-elected European Parliament kicked off its work during its constitutive plenary session in Strasbourg and the three MEPs elected on the Maltese Labour Party (PL)’s ticket have wasted no time in starting their work.

Alex Agius Saliba, who has been elected for a second term, and newcomers Daniel Attard and Thomas Bajada, have in the meantime been nominated as members and substitutes on a half of the 20 parliamentary committees, that play a crucial role in shaping EU policies and laws.

But what are the priorities that will guide Labour’s three MEPs in this legislature? The social element will of course take centre stage, but it’s not just because Labour and the political group of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D)’s core principles are rooted in social democracy. In a conversation with The Journal in Strasbourg, Alex Agius Saliba, who heads the Maltese delegation in the S&D, noted that, in the last European elections, European citizens sent a strong message that they want to see a more socially-oriented European Union: a Union that focuses more on issues like affordable housing, enhanced workers’ rights, and more assistance to the most vulnerable.

Another important issue in this legislature will be the direction the EU will be adopting as regards defence. Agius Saliba referred to the new European Paliament’s very first official stance, which included a demand for a collective commitment of at least 0.25% of each member state’s GDP annually to increase military aid to Ukraine. “We can already see the stance that the majority of MEPs will be adopting and what the true definition of the EU’s defence policy for the next five years will be,” he said, describing this direction as going against Malta’s status as a neutral and non-aligned country.

He stressed that it will be a priority for the Labour MEPs to strive to ensure that Malta’s specific realities as a neutral, small, island state are explained and its interests safeguarded, in a bid to avoid the disadvantages of a one-size-fits-all approach. This will be the case in all committees where the three Labour MEPs will be paticipating, he made clear. For instance, Daniel Attard will serve on the the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), which deals with issues related to tranport – including maritime transport and the impact of environmental legislation on it.

On the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), of which he himself will be a member, Alex Agius Saliba pledges to ensure that, at the EU level, a clear and truthful picture is conveyed of the progress that Malta has continued to register in a bid to stregthen the country’s institutions and rule of law. On the other hand, he pointed out that the committee is also useful to learn what Malta could do better in this field. “No member state is perfect regarding democracy and rule of law,” he said. “MEPs should use the LIBE committee in a proactive way, not to attack any particular country’s interests.”

Other priorities of the three PL MEPs will be related to specific parts of the population, Agius Saliba said, mentioning Thomas Bajada’s membership of the Committee on Fisheries (PECH) as an example where the interests of Maltese fishermen can be safeguarded in a more direct way.

Due to the small size of the delegation, there will of couse be several parliamentary committees that will not directly covered by a Maltese member of the S&D. These include important committees like AGRI, that are important for the Maltese owing to the country’s limited economies of scale in the agricultural sector and its peculiar climate conditions that makes it more difficult for Maltese farmers and herdsmen to function within the EU’s regulatory framework. Though their peers, the PL MEPs will ensure that Malta’s circumstances and interests are taken into account by those committees as well, Alex Agius Saliba said.

He also mentioned the priorities set by the re-elected European Commission boss, Ursula von der Leyen, first and foremost regading the Union’s industrial and competitiveness policies. In that regard, the Maltese delgation in the S&D is represented on the major relevant committees: Agius Saliba will be covering the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), while Daniel Attard will be a substitut member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE).

“These five years will not be an easy ride,” observed Agius Saliba, in light of the composition of the European Parliament following the inroads made by the far right in June’s European elections “We have to see how alliances develop. It is now much more difficult for the pro-European parties to achieve a  majority on their own unless they manage to keep a very compact relationship.”

One thing is certain: the small Maltese delegation in the S&D will continue to punch above its weight, no matter what.

Main photo montage: (from left to right) Alex Agius Saliba, Daniel Attard, Thomas Bajada.