The highest profile endorsement given to Joseph Muscat at the last election was probably from Francois Hollande. Standing in front of a background of pale blue (quelle surprise!) the French President said that the election of 9 March was not only important to the Maltese but to all of Europe. With Joseph Muscat by his side at the meeting of the European Council, President Hollande told us they would lead the fight against austerity policies and in favour of growth, hope and greater solidarity.

The French President certainly needs a helping hand. Things have taken a turn for the worse in France in the year since he was elected President and if there is any sign of growth, it is in the number of unemployed and in his unpopularity with his electorate. Had he paid more attention to how the Maltese government had administered the Maltese economy before and up to 9 March, he would be trying to draw some lessons to put into practice in his own country.

The results speak for themselves. In this year’s first quarter, Malta’s economy grew by 1.7 per cent, the fastest growing in the EU. Mind you, it did not just grow and grow fast: it grew while other eurozone economies shrank by an average 0.2 per cent and the entire EU by 0.1 per cent. When you buck a trend that is so widespread and so strong, you cannot put it down to chance, luck or statistical aberrations. You can only conclude that the PN government must have been doing something right.

Just as the current crisis did not happen overnight, neither did Malta’s economic success. If today’s Malta is in a situation that is the envy of all the countries around it, it is not thanks to spurious decisions. It is the result of an economic vision and the careful and targeted investment of the limited resources of our country. It also required political determination.

Many of the things the PN government introduced – from liberalisation of trade, to privatisation, to EU membership – it did so in the face of the PL’s uncompromising opposition at the time. That these policies are no longer controversial and are now considered mainstream is testimony to their success. That the PL has, over the years, quietly dropped its opposition to them is credit to the PN. As the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Over the years, the PN supported sectors of the economy that were sustainable and which, thanks to this support, became more competitive. Strategic incentives were offered to attract new industries, and opportunities for new, better-paying jobs were created. These jobs would have remained vacant had not the PN, years before, had the foresight to invest massively in the education sector. When investors came to Malta they found a pool of wide-ranging skills into which they could tap.

Long lists, however factual, are seldom exciting. So I will limit myself to mentioning the growth that we have seen in the tourism sector, the servicing of the aviation sector, the continued growth of light manufacturing and the e-gaming sector. While the barometer of European economies continues to record “stormy”, Malta is thriving.

And long may it continue to do so – but it will not be a question of luck. It will be due to hard work, smart planning and forward-looking policies. Are Castille’s new tenants up to it?

 

Clyde Puli is a Nationalist Party Member of Parliament