Helga Ellul, Playmobil Malta’s former CEO, will be entering the political fray after being accepted as a candidate for the MEP elections on the Nationalist party’s ticket.

“I have never been very political in my life. My life was always about business and family. I have been in Malta for 40 years, and the island has been a very important part of my life.  It has made me the person that I am today. I thought that if I could contribute and give something back to Malta, to the country which I belong now, then why not. I am a Maltese citizen and feel Maltese at heart. At European level I thought that I could be of help to Malta,” Ms Ellul explains.

Having retired from Playmobil last year, Ms Ellul says that that entering politics was never part of the plan.

“Entering politics wasn’t really on my agenda, I opened up my own small consultancy, I have a number of family enterprises in which I’m involved. It was about taking on a new challenge, which I thought would again be a learning curve for me.  It’s a time in my life where I feel that I could do it. My children have settled down, I have the time, I’m still very dynamic and I can’t just sit around at home. I am very pro-European, that’s why I chose that the Nationalist party, it is the party which brought us into Europe, and I believe that it is the party which is wholly European in its thinking.”

‘I still have a lot to learn’

Ms Ellul admits that she still has a lot to learn, but she is not one to shirk away from a new challenge. Given her relative inexperience in the field, she will be campaigning on a platform that plays to her strengths.

 “I have to go on platforms where I can bring a bit of knowledge in, which obviously is the economy. My 2 years and a bit at the chamber of commerce have helped me see not only like Playmobil the manufacturing side of business, but the whole economic spectrum.”

“If we talk about women having careers, I don’t think that women should have to choose between either a career or having a family. If you have the right infrastructure in place, starting from having the right partner, the availability of day schools, women can have a career. I think that if a woman has her own career, it actually keeps the family more together. We have to look into new concepts of families and how they are evolving, and create the right infrastructure and support for that,” Ms Ellul said.

‘I am quite a conservative person’

Ms Ellul will appeal to the more conservative voters, as she holds her Christian and family values very close to her heart.

 “I would say, honestly yes I am quite a conservative person, particularly in my family and Christian beliefs, but I am very open, I have two children of a young age, they have in a way opened by view to see the new generation.”

“Before I go into being overly liberal, I think that I would need certain facts in order to convince me that it is the right way to sort of abandon my conservative views. These things have to be based on factual analysis, you can’t just ride on a wave of emotions and liberalise everything.”

As a former businesswoman Ms Ellul’s profession has required her to be fairly apolitical, therefore the rough and tumble of politics might take some getting used to.

 “It is quite a challenge to be honest, I have never been politically active. On a personal level, I am a very open and forward person, so, I can only motivate and convince people if I’m convinced and I now that it is right, that is my belief and that will not change. I think I have learnt how to be more diplomatic over the years, you mature as you grow older, you get more pragmatic and reflective.”

‘I’m more of a value to Malta in European than locally’

Ms Ellul admits that her lack of knowledge of the Maltese language will work against her.

 “I do not speak Maltese, which is one of my biggest handicaps on the local scene, although this won’t be a problem at European level, I think that locally, I see myself more of value to Malta on a European level than on a local level. To go into the small daily issues without knowing the language so much is difficult. Granted we have two main languages in Malta, but Maltese is the daily language.” 

“What I think I can bring to the table is, obviously having been exposed to so many years in the business which brought together people from all walks of life, having seen the business growing,  I know the attributes and benefits of Malta, what Malta can offer is a skilled work-force.”

“Playmobil became Playmobil not because of me, but because of the team that I had around me. If they hadn’t worked then we wouldn’t have been successful.” 

Having built up a successful career, Ms Ellul is a prime example of how women are able to break through the so called ‘glass ceiling.’

 “I come from a generation where yes, there was a glass ceiling, it takes time, don’t forget, you have establishments that were very male dominated.  The business world was male dominated. Even in my youth when I started my career, it was not easy.”

“In today’s business world, it is more performance rather than gender based. But in modern life, if you separate the roles there comes a time when your children get older that you end up growing apart. The man has gone on into business and the wife stayed at home, whereas if you both have your own personal development, whatever it is be it in business or an NGO, if you have a certain personal life,  it will be easier to let your children mature, to let them go and become adults. I know that this works well from my own personal experience.”

“Nonetheless, besides being a businesswoman, I am also a mother and a homemaker. I have always made it a point to do the daily chores, especially cooking, which I love, even though I had a very taxing business life.”

‘Simon Busuttil phoned me up after the election’

Ms Ellul says that she first spoke to the then PN deputy leader Simon Busuttil about her potential MEP candidature prior to the general election.

“It was a very strange process. It first came as an idea, where I said that I have the time and love for Europe and the European Parliament. So I was talking with my family, and to be honest it was more my children who said that I should for it. Prior to the general election, I spoke to Simon Busuttil for guidance. He was very straightforward, he told me that the European Parliament involved a lot of work and it changes your whole family and social life. We just had this casual talk, but I left it at that.”

“After the election, Simon as a leader of the opposition phoned me up and said that he has installed this commission, and he passed on my details to the commission, leaving it up to them to decide.”

Ms Ellul is upfront about the disadvantage that her inability to speak Maltese puts her at.

“I have been straight forward and honest in my interview with the commission. I do understand Maltese, if there is a conversation going on I will know what it is about, but I have never fully learnt the language.  I have tried twice, but in all fairness I was never encouraged to learn the language because I always got by in English.  At home our language is English, but both my children are fluent in Maltese and German.”

 “When I get phone calls or emails from the media I do understand them, and I write back saying that I am more comfortable in English. Even during debates, I think if ultimately I speak in English people do understand. They can address me in Maltese it is not a problem. I can follow Maltese, I just can’t speak it.”

Weighing in on the new government

 “It is still early, it will take a bit more time in order to be able to analyse the new government. I think what I am quite satisfied about is that there have not been any big shocks, the country has done well, in job creation and in the economic field, and the most important thing is that people have jobs and an income,” Ms Ellul said.

“They still have to find themselves and establish themselves. After such a long period in opposition, it takes time to find your feet. Being in government, you have to give them time to govern. Certain issues on immigration were a bit rushed. One always has to be careful, whatever we are doing in Malta is being seen and looked at in Europe. We must not create uncertainty about Malta anywhere else.”

One area in which Ms Ellul thinks that the government has erred is in its tough handling of the influx of irregular migrants this summer.

“What worried me a bit is that we have established ourselves very much as being pragmatic negotiators in Europe. Then all of a sudden you change tactics so much, yes they will listen, but ultimately you not achieving much, as issues still have to be thrashed out at the negotiation table. There has to be a bit of a better way in which the burden is shared, but these things take time, you have 28 countries that have to agree to it.”

 “There are humanitarian considerations. But yes the problem needs to be tackled, we need to make it a priority issue in Europe. In the past, if you read about whatever Simon did, he did an excellent job, we need to have proper burden sharing, but it needs to be negotiated around the table.  What Malta has to do is get closer to countries that have the same problems. Let’s make Europe realise that we are the first port of entry. At the same time, Europe has to look at the long term goal of assisting the countries that these people are leaving from, in order to make them the best possible countries for their own citizens.”

Since 2007, Malta has received €84.96 million in aid to help it deal with migrant influxes, but Ms Ellul believes that the problem goes beyond money.

 “It’s not just about money, obviously we need it as I think that there is a burden financially. But there needs to be more integration into society. Let us not just see immigration as being negative. There has been integration, if you just go every morning and look around, various jobs are done by these people who came to our shores.  

 ‘I have a bit of a problem with Alfred Sant’s candidature’

Ms Ellul is none to impressed by former Prime Minister and Labour leader throwing his hat into the MEP contest.

“I personally do have a bit of a problem with Alfred Sant’s MEP candidature. How can a person who was so anti-Europe all of a sudden turn around and become an MEP candidate. I have a bit of an issue with that. I mean on the other hand he’s a highly intelligent and knowledgeable man. But I always felt that the Nationalist party was always more consistent in its belief in Europe.”

Ms Ellul concludes by reiterating her steely determination to embrace the challenges that she will face in the political arena, promising to give it her all and do the best she can do.

 “It is definitely a learning curve, I am not saying that I am the perfect candidate, I will have a lot to learn, there might be others who are much more skilled, all I can promise is that from whatever I take on, I will give it my all, and do the best I can do.”

“What speaks for me is my track record as an employer, at the Chamber, and also maybe as a bit of a role model, in that I managed to raise a good family, and I have their full backing in this venture.”