The European Studies Graduate MEP Candidates Debate Europe took place on 17 March, at the European Documentation Centre of the Institute for European Studies at the University of Malta.

The candidates who participated were Dr Kevin Cutajar, Dr Miriam Dalli and Cyrus Engerer, all former students of the Institute. They debated topics related to Europe and also answered questions from the audience present.

Professor Roderick Pace, director of the Institute and Prof. Jean Monnet opened the event with some remarks on the importance of bringing Europe back to the Maltese EP election campaign. The debate started with a discussion on the politically proportional representation in the EP committees and how to overcome the disadvantage that this causes to a Malta whose delegation of six MEPs cannot participate in all the EP committees. The candidates discussed the limitations of this system which, coupled by the material limitations on the MEPs’ agenda, translates to the fact that Maltese MEPs sit on roughly half of the 22 committees.

The panel then discussed the phenomenon of the rise in popularity of the eurosceptics and its effect on the coalition of Europhiles. The number of “pro-Europe” MEPs could fall in the next EP legislature and the budding MEPs debated about the possible causes of anti-European integration sentiment as well as whether a reasonable amount of eurosceptics within the European Parliament could be beneficial for a better functioning Parliament.

The debate ended with an assessment of the next Commission President. The candidates discussed the qualities that such a president should have, whether he should be a “realist” or a president in the “older mould” who would take new initiatives in furthering European integration.

Participants from the floor posed questions on an array of issues including the core areas of interest of the candidates, whether politicians should shoulder some of the responsibility for the rise of anti-EU sentiment, and perceptions of the high MEP salaries in the context of the period of austerity we are currently facing.

The debate was chaired by Dr Peter Agius, head of the European Parliament Office in Malta. This activity was jointly organised with the European Parliament Office in Malta.

Among those attending was the academic staff of the Institute for European Studies, Dr Marcello Carammia, Dr Mark Harwood, Moira Catania, Jean Micallef Grimaud and Stefano Moncada.