Lee Bugeja Bartolo, 33, is a new name in Malta’s politics. It was only last month that he was made part of the list of candidate who will be representing the Nationalist Party in the 8 June European Parliament election.

Asked what pushed him to contest, Bugeja Bartolo said that he has a number of skills that are applicable at the European Parliament, apart from being a confident speaker in four languages, Maltese, English, Italian and French. "I believe that I gathered a number of skills from experiences at work," he said in an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday.

Asked to delve into how these skills are going to help him, he said that that he believes that the EP should be composed of "people from all walks of life" and different professions, for a better representation of society.

Bugeja Bartolo said that locally there aren't many politicians who work in his field, that is science, technology, engineering and mathematics. "I believe that there needs to be a wider representation to be composition of the European Parliament.”

Bugeja Bartolo is an aerospace engineer working on finite element analysis of aerospace materials. He has worked for several companies locally and even in Australia.

The MEP candidate said that he has had a special interest in politics since he was 14 years old.

When asked how these skills are going to help him he said that when it comes to how law is prepared and presented at the European Parliament, "it is important to have a number of different views".

He said if elected his main target will be housing opportunities. The first one is the right for everyone who "works and is of good conduct" to have a manageable income to buy a house.

"We are seeing prices in the housing sector shooting up and is not only affecting those with a low income, but also those with average incomes and professionals," he said.

At EU level, he said that social housing representatives have already met to discuss a way forward, such as more investment in the sector. He said that locally the PN has for years been advocating for more investment in the sector. Moreover, he said that the government should take more ownership of the problem and not leave it in the hands of the private sector.

He said that it is important to have a number of opportunities which bring investment to the country, but this should not be to the detriment of other sectors. We cannot allow the demand to skyrocket and leave the average Maltese out of breath, he said.

"It's a delicate balance, which is easier said than done," he added.

Bugeja Bartolo said that this can be achieved by diversifying investment. He said that ideally an economy becomes strong when there are different sectors involved. The MEP candidate said that along the last 10 years, the country has been heavily relying on the construction industry, "which has brought its problems".

Asked why people should vote for him, he said that for starters, he has a genuine love for Malta and that he has gathered a different perspective from his studying in other countries such the United Kingdom. He said that he is also able to objectively criticize the country for when it comes current affairs.

He said that despite having worked in a good job in Australia, his heart is still in Malta.

As a young man who is taking his chances in politics, he was asked about the disillusionment of younger generations, which could lead to a low voter-turnout in the June election. Does he think he could attract young people’s votes?

Bugeja Bartolo said that nothing is guarantee, especially election results. He said that so far, he has had a very positive response on his campaign, and "I hope the youths can relate to my content". He said that the issues he is pushing are attraction of foreign investment and the need to diversify methods of transportation in the country, such as by having an underground transport system.

He said that the government has done all the research needed for the metro to happen, marketed it out but in the end shelved it. He said that despite the government spending more than €600,000 on the marketing of the project, "there is no political will" to see it through.

Asked whether the PN will be able to win a third seat in the EP, he said that the party will be doing its best to achieve this target.

He said that the PN should strive "and be as strategic and as relentless as possible to get the third seat”.

Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech has said that the third EP seat is what the PN will be aiming for in June. But what should happen if this goal is not achieved or if the party performs badly. Should Grech resign?

Bugeja Bartolo said when it comes to resignation, it’s the leader's own call. He said that following the election, regardless of the result, as a candidate he is going to analyse it and take action from there. He said that the result will be a reflection of everything within the party itself too.

"This is a self-assessment which also happens with professionals", he said.

Whatever the outcome, the MEP candidate did not exclude furthering his political career after the election.