During his colourful life, Dr Tabone or Ċensu, as he was known by practically everyone, always made it a point to be a man of the people and for the people be it in his profession as an ophthalmologist, in his work as Foreign Minister and as President of the Republic. There is no doubt that he used the latter to help unite a country that had been politically divided for too much, too long.

He started his presidency under a cloud of controversy only to win the hearts and the sympathies of even the most diehard of political adversaries. That was Ċensu. He was a person that stood by his beliefs without sounding unnecessary trumpets, he was a man who tried, and many a time succeeded, to convey his message through dialogue. He was the man who through his firm but humble attitude helped to make the Nationalist Party the largest party in Malta.

I had the privilege to travel with Dr Tabone on several official visits and what always struck me about him was the calm and meticulous manner with which he planned his work and worked out his plan. He could indeed talk with crowds and keep his virtue and walk with kings without losing his common touch. He could, with a gesture and a smile, instil courage and hope to the many people who visited him every day both in his professional and in his political office. Ċensu was not a loud man but his message could travel a very long distance and that made him one of a very select few.

Dr Tabone’s role as Minister for Foreign Affairs is maybe sometimes overlooked and overshadowed by his other numerous achievements, but if there ever was a delicate time to hold such an important post, it was during his tenure. Dr Tabone had the unenviable task of convincing his counterparts in Europe and the Western world that the Nationalist government of 1987 wanted indeed to change its policies.

We had just come out of 16 years of political limbo and only a man of Dr Tabone’s stature could ensure that the government’s message was properly conveyed. His experience, being the only member of Eddie Fenech Adami’s Cabinet to have formed part of George Borg Olivier’s team and his unique method of tackling issues, certainly paid off and his role certainly helped to put Malta back on the map again.

When people of Dr Tabone’s stature pass away it is very easy to speak about their achievements both politically and professionally but it would be incorrect if I had to leave out one other more important role which he carried maybe with more priority than everything else; that of being a family man. Ċensu had recently celebrated his 70th wedding anniversary and the images of him being surrounded by his beloved wife Maria, his children and his nephews and nieces gave us a glimpse of what his family meant to him. Through thick and thin, he and his wife set an example not only for his family but for all others families of his generation. His dedication to family life made him an even better public person.

President Emeritus Fenech Adami described Dr Tabone as an all-rounder and I guess that there is no other word that describes him better. On the many occasions that I met him or visited him, he was always eager to talk about everything that surrounded him. He also had a very important virtue, the willingness to listen and to learn. His appetite for knowledge was insatiable and there was no one subject that did not interest him. He was also one of the first ministers of his era to embrace technology whilst always treasuring the other classical methods of learning and communication. In his own unique manner, his contribution is one that shall be forever written in the history of this country. He did not believe in half measures and he put his heart and soul in everything he did.

Dr Tabone will be missed by many in the years to come and he will forever be remembered as the person who brought the Maltese closer together.

I would like to give my condolences to Mrs Tabone and all her family and to all those who worked closely or knew Dr Tabone.

David Casa is a Nationalist MEP