Malta: The Next Level is not about a slogan for the 30-day European Parliament election campaign. It is about an attitude that symbolizes a long-term vision for our country. It is my belief that our vision for the next 10 to 15 years should be planned out as from today, that each legislation should be a building block to the next.

In the last six years, this country made massive steps forward. We moved from a country riddled with deficits to a country registering a surplus three times in a row. We moved from people seeking jobs to employers looking for more workers; from budgets taxing people to budgets providing more benefits and more incentives to citizens.

This has also led to a shift in needs: people today yearn for a better quality of life; for a better environment; for more quality jobs and better working conditions; and for improved standards.

This is what taking Malta to the next level is all about. This is the definition of Malta in our hearts.

During the past five years I never stopped meeting people. Listening to their realities, the challenges they face, the solutions they propose to make each and everyone’s lives better.

We believe in politics rooted in people’s needs. This was reflected in the speech by the Prime Minister during the Labour Party’s annual general conference, when he listed the three main challenges lying ahead of us: infrastructure, innovation and inclusion. Because one main element that differentiates us from the Nationalist Party is that we never shy away from pushing for change. We do not rest on our laurels. We are the party that has the energy to continue bringing about change, taking this country forward.

For the past five years in the European Parliament, I was guided by the mantra ‘how can society benefit from this?’ In all the legislations I worked on I always kept that principle in mind. When I worked to reduce CO2 emissions from cars and vans, I wanted to target a multitude of sectors: the environment, health, consumers, competitiveness, manufacturing and quality of jobs.

It is a law that builds on innovation.

As we see our economies developing rapidly, we know that the future lies in digitization and automation of future production systems. This needs to go hand in hand with the ecological aspect and a change in the way we look at the education system. In transport, for example, this will be the time for smart mobility with car sharing, charging infrastructures, smart city planning and autonomous vehicles amongst others.

During a business breakfast organized with the Malta Business Weekly about the future of industry, I insisted on innovation. Innovation that goes beyond technological development. Innovation is also about education and the need to rethink the way we prepare our students – starting from when students begin their first year in secondary schools. We need to prepare our students for the future industries by teaching them the skills that will be required. It is about equipping the future workforce with the required tools and knowledge to have successful careers and find quality employment. We need to rope in the industry to allow our students gain first-hand experience of the different sectors and how to respond to a knowledge-based economy.

As we undergo this change, we will require up-skilling and reskilling of worker to help improve workers’ quality of life. This shift in quality work needs to be accompanied by better working conditions. To foster a better work life balance, we need to continue promoting flexible working hours and telecommuting.

A shift in quality of life is about improving our built environment and surroundings. Not only about improving air quality but providing more open spaces for physical activities and for friends and families to enjoy their time together in green spaces.

A better quality of life is the continued fight against discrimination and ensuring equity in society, including closing off the gender pay gap. We have a long way to go, coupled with increasing women representation in politics and having more women in decision-making positions.

A strong economy allows us to improve the services we give to our citizens, ensuring that the elderly live a more comfortable life, improve the cleanliness of our localities, keep our seas clean and ensure the enforcement of laws.

As a country we always sought to improve our lives, never taking things for granted. As a hardworking nation, we need to continue building on these achievements, led by the people who have the energy, determination and the vision to take Malta to the next level.