Karl Gouder was, in many ways, always destined to lead and to bring people together. 

His tragic, untimely death last Tuesday left the country in shock, reeling from the loss of a man who was loved and respected by all those who knew him.  Many spoke of the void that Karl left, and many others spoke of his legacy that will live on.

Born on 15 May 1979, Karl’s formative years were spent at St Aloysius College in Birkirkara.  It was there that he first thrust himself into posts where he could lead. 

Childhood friend James Vella Bardon wrote in a column published on Newsbook on Friday recalling how Karl had a thirst for leadership because he saw it as a “genuine higher calling to help his friends.”

Karol Aquilina – who would eventually be one of Karl’s colleagues on the PN’s side of Parliament – recalled how Karl, a year Aquilina’s senior, had brought everyone together at school in anticipation of a visit by the recently appointed President of the Republic Censu Tabone.

Karl in fact held many leadership roles in his early school days, including within the St Aloysius College Scout Group, where during the early 1990s he was first a scout and then later a Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) – a role which sees youths, usually aged around 15 or 16, take on the active day-to-day leadership of the scout troop.

“He was a happy guy, always jovial, smart and reliable. He was one of the best Patrol Leaders and Senior Patrol Leaders we have ever had. He was organised and always optimistic,” Edward Cassola, then the Scout Leader and today it’s Group Scout Leader, told The Malta Independent on Sunday.

“He was always one to lead from the front as an SPL. He was always first to wake up (after me) and the last to go to his tent! He was always the keenest to organize mass at Camp too,” Cassola recalled.

“We used to call him ‘Dun’ as he always wanted to become a priest in his younger days and also the President of Malta at some point in his life - don't know how he could have reconciled that!” Cassola said in his recollections of Karl.

“Personally, I best remember him leading campfires. He was a good compere and sang songs well and could get a crowd going.  The best song he used to sing was ‘Where's your mama gone, little baby don?’ in tandem with Simon Abela, his best friend in the Troop in those days,” Cassola said.

Karl (back row, third from left) pictured as part of a St Aloysius College Scout Group contingent which travelled to the USA for a few weeks in 1993.  Photo: St Aloysius College Scout Group.

This was a time which Karl remembered fondly.

Speaking in his maiden speech in Parliament in 2010 he credited his education at the college as one of the key factors behind his development as a person and as a politician: “The Jesuits’ principle aim was always to form us as people for others, and it’s that form of education which led me to recognise that in life there is nothing better than being of service to those around you,” he said.

He also had a special word for his old scout group: “When I was at secondary school I spent many years within the Scout movement; a movement which forms your character, makes you become more independent, but shows you that being independent means that you have to be responsible.”

“It’s a movement where I received the first lessons on what it means to be of service to others, and that the higher you are in the Scout hierarchy, it means much more work and many more responsibilities,” Karl had said, before giving a special greeting to the St Aloysius College Scout Group.

The KSU President ‘with charisma to spare’

Karl’s days at the University of Malta were no less active: he got involved in many different student organisations and, ultimately, the University’s student council KSU.

A Bachelor of Commerce student, Karl’s student activism journey saw him eventually be elected into KSU, serving first as Treasurer between 1999 and 2000, and then as President during the council’s following term between 2000 and 2001.

A dip into the KSU archives today shows that Karl was ready to take on even the hottest subjects of debates at the time. 

A proposal he had penned for his fellow council members in August 1999 when he was in the post of Treasurer, unearthed by The Malta Independent on Sunday, had put forward the idea of organising five discussions and five live band sessions in order to “liven up Campus and enhance student life and creativity.”

Amongst the discussions that Karl had proposed was one on where Malta was aiming to go 20 years from then, with Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami and Opposition leader Alfred Sant joined by two students on a discussion panel.

Karl, by now KSU President, pictured speaking as Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami and University of Malta Rector Prof Roger Ellul Micallef watch on

When Karl became President of KSU, it coincided with the 100th anniversary of what is one of Europe’s oldest student bodies.  Under his leadership, KSU organised an extensive programme to commemorate this milestone which included discussions with KSU alumni and a significant cultural programme culminated in a classical music performance by the National Orchestra.

“In preparation for these centenary celebrations during the course of the year, I have had the opportunity to go through our archives, archives that are so rich in history. It was only after going through these archives that I began to appreciate the important role that KSU played during the past 100 years.  KSU has always been at the forefront, not only to defend students at University, but also to defend all that which is right on a national level,” Karl wrote in his foreword commemmorating the occasion.

KSU’s archives give us a more personal side to Karl.  Back then, KSU used to publish something of a news booklet for students to keep them informed about what’s on campus, and the first edition of that year offered up bios written about each KSU executive member – including Karl.

“Being KSU President means that you must stand cut as a man of leadership and democratic skills.  Karl has managed to do so,” the blurb read.

“He is a down-to-earth person and that is an important quality in commandeering an organisation. Joyful and loads of fun (especially when we make fun of him) life is never boring when Karl is around!,” it continued.

“He has charisma to spare, and manages to remain composed even in times of electrifying situations and will listen to what you have to say... but never let that infectious smile fool you... he knows very clearly what he wants to achieve and how he can get it,” it added.

“Stressful situations and troubled times may rear their ugly head... but he’s been there, done that. With the students in mind and a ‘service’ with a smile approach, Karl is sure to be one of those President to remember.”

From local council to Parliament: Karl’s journey into politics

It was perhaps natural that Karl’s next foray would be into the world of politics.

He first contested an election in 2005, when at the age of 25 he contested the elections with the Nationalist Party for the local council of St Julian’s.  With 256 first count votes, he was elected as deputy mayor.

Three years later, he polled 1,041 first count votes and came just 10 votes short of being appointed mayor of his hometown.

David Borg, a Labour councillor during both of those terms, spoke of how Karl did his politics: “Although of opposing political parties, there was no opposition between us. We became best of friends whilst sitting as councillors. And that is the way it should be. He always stood his ground, with a smile, debated with vigour, yet cool minded.”

Borg recalled a more recent anecdote from the last European election campaign. “During the vote counting, I entered the hall, he came to me, happy that I’m doing well … and i could see eyebrows being raised from both sides!  That was Karl,” Borg said.

But Karl was destined for bigger things than the St Julian’s local council: on 29 April 2010 at the age of 30, he was co-opted into Parliament by then Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, who described this as a “unique privilege.”

“As Prime Minister and as Leader of the PN, I emphasised the fact that Karl’s young age was a valuable asset for Parliament and for our country, especially since he could speak on behalf of Malta’s younger generation – the ones that would shape the future of our country,” Gonzi told The Malta Independent on Sunday.

Karl, who took on the seat of Michael Frendo who had just been appointed as Speaker, was in fact the youngest MP on the government benches at the time, and he was also Malta’s first openly gay MP.

“Karl had been a close friend of my two sons at the Malta University. They were part of a group who were very active in KSU – an organisation that has always been at the frontline of the political and societal changes facing our country on a number of fronts. From that early age, Karl had shown his commitment towards seeing our society respond to the challenges of the time especially on matters dealing with civil rights,” Gonzi said of Karl, when asked for his recollections on him.

“Gradually I saw him grow in political stature, in substance and in motivation. His gentle but persuasive approach towards issues that were very sensitive for the whole country helped us all to move forward on a number of important issues. This was not simply about his genuine loyalty and gentlemanly demeanour. It was also about his familiarity with the realities on the ground and in everyday life,” Gonzi added.

“This made him the perfect local councillor and eventually mayor of his locality. And it made him ideal as an elected MP with a career path that presented him with a number of opportunities. Precisely on this point, he proved to everyone that he was prepared to put aside personal ambitions of grandeur and instead dedicate his energy towards the organisational needs of the Nationalist Party and be of service to the party and hence to the country,” he said, speaking about the trajectory that Karl’s political career took.

Karl shares a thumbs up after being co-opted into Parliament as an MP for the first time, with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi watching on. Photo: PN

Karl gave his first speech in Parliament around a month after he was co-opted during the adjournment period of the plenary sitting on 24 May 2010, and in it he outlined his core political beliefs, moulded by the experiences of his childhood and his youthful years.

“Mr Speaker, we are living in very interesting times,” Karl told Parliament.

He spoke of the great responsibility that politics brought, how it is a double-edged sword: capable of good in the hands of those who heed that responsibility, and capable of bad in the hands of those who do not recognise the negative effects it may bring.

He spoke of being inspired by Eddie Fenech Adami and Guido de Marco, of his upbringing at St Aloysius College and within the scout movement, and how Malta was at a generational crossroads as it opened up to everyone, before telling Parliament of his views on society and on how it can be pushed forward.

Karl spoke about the country’s economy, and dedicated some length to Malta’s educational system, where he was sure to recall his students activist days, saying that quite possibly student activism is slightly more important that lectures and exams.

“These [student] organisations give you so much exposure which ultimately convince you that you are capable and that your future is bright.  This is the main message we need to send to our children and youths through our education system.  We need to convince them that, whoever they were and wherever they come from, they have a very bright future,” he continued.

He then spoke about health, about the environment, renewable energy – such as solar water heaters and wind farms, reduction in emissions, and finally about solidarity.

“In life I learnt that it is impossible to be happy all the time, as life is full of ups and downs for everyone – but everyone has to right to be serene. That means that you have to be content with what you are doing, that in the beauty and ugliness of life you can genuinely say: This is my place and this is exactly what I need to do right now,” he told Parliament.

At the end of his speech, he was commended by Speaker Michael Frendo: “It’s clear that you have adopted the Scouts’ motto ‘Be Prepared’ even in the speech you’ve given.”

‘This is not about me, but about all of us, together’

Karl remained an MP for three years, before being one of those to lose his seat in the PN’s electoral drubbing in 2013.

Two years later, he contested for the local council of his hometown again, and received 1,040 votes – ironically almost exactly the same as when he had last contested – which was more than enough to see him elected as mayor of St Julian’s.

“It’s a new challenge which really gives me a kick,” Karl told the media, after being lifted up by a cheering crowd. “I love politics as it gives me the opportunity to improve people’s lives. And if there’s an advantage of being a councillor over being a member of parliament, it’s being closer to people and their needs.”

He would return to Parliament via co-option a year later on 6 April 2016, this time instead of cardiologist Albert Fenech.  He was re-elected to Parliament in the 2017 elections, but was subsequently not re-elected in the last general elections in 2022.

Karl pictured in the Naxxar Counting Hall during the 2015 local council elections - he would go on to be elected as St Julian's mayor for the first time.

In the meantime however, Karl would take up various roles within the internal corridors of the PN – most notably as the Chief Operations Officer of the party’s media house NET TV, and he in fact chose not to contest a casual election in his electoral district which could have seen him return to Parliament so that he could focus on his role within the party.

Under his guidance, the television station is now the most-watched privately owned station, having hauled in and overtaken the Labour Party-owned ONE TV, as confirmed by a Broadcasting Authority survey last month.

He was the PN’s campaign manager for last June’s election, where the party ate a sizeable chunk out of the Labour Party’s decade-old super majority.

“Today I realize even more that what we did yesterday wasn’t simply getting a good result for PN. What we did was instill hope that this country not only deserves better, but can be better,” Karl wrote on his Facebook profile the day after the MEP election result.

“Together we will make it, but there is so much work ahead. Keep believing!!!”

PN Secretary General Michael Piccinino described Karl as his “right hand man” for the last three years, so it was almost natural that when Piccinino announced that he would be stepping down from his post in order to focus on the next general election, Karl would be the man favoured to take his spot.

And indeed, that is what Karl intended to do.  Last Sunday he announced his intention to run for PN Secretary General. “These are challenging and exciting times, both for myself and the Party […] This is not about me, but about all of us, together,” he wrote.

On Tuesday, Malta woke up to the tragic news that Karl Gouder had died.

Karl Gouder: The man who will inspire others

The tributes to Karl have been far and wide ever since.  Respect from across the board, superlatives for his character in the plenty, too many positive adjectives and descriptions to even list.

And people also got to know a side of Karl which was not in the public spotlight: a side which showed his kind and nature; a side which endeared him even more to those who had the fortune of knowing him.

Luke Dalli – the son of European Commissioner and former Labour minister Helena Dalli – shared a message that Karl had sent him last week, after the Dalli family revealed that they had received threats at their home. “If you need anything let me know.  Door always open,” Karl told Dalli.

Those who worked with him commented on the little things which made him stand out: from his bright-coloured sweaters, ranging between orange, green, yellow, blue, and cherry red to his penchant for only smoking a cigarette halfway.

PN MP Paula Mifsud Bonnici shared a message from Karl in February 2019, when her niece was diagnosed with leukaemia.  “Listen…. I don’t know how this works, but if you need donors for bone marrow and want to test me, tell me,” Karl told Mifsud Bonnici.

“This is why the whole world loves you. I will never forget you,” the PN MP said after she shared her message.

And there have been plenty of reflections; reflections on Karl’s legacy.  While it’s difficult to bring it all together, perhaps former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi summed it up best when speaking to The Malta Independent on Sunday:

“People have recognised him as the gentle politician always with a smile on his face even when arguing convincingly with someone who disagreed with him. I must admit that he will be sorely missed but I continue to believe that what he achieved throughout his lifetime, will inspire others to follow suit especially now, when honesty, integrity and rectitude are sorely needed.”

Laid to rest yesterday in a funeral attended by hundreds and followed by thousands, Karl Gouder will indeed never be forgotten.