The Mediterrane Film Festival was too extravagant, chairman of the Valletta Cultural Agency Jason Micallef told The Malta Independent on Sunday, adding that when working with public funds "you don't have a licence to spend whatever you like".

Micallef recently criticised the amount spent on the festival in a social media post, saying that €5 million in public funds (reportedly the cost for the festival) could have hosted 20 consecutive New Year's Eve shows in Valletta or two back-to-back Isle of MTV concerts.

Asked about his criticism in an interview, Micallef said he is not against the festival taking place, but stressed the need to "be responsible when using public funds".

"I would like to bring many super-international artists, I would like to spend €1 million on bringing a triple A artist. How I wish to do that, but I don't, even if the Valletta Cultural Agency has millions of euros, as I feel that I should be responsible and cannot be extravagant. I don't have a licence to spend whatever amount of money for an ego trip."

Public Offices are run with public funds, he said, adding that "public funds do not belong to me, but to the public, and so you need to be responsible".

"There are procurement procedures. It is tedious, yes, and takes a lot of time, but when you have public funds, you need to observe that process."

Micallef said that when Johann Grech started out as Film Commissioner, he had put forward a vision especially for Rinella. "After the site was neglected for years, he gave impetus to its infrastructure, and it is there for all to see. But to then start being extravagant in spending... he needs to realise that it is overshadowing the good that was done by the Film Commission."

"Does he not ask himself how come there is a barrage of criticism from all directions every year this film festival is organised, and why the event always ends up at the Auditor General? I wouldn't want that as a chairman of a public entity, definitely not. I am a political appointee, I never hid it, but I have to be responsible. If the government entrusted me, that trust must be reciprocal. I cannot overshadow the government's success with my extravaganzas."

Asked whether he believes Grech is doing a bad job as Film commissioner, Micallef said that when Grech took the job, he did important work, "and it seems to me that he had a lot more in mind to continue improving the sector's infrastructure, which is crucial. This festival is important, but we can agree that it was too extravagant for the country".

"It is pointless telling me how much commerce it is bringing. With €5 million, I could organise 20 New Year's Eve events - doesn't that make you think? Just imagine: 20 NYE celebrations, each drawing 60,000 people to Valletta, alongside the hundreds of thousands who visit the city for our Christmas in the Capital programme. Economically that would give back tens of millions to the economy of Malta."

He said that up until 2014 Malta didn't organise a New Year's Eve event in the Capital, and that since 2022 it has become very popular. "But I know the limit of the agency. These are public funds. This is what I mean; it is not personal against Johann, nor is it envy."

Asked whether this is a case of him believing Grech should be removed, or change his ways when it comes to spending, Micallef said that Grech is a political appointee.

"You cannot be a political appointee and embarrass the government each time you organise the Mediterrane Film Festival and think that you are doing a good job. Take a look at what happened over the past fortnight. What did people talk about? Did they speak about how we have a record number of tourists or the disproportionate spending of the Mediterrane Film Festival?"

Micallef is known to be vocal about issues he does not like, as seen in the Mediterrane Festival cost issue. But he says that it has never gotten him in trouble with the party.

"I don't do it out of spite. I do it because I love the party, and am very passionate. I'm not going to change, because what I am doing, I do so genuinely, and there is no bad intention. Neither during Joseph Muscat's time, nor during the time under Robert Abela's leadership, has anyone ever reprimanded me, and I am proud of the PL leaders and the party for that."

Micallef has been active within the Labour Party for years. He served as secretary general of the Labour Party between 2003 and 2009. He was later executive chairman of One Productions Ltd, and is currently the PL's special delegate for the implementation of the electoral manifesto.

He was asked a number of questions related to politics.

25 years

In 2011, Former PN Minister Austin Gatt was reported as saying that the people will trust the Nationalist Party once again in the next election, and for at least another 20 years, however the PN lost the 2013 election. Asked whether he believes the PL will reach 25 years in government, Micallef said that one thing he likes about the PL today is that despite three electoral victories with record majorities, "I don't see a crumb of arrogance compared to how the PN had spoken at the time. God forbid it starts to be that arrogant". He said that the PL in government has its shortcomings, "but despite the PL having around an eight-seat majority in Parliament, you surely cannot say that the PL has arrogance of that quality".

"I won't say what I think about the 25 years, but I do think that the PL has a big chance of winning the coming general election. I say it has a big chance as despite the shortcomings the party has, and despite certain difficulties one could find in government, the absolute majority of people are happy and the electoral results of the past 13 years show this."

He said that last year the PL received two messages. "It won the local council elections with 21,000 votes, and won the MEP elections by 8,000 votes. But the PN held a mass meeting, after losing both elections, saying they did not lose by the margin they had lost by in the past years. That is a very arrogant mentality. In contrast, the PL took heed of the message."

"Internally we made the changes that needed to be done. Between August and November 2024 those changes came into force and the numbers never lie. Looking at the surveys since January, the PL is constantly increasing support. If the PL continues in this direction - remains sensitive to people's needs and does not become arrogant - as things stand now there is a big chance that the PL will win the general election.

Rule of Law

In spite of the government repeatedly falling short on good governance and the rule of law - with criticism both at home and abroad - public satisfaction has been maintained largely because the economy is performing well. Asked whether this is good for democracy as a society, he said that people rule and refused the statement. He said that "when people wanted to send a message to the PL, they did so in the MEP and local council elections last year. But people also said that they don't want the Nationalist Party as yet. Until now the people have said, 'we don't have an alternative, so the PL government has to be more careful'".

"If you look at statistics, more than 70% of Maltese families afford a holiday once a year. There are many things the Maltese afford. Everyone knows that the quality of life of Maltese people in the past 13 years rose. That is why the government is popular, as the people feel good. If you look at everything - the energy subsidies, free public transport, free medication, out of stock medicines being tackled, free school transport... a litany of things that are leaving a lot of money in people's pockets."

Regarding the economy, he said that it is leaving a large effect on how the government continues to reduce the deficit. "We have a top notch finance minister. The measures the government introduced silently in terms of how it collects taxes owed to the state is extraordinary."

Muscat support

Micallef is one of Joseph Muscat's biggest supporters. While Muscat was Prime Minister, the country was rocked by countless scandals, including the Panama Papers, the hospitals' deal, and the list goes on. Asked how he continues to stand by Muscat despite that, he criticised former President Eddie Fenech Adami.

"In the Fort Chambray scandal, in the Mater Dei scandal, in the Zeppi l-Hafi scandal, wasn't the Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami? What did he do after all these scandals? He decided to make himself President of Malta. We never ask about that, and we only talk about Muscat making it seem that because 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 happened under Muscat he should be thrown in jail."

"Despite all the attacks against Joseph Muscat, I responsibly believe that he remains one of the most loved politicians today by an enormous majority of the people. Naturally, despite all these scandals you mentioned, the PL kept winning by big majorities."

Asked whether he denies that the country's rule of law and good governance took a hit when Muscat was prime minister, Micallef said that mistakes were made, "as happens under every administration. One would really have to be a hypocrite to say that under one administration mistakes were made and under another everything was done well, be they blue or red. When you have a five-year legislative term and a prime minister leading a Cabinet, with CEOs and chairpersons in authorities and agencies, scandals will continue to happen in every legislature".

He said that if a politician promises that in five years they wouldn't have a single scandal, "they would be making fun of the electorate. It won't happen, it doesn't happen, because human beings make mistakes. People are what they are".

It was pointed out to him that this was a particularly strong assertion made by the public inquiry. He referred to the hospitals' deal inquiry. "A year ago there was a supposed uproar. People were charged in court, including a former Prime Minister, everyone pointing to the magisterial inquiry and what it found. Today, (forensic accountant Jeremy Harbinson) is nowhere to be seen, he doesn't even want to testify, and nobody wants to take responsibility of the report. Those people who pushed it - the extremist PN faction, the Aquilinas, the Fenech Adamis, Jason Azzopardi, nobody continues to mention the famous conclusions of this inquiry. It was a mess of an inquiry, a political vendetta against Muscat and today nobody wants to mention it, and everyone knows we have a mess in court. A €12 million inquiry and the main author doesn't want to come to Malta. Now he was meant to testify through some system that exists between Malta and the UK but we don't have a reply as yet."

Told that as a fact the contracts were annulled by the courts, where the case was launched not by the government but by the Opposition, and the decision thus shows something wrong happened, he said: "No. There were things that did not go according to the signed contract, and there was an admission of this both by Muscat I believe, and also by the present government. But the present government has an international dispute."

"Even the €400 million claim, isn't that a lie? Who kept paying wages? Didn't the health service continue to be provided unhindered? It is a total lie that they stole €400 million. You had around €200 million that went towards salaries and nobody said that wages weren't being paid, and the health service continued to be paid."

Told that if it wasn't for the court case the contract would still be in play, and that it was annulled showing something was wrong, he said: "Yes, but with all due respect; on one hand they say we don't have the rule of law, on the other hand the government accepts and always bows its head to the court's decisions. So there is the rule of law."

It was pointed out to him that the rule of law in this case could be seen as the courts working, not the authorities.

"Let's talk about the rule of law. Who introduced the best legislative measures for the Maltese judiciary in the past two or three years - a Labour government. Before, it was unheard of to have a Chief Justice require a two-thirds majority to be appointed. Unlike Fenech Adami who left Castille and continued going to the President's Palace, today you need unanimous agreement for someone to be appointed president, and the PL in government made that change. We have shortcomings, but it is not the doom and gloom we hear of, and that is one of the PN's biggest mistakes. The people, by and large, are patriots. PN exponents, along with the party's more extreme faction, claim that there is a mafia presence... but isn't it clear that there's no mafia in Malta? People are fed up of having PN exponents in Malta and abroad taking every chance to tarnish the country's reputation or brand it as a mafia state."

"Do you think the Maltese approve of such things? No way. I am convinced that the absolute majority think as I do."

 The second part of this interview will be published in tomorrow's edition of 'The Malta Independent'