Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1000343
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 JULY 2018 tion problem by threatening push backs to make Europe "smell the coffee". His strategy depended on soliciting a response to Mal- ta's plight from concerned so- cial democratic governments. The response came in the way of a bilateral understand- ing with a social democratic government in Italy which ac- cepted to take responsibility for migrants rescued in Mal- ta's search and rescue zone. Yet the arrangement re- newed by three successive Italian Prime Ministers – En- rico Letta, Matteo Renzi and Paolo Gentiloni, all hailing from the centre-left – did not survive the election of a pop- ulist government in Italy as it was never formalised into a treaty or agreement. After the election of a far- right government in Italy, Muscat faced two choices: either to turn his back on hu- man tragedies in the Mediter- ranean or to actively seek a collective European response by showing a willingness to do his part. In his first clash with Salvini over immigrants rescued by the Aquarius, Muscat refused to budge. But when dealing with migrants stranded on the Lifeline, Muscat ultimate- ly preferred taking the role of a broker of a 'coalition of the willing'. He knew that he could only gain trust if he also did his part. On his part Muscat in- sists that the two cases are different. In the case of the Aquarius, Italy was insisting that Malta take responsibility for mi- grants despite these being closer to Lampedusa. In the case involving the Lifeline, both Malta and Italy questioned the behaviour of the NGO in question. Still, at the end of it all while Spain took the spotlight by saving the day by taking migrants on the Aquarius, by accepting migrants from the Lifeline, Malta emerged as a protago- nist. By actively working for a European solution Muscat gained the trust of French President Emmanuel Macron whose grand political design is to create a Europe-wide al- ternative to xenophobic par- ties. With most governments in Europe hailing from the lib- eral ALDE, Macron could be toying with building a new European centrist alliance, which could also attract mod- erates and cosmopolitans in both the socialist and popular families. Like Muscat, Macron is far from dovish on immigration. He has been keen on balanc- ing compassion with firm- ness, alienating many on the left, especially NGOs working with migrants in the process. The test case for this new European alignment is wheth- er Macron is willing to com- promise on a reform of Dub- lin regulations through which immigrants are sent back to Malta and Italy whenever they move around Europe. In these circumstances Mus- cat made the best of a difficult situation and has re-emerged as a player in European poli- tics as he did previously on Brexit during Malta's Presi- dency. This may also have helped Muscat restore his standing which received a blow after the murder of jour- nalist Daphne Caruana Gali- zia. However, while Muscat plays to a more liberal audience in Europe, allying himself with the cosmopolitans, he knows that he has to address the lo- cal xenophobic audience. Therefore, his gesture of openness had to be balanced with a firm stance against the NGO whom he accused of ig- noring orders by Italy to allow the boat to be rescued by the Libyan coast guard. One risk is that by accus- ing NGOs of "loitering", he risks fuelling negative percep- tions of NGOs who for the past years have been doing what European governments should have done in the first place; saving lives. On this point Muscat is in full square agreement with Salvini. Yet, despite threading on thin ice, Muscat has emerged more statesmanlike and less isolated in Europe from the latest migration crisis. For, in the absence of any long-term solutions, Malta can now take a new role; that of facilitating coalitions of nations willing to face up to their responsibilities. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt NEWS accepted the Lifeline migrants Governments which came to Malta's assistance offering to share responsibility for 230 migrants Country PM/President Coalition Spain Pedro Sanchez Minority Socialist government Portugal Antonio Costa Minority Socialist government shored up by far left Ireland Leo Varadkar Fianna Gael (EPP) France Emmanuel Macron En Marche (pro EU centrist) Luxembourg Xavier Bettel Liberals/Socialists/Greens Belgium Charles Michel Liberals/Christian Democrats /regionalists Italy Antonio Conte Far right/anti-establishment Norway Emma Solberg Minority centre-right government (EPP) Prime Ministers/Presidents in Mediterranean EU countries 2013 2018 France Francois Hollande Emmanuel Macron (SD) (centrist) Italy Enrico Letta Antonio Conte (SD) (backed by far right) Spain Mariano Rajoy Pedro Sanchez (EPP) (SD) Greece Antonio Samaras Alexis Tsipras (EPP) (GUE) Cyprus Nikos Anastasiades Nikos Anastasiades (EPP) (EPP) The fact that France, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg have accepted an invitation also poses a dilemma to the new Italian government