Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/310131
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 11 MAY 2014 V Europe 2014 non-voters and undecided. There seems to be a growing perception that this election is itself at best in- consequential. Metsola, however, argues that the size of the delega- tion is not necessarily representa- tive of the extent of its influence on the parliamentary process. "In practice it doesn't work that way. Let me give you an example. In July the EP passed a resolution call- ing on Hungary to reform its con- stitution and bring it in line with European values…" Viktor Orbel's Fidesz party, she reminds me, is a member of the EPP alongside the PN's two MEPs. "I voted in line with the Socialists on this one. I did not follow an EPP directive. I could not ignore the fact that the Hungarian government was threatening human rights… among other things, trying to close down TV stations..." The EPP itself would later drop its directive and join the chorus against Orbel. The resolution was eventu- ally approved with 93% of the vote: comparable, in fact, to the IIP con- demnation. Metsola concludes that: "Hungary has more MEPs than us, but this on its own didn't sway the vote." Here she seems to be suggesting that the key to successfully operating in Europe also involves the actions and behaviour of the government at home… which should ideally avoid situations where it would be pillo- ried by the EP, as both Hungary and Malta were in separate resolutions over different issues. But individual MEPs can also have a direct bearing, for two reasons: one, in the sense that they form part of an influential political grouping which has strength in numbers; and two, through individual efforts to secure backing and lobby for Mal- ta's interests. "If you sit alone in the European Parliament, your influence will be negligible. This is the situation facing the far right in the EP at the moment. Marie Le Pen sits alone with her father [Jean Marie le Pen], while the rest of the far right par- ties are fragmented. As a result they have almost no impact on EP leg- islation. If, on the other hand, you sit with a group that has political weight, then you can have a direct effect…" This is however a dangerous ar- gument for a Nationalist candidate to make. Before the last EP elec- tion, the PN had campaigned on the strength of forming part of the 'largest European political family'. The EPP went on to lose a number of seats in that election, and with them its status as European heavy- weight champion. In this election it is likely to lose still more seats, with most pollsters predicting a Social- ist takeover. From this angle, both Metsola and the PN seem to be indirectly urging voters to vote for their political rivals… "The way things are predicted to shape up in the European Parlia- ment, it no longer makes sense to talk about rival political groupings. It's more like a big mass at the cen- tre. In this scenario, the EPP will re- main one of the core political influ- ences, whether it has more or less seats than others. But whoever gets elected will be part of large influen- tial group." For the same reason she argues that it makes no sense to adopt a dualist approach to the work of the European Parliament. "One thing both Nationalist and Labour del- egations want to see is a cross-party resolution on immigration. This can only be possible if all the major parties agree to back it. Whoever gets elected will have to work to- gether to achieve this in practice. And being a smaller number, Mal- tese MEPs have to work harder…" This, she claims, is the ultimate difference between the Nationalist and Labour approaches to the Eu- ropean Parliament. "One question that should be asked is: why is John Attard Montalto not a member of any committee? I get attacked for taking a position, by people who do not take any positions, or sit on any committees. Yet we are only six MEPs. We have to be present eve- rywhere…" Singled out for attack by Labour, Roberta Metsola emerges as a Nationalist frontrunner for this year's European elections. What does this tell us about Metsola, the PN and Europe? PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD EU issues are Maltese issues too