Joseph Muscat - Misplaced Pages

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Revision as of 12:13, 20 May 2024 by Children 96 (talk | contribs) (→First term as prime minister: Official Changes)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Prime Minister of Malta from 2013 to 2020 For the footballer, see Joe Muscatt.

Joseph MuscatKUOM
Muscat in 2018

13th Prime Minister of Malta
In office 11 March 2013 – 13 January 2020
President	George Abela Marie Louise Coleiro Preca George Vella
Deputy	Louis Grech Chris Fearne
Preceded by	Lawrence Gonzi
Succeeded by	Robert Abela
Leader of the Labour Party
In office 6 June 2008 – 12 January 2020
Preceded by	Alfred Sant
Succeeded by	Robert Abela
13th Commonwealth Chair-in-Office
In office 27 November 2015 – 19 April 2018
Preceded by	Maithripala Sirisena
Succeeded by	Theresa May
Leader of the Opposition
In office 1 October 2008 – 11 March 2013
President	Eddie Fenech Adami George Abela
Prime Minister	Lawrence Gonzi
Preceded by	Charles Mangion (Acting); Alfred Sant
Succeeded by	Lawrence Gonzi (Acting); Simon Busuttil
Member of the European Parliament
In office 12 June 2004 – 25 September 2008

Personal details
Born	(1974-01-22) 22 January 1974 (age 50) Pietà, State of Malta
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Michelle Tanti
Children	2
Education	University of Malta University of Bristol
Website	Official website

Joseph Muscat KUOM (born 22 January 1974) is a Maltese politician who served as the prime minister of Malta from 2013 to 2020, and as the leader of the Labour Party from June 2008 to January 2020.

Muscat was re-elected as prime minister in the elections of 3 June 2017 (55.04% after 54.83% in 2013). Previously he was a member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2004 to 2008. He was the leader of the opposition from October 2008 to March 2013. Muscat identifies as a progressive and liberal politician, with pro-business leanings, and has been associated with both economically liberal and socially liberal policies.

Muscat succeeded Alfred Sant as party leader in 2008. He rebranded the Labour Party, which embraced an increasingly socially liberal and centrist position. The 2013 general election saw Muscat becoming Prime Minister in March 2013. His premiership was marked for pulling together a national consensus for economic growth, based on a restructured Maltese economy. His administration led to large-scale changes to welfare and civil liberties, including the legalisation of same-sex marriage in July 2017. Muscat presided over the rise of the Labour Party and its dominance in Maltese politics, and the relative decline of the Nationalist Party. He has been criticised by figures on both the left and right, and has been accused of political opportunism, broken promises on meritocracy and the environment, as well as corruption allegations. On 1 December 2019, under pressure from the 2019 street protests calling for his resignation in relation to the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, Muscat announced his resignation, and stepped down on 13 January 2020.

Early life and career

Family

Family

Muscat was born on 22 January 1974, in Pietà, Malta, to a Burmarrad family. He is an only child. With his father a fireworks importer, Muscat constantly referred to his family roots when describing his aversion to bureaucracy that hinders business. Muscat is married to Michelle Muscat (née Tanti) and they are the parents of twins, Etoile Ella and Soleil Sophie.

Education

Muscat received his formal education at the Government Primary School in St. Paul's Bay, Stella Maris and St. Aloysius’ College. Educated at St. Aloysius' in the 1980s, Muscat experienced the closure of Church schools by the Labour government of the day. This experience was reflected in the Labour party's 2013 manifesto with a pledge to continue financially supporting Church schools.

He graduated Bachelor of Commerce in Management and Public Policy (University of Malta, 1995), Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Public Policy (University of Malta, 1996), and Master of Arts in European Studies (University of Malta, 1997). In 2007, he attained a Doctorate of Philosophy in Management Research from the University of Bristol with a thesis on Fordism, multinationals and SMEs in Malta, written during Muscat's term as MEP. The works of Mario Vella are quoted in Muscat's thesis and, according to Daphne Caruana Galizia, Vella could have himself authored certain parts of it.

Politics

Muscat was as a member of the youth section of the Labour Party, the Labour Youth Forum (Forum Żgħażagħ Laburisti) where he served as financial secretary (1994–97) and acting chairperson (1997). During the Labour government of 1996–98 he was a member of the National Commission for Fiscal Morality (1997–98) and was considered a protégé of Mario Vella. He later served as education secretary in the central administration of the party (2001–2003) and chairman of its annual general conference (November 2003).

During his university years, from 1992 till 1997, Muscat worked as a journalist with the Labour Party's media arm, and founded the Party's now defunct news portal maltastar.com. He also worked as a journalist with the party's radio station, Super One Radio. He later took on a similar role at the Labour Party's Super One Television, chaired by Alfred Mifsud, becoming assistant head of news in 1996. Muscat wrote a regular column in L-Orizzont, a Maltese-language newspaper published by the General Workers' Union, and its sister Sunday weekly It-Torċa, and was a regular contributor to the independent newspaper The Times of Malta.

Upon graduation, in 1997 Muscat was employed as investment adviser by the Malta External Trade Corporation (METCO) and soon after joined as market intelligence manager the newly established Institute for the Promotion of Small Enterprise (IPSE) under the Malta Development Corporation (MDC) headed by Mario Vella; as he himself noted in his PhD thesis, in this post Muscat was effectively considered a political appointee and a person of trust of the ruling party. This situation made it harder for him to retain the confidence of the management after the return in power of the Nationalist Party in 1998 and the departure of Mario Vella from the MDC. He stayed in the position till 2001.

After staunchly campaigning against Malta's membership in the European Union at the 2003 referendum, the Labour Party lost its second general election in a row. In 2003, Muscat was nominated to a working group led by George Vella and Evarist Bartolo on the Labour Party's policies on the European Union. This working group produced the document Il-Partit Laburista u l-Unjoni Ewropea: Għall-Ġid tal-Maltin u l-Għawdxin ('Labour Party and the European Union: For the benefit of the Maltese and the Gozitans') which was adopted by the Labour Party Extraordinary General Conference in November of that year. The working group was instrumental in changing the Labour Party's eurosceptic policies, leading it to embrace a pro-EU stance. At this General Conference, Muscat was approved as a candidate for member of the European Parliament.

Member of the European Parliament (2004–2008)

Despite having previously expressed opposition to Malta's entry into the European Union, Muscat was elected to the European Parliament in the 2004 European Parliament election. He was the Labour Party (formerly the Malta Labour Party) candidate who received the most first-preference votes. Sitting as a Member of the European Parliament, with the Party of European Socialists, he held the post of Vice-President of the Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and substitute member of the committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. He was a member of a number of delegations for relations with Belarus and with the countries of south-east Europe. He was also a member of the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees. As an MEP he supported a reduction in the tax for satellite television, the right for customers to watch sport events for free, and a number of issues related to environmental protection in Malta. He formed part of a team responsible for a report on the roaming mobile phone bills and sale of banks.

In 2006, he was the recipient of the Outstanding Young Person of the Year. Muscat resigned his seat in the European Parliament in 2008 to take up a seat in the Maltese Parliament, and the role of Leader of the Opposition. Four months previously, he had been elected Leader of the Labour Party. Before his resignation, the European Parliament adopted his report proposing new regulations for the EU's financial services sector.

Leader of Labour Party

On 24 March 2008 Muscat announced his candidacy for the post of Party Leader, to replace Alfred Sant, who had resigned after a third consecutive defeat for the Party in the March 2008 general election and a heavy defeat in the EU referendum in March 2003.

Although at the time Muscat was not a member of the Maltese House of Representatives, he was elected as the new party leader on 6 June 2008. Muscat was just three votes short of winning the contest outright, obtaining 435 of the 874 valid votes cast, three fewer than the 438 needed (50 per cent plus one). He garnered 49.8 per cent of valid votes cast while the combined number of votes of the other four contestants was 50.2 per cent. In order to take up the post of Leader of the Opposition, Muscat was co-opted in the Maltese Parliament on 1 October 2008 to fill the seat vacated by Joseph Cuschieri for the purpose. The latter eventually took up the sixth seat allocated to Malta in the European Parliament once the Treaty of Lisbon was brought into effect in 2011. On taking up the Leadership post, Muscat introduced a number of changes to the Party, notably the change of official name and party emblem.

In November 2008, the General Conference of the Labour Party approved a new statute. A National Congress was created that was empowered with choosing the party’s leader in the future and approving the electoral programme. Other changes included measures aimed at drawing more women and youths to the party’s structures, lowering the party’s membership age threshold to 16 and dissolving the Brigata Laburista and the party’s Vigilance and Disciplinary Board.

https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2008-11-25/local-news/Malta-Labour-Party-Extraordinary-general-conference:-MLP-facing-%E2%80%98biggest-challenge-of-recent-years%E2%80%99-%E2%80%93-Muscat-216480

Labour started 2009 with a very innovative initiative. On the 14th of March, thousands visited the National Labour Center in Hamrun and the Labour Party Center in Victoria, Gozo to sign up for a court case urging the Nationalist government to refund the VAT charged on their car registration tax.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/thousands-respond-to-labours-car-vat-fight.248887

In the 2009 Maltese European Parliament Elections, the first with Muscat as Party Leader, Labour candidates obtained 55% of first-preferences against the 40% obtained by candidates of the Nationalist Party.

Labour surpassed the Nationalist Party by almost 36,000 votes and elected three of the five Maltese MEPs.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/landslide-victory.260229

Local council elections were also held in 2009 with the Labour Party obtaining almost 55% of votes casted.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/pl-wins-54-of-local-councils-vote.260926

2009 ended with an unusual visit to the National Labour Center by former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff. It was Mintoff's first visit to PL HQ since its opening in 1995. Muscat and Mintoff had a private meeting. The former Labour leader was also shown around the building where he saw the preparations for a fundraising marathon which was going to be held on the occasion of the thirty-fifth anniversary of Republic day.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/mintoff-visits-labour-hq-for-first-time.284588

2011 will be remembered for the referendum held on the introduction of divorce in Malta.

In July 2010 Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando presented a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament to introduce divorce in Malta.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/pullicino-orlando-presents-bill-for-introduction-of-divorce.316474

In February 2011 the Nationalist Party took an official stand against the introduction of divorce.

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/divorcereferendum/8672/pn-takes-anti-divorce-stance-and-says-no-to-referendum-unless-bill-is-passed-in-parliament#.YTTxdp0zZPY

One month later Joseph Muscat said that on a personal basis, he was going to campaigning for the introduction of divorce in Malta.

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/divorcereferendum/33576/joseph-muscat-to-campaign-personally-on-divorce-but-no-party-effort#.YTTxpJ0zZPY

The referendum was held on 28 May 2011. Just over fifty-three percent voted in favor of the introduction of divorce.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-13588834

The Labour Leader said that with this result, a new Malta was born and stressed that he was proud to have done what was right, instead of what was the least politically risky.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/a-new-malta-has-been-born-muscat.367879

2012 started with an election campaign for the Local Councils elections which were won again by Labour with 56% of the vote.

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/16679/live-local-council-elections-2012-follow-results-here#.YTT1K50zZPZ

Between the 14 and 23 September, in preparation for the general election which was approaching, the Labour Party convened the first National Congress in its history. The Congress disucussed Labour’s proposals for education, health, energy, environment, economy and civil rights, among others.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/labour-congress-discusses-education-the-environment-and-the-economy.437604

First term as prime minister

Muscat contested Malta's general elections for the first time in March 2013 and was elected on District 2 on the first count, with 13,968 votes and on District 4 again on the first count with 12,202 votes and 53% of the vote. On 11 March 2013 he was sworn in as Prime Minister of Malta. Following his election victory, Muscat was congratulated in a statement by the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, on behalf of the European Commission.

On 7 April 2014, Muscat suffered from temporary blindness caused by UV radiation, probably related to burns to his cornea. Like 60 other people with similar symptoms, he had participated at a political rally the day before.

In 2014, Muscat's government introduced the Malta Individual Investor Programme, for which it contracted Henley & Partners. Through such programmes, applicants acquire Maltese citizenship against investing a minimum of 1 million EUR in the country. The citizenship-by-investment programme soon became a boon to Malta's economy, generating up to €163.5 million in revenues in 2016, which the government used to finance deficit spending. Muscat repeatedly defended such passport sale scheme, also presenting and promoting it personally at global Henley & Partners events in Dubai and elsewhere.

In 2015 the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF) was set up to receive revenue from the Maltese Individual Investor Programme and administer these funds in the public interest. From money deposited in the NDSF, investment projects of around €90 million were announced in the fields of health, social housing, community centres catering for specific needs of vulnerable groups and sports, among others while assisting various NGOs.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/defending-what-is-ours-by-right-alex-muscat.836411

https://newsbook.com.mt/en/hospice-malta-receives-e8m-grant-to-help-fund-palliative-care-complex/

https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2020-05-11/local-news/NDSF-provides-1-5-million-grant-for-new-Caritas-Community-Centre-and-Upgrading-of-facilities-6736223009

The Malta Individual Investor Programme also played a crucial role in helping to fund COVID-19 relief measures in 2020 and 2021, such as the wage supplements scheme.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/passport-papers-economy-minister-defends-schemes-role-in-covid-19.866589

Malta became an attractive location for foreign direct investment in financial services, online gaming, information technology, maritime and aviation hubs and high value-added manufacturing clusters. His administration led to large-scale changes to welfare with the introduction of social benefit tapering policies, increases in minimum wages, and introduced private sector involvement in healthcare.

After three years Muscat claimed that he had presided over Malta's economic turnaround, and – amongst others – was instrumental for the introduction and strengthening of civil liberties,

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/malta-remains-role-model-in-eu-for-lgbt-inclusivity.684921

improvements in the health and energy sector, and the elimination of out-of-stock medicines,

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/60955/procurement_reform_resulted_in_26_weeks_without_outofstock_medicine#.YTEqM8nRadM

the reduction in energy tariffs,

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/37467/reduced_energy_tariffs_applicable_as_from_tomorrow#.YTEp-MnRadM

the introduction of free-childcare centres,

https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2019-10-30/local-news/6-402-children-in-free-childcare-scheme-between-January-and-September-6736215479

higher social benefits to parents and the youth employment guarantee.

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-03-02/myhome-pl/1-800-youths-benefited-from-Youth-Guarantee-scheme-helped-reduce-youth-unemployment-by-a-third-6736131475

Upon being elected to office, the Muscat administration found a worsening public deficit,

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/27768/eu-reopens-excessive-deficit-procedure-for-malta-20130621#.YTEtnsnRadM

a slowdown in the economy,

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/Malta-in-recession.423388

the country's main utility provider on the verge of bankruptcy and a slowing economy in Gozo.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/Minister-reveals-how-close-Enemalta-was-to-a-default.512772

The directional change resulted in economic growth of over 6%,

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/budget-2020/98033/joseph_muscat_hails_phenomenal_doubling_in_size_of_maltas_economy#.YTE0I8nRadM

in the lowest unemployment rate in the eurozone,

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/malta-has-lowest-unemployment-rate-in-the-eurozone.680501

the elimination of the public deficit

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/97235/watch_malta_to_get_third_consecutive_surplus_in_2019_scicluna_says#.YTE0nMnRadM

and a decrease in the public debt burden.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/malta-records-the-largest-surplus-and-highest-decrease-in-debt-in-the.699841

Poverty was reduced

https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2020-12-14/local-news/4-5-decrease-in-persons-at-risk-of-poverty-or-social-exclusion-from-2013-to-2019-6736229438

and pensions were increased for the first time in 25 years.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/budget-2020-pensions-increase-for-fifth-straight-year.742083

Muscat insisted that these results were delivered by his government as a team.

Among others, the Muscat administration's family friendly measures led to a 9% increase in female participation in the labour market,

https://www.maltachamber.org.mt/en/women-helped-boost-malta-s-workforce-by-nearly-10-in-just-five-years

substantial savings to first-time home buyers,

the value-added tax car registration refund,

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2016-01-26/local-news/3-336-people-have-received-the-full-vehicle-registration-tax-refund-so-far-Joe-Mizzi-6736152370

in-work benefits to low-income couples and single parents,

https://newsbook.com.mt/en/4572-parents-receive-in-work-benefits-in-2019/

stipends given to 900 students who repeated a year

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/over-5000-students-benefit-from-stipends-in-spite-of-repeating.701990

and the introduction of civil unions.

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-04-14/news/civil-unions-bill-passes-through-parliament-4628643840

In the area of good governance in 2013 the Whistleblower Act came into force,

https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-09-16/news/whistleblower-act-comes-into-force-2615771136/

in 2014 prescription on acts of political corruption was removed,

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/27186/mps-approve-bill-for-removal-of-prescription-on-corruption-20130530#.YTHxf50zZPY

Whilst in 2015 Parliament approved a new law regulating the funding of political parties.

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/55315/party_financing_bill_passes_into_law_both_parties_vote_in_favour#.YTHx_p0zZPY

In 2018 then the first Commissioner for Standards in Public Life was appointed.

https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2018-11-12/local-news/George-Hyzler-appointed-Commissioner-for-Standards-in-Public-Life-6736199235

Cabinet not only continued to meet on a regular basis at the Office of the Prime Minister in the Auberge de Castille but started also to convene in various localities around Malta and Gozo to give all Local Councils the opportunity to voice their ideas, proposals and concerns.

https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-07-09/local-news/PM%E2%80%99s-Cabinet-goes-walkabouts-in-Marsaxlokk-2025095169

At the same time, a series of public consultation meetings with the theme A Government that Listens were launched.

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-11-18/local-news/Government-launches-third-round-of-Gvern-li-jisma-public-consultation-meetings-first-one-tomorrow-6736125922

In 2014, 16-year-olds were given the right to start voting in Local Council elections

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/motion-in-parliament-to-lower-local-councils-voting-age-to-16.495566

while four years later in 2018, Malta became the second country in the European Union to lower the voting age in all elections from 18 to 16 years.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/16-year-olds-granted-the-vote-in-national-elections.672453

Post 2013 will also be remembered for the many measures taken by the Labor Government to put more money in people’s pockets. Income tax was reduced every year.

Thousands started to receive tax rebates,

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/muscat-gives-more-details-on-tax-refunds-promise.646944

while the first ever tax-free budgets were also presented.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/budget-2020-muscat-says-no-new-tax-hikes-and-an-eye-on-sustainability.741861

At the same time the Government’s policy on fuel led to price stability for consumers,

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-03-11/local-news/Government-policy-results-in-fuel-price-stability-and-cheaper-prices-6736132044

while thousands of members of corps established before 1979, former port workers and members of the police force received millions in compensation for grievances dating back more than 30 years.

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/95166/disciplined_corps_workers_who_suffered_1970s_injustice_to_receive_compensation#.YTH_qZ0zZPY

Tourist arrivals reached record levels, with 2019 seeing 2.8 million tourists visiting Malta.

https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2020-02-05/local-news/Over-140-000-inbound-visitors-to-Malta-registered-in-December-6736219300

Positive economic trends were also reflected in Gozo, which experienced the largest economic growth in history. For two consecutive years, economic growth in Gozo was greater than in Malta. The number of Gozitans working in Gozo increased by more than 3,000 and the majority of new jobs in Gozo were in the private sector.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/The-Gozitan-economy-is-booming.640734

The increase in employment opportunities led to the creation of a new middle class. The number of homeowner families increased by 30,000 while household deposits with local banks increased by €5 billion.

https://maltawinds.com/2020/10/13/the-number-of-homeowners-continues-to-increase/#:~:text=This%20emerges%20from%20statistics%20released,those%20who%20live%20in%20them.

In the environmental field, a new gas-fired power station was inaugurated in Delimara in 2017, while the old heavy fuel oil plant was shut down.

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2017-04-24/local-news/Last-Heavy-Fuel-Oil-turbine-switched-off-Delimara-running-entirely-on-natural-gas-6736173456

In 2018, the process of dismantling the Marsa power station, which for years was a major source of air pollution in the south of Malta, was complete.

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/87069/watch_demolition_of_marsa_power_station_complete_#.YTIUmp0zZPY

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the area were reduced by up to 761,000 tonnes a year.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/enemalta-reports-air-quality-improvement-after-marsa-power-station.609586

The chimney of the old Delimara power station, a symbol of the use of heavy fuel oil under successive Nationalist governments, was also demolished.

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2018-09-10/local-news/Demolition-of-old-50-storey-Delimara-power-station-chimney-to-be-completed-today-6736196149

In 2018 amendments to the IVF law were introduced giving prospective parents a better chances of having a child.

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/87681/watch_ivf_bill_to_be_passed_tonight_as_prolife_groups_demonstrate_outside_parliament#.YTM5gZ0zZPY

In 2019 an agreement was signed between the National and Social Development Fund and the Housing Authority, for a € 50 million project for the construction of more than 500 social housing apartments in twelve localities.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/50-million-from-passports-fund-to-be-used-for-500-social-housing-units.701275

New schools were built and maintenance work carried out on many others,

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2019-02-20/education/6-million-Marsascala-primary-school-inaugurated-6736203946

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/new-school-in-kirkop.576358

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/comment/blogs/70911/47_million_on_new_schools#.YTT6PJ0zZPY

free tablets were given to students,

https://education.gov.mt/en/resources/News/Pages/News%20items/Tablets-being-distributed-in-Pilot-Project-with-Primary-Schools-.aspx

healthy breakfast clubs for children in primary schools before school time were launched and

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/43042/primary_schools_to_offer_breakfast_club_during_coming_school_year#.YTT7Lp0zZPY

fees for the SEC and MATSEC exams were removed.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/exam-fees-to-be-phased-out-postgrad-students-to-get-tax-breaks.660015

Waiting time for operations decreased,

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/lifestyle/health/82336/mater_dei_hospital_makes_22_gain_on_elective_operations_waitingtimes#.YTN4bp0zZPY

Medicines provided for free by hospitals and pharmacies increased considerably,

https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2019-09-24/local-news/Prostate-patients-to-benefit-from-four-newly-introduced-free-medicines-6736213909

https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2020-05-25/local-news/New-breast-cancer-medicine-added-to-government-free-medicine-list-6736223506

New wards were built at Mater Dei Hospital,

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/two-new-wards-to-open.588577

Massive investment in new medical equipment was done,

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/lifestyle/health/98515/watch_new_robot_at_mater_dei_set_to_assist_surgeons_in_operations#.YTN3Cp0zZPY

https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2019-12-15/local-news/1-5-million-investment-in-medicine-carrying-pneumatic-tubes-at-Mater-Dei-6736217489

New community health centers and facilities were inaugurated,

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/new-1-million-kirkop-health-centre-inaugurated.689129

https://gozo.news/71501/new-district-health-centre-inaugurated-in-xewkija/

A €40 million project for a new "health hub" in Paola, which would act as a regional medical centre, was initiated

https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2019-04-22/local-news/Government-investing-25-million-in-new-health-hub-in-Paola-6736207046

Government began covering the travel expenses for both parents, instead of one, when children are sent abroad for treatment.

https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/54564/more_parents_accompany_children_receiving_treatment_abroad_#.YTN4250zZPY

Muscat admitted that his first administration had its challenges, namely the environment and good governance.

The end of 2015 will be remembered for two very high-level international meetings held in Malta. The Valletta Summit began in Malta on 11 November and brought together the Heads of Governments of the European Union and of a substantial number of African countries who discussed how to strengthen cooperation in the field of migration.

https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/international-summit/2015/11/11-12/

Then between the 27th and the 29th of November, the fifty-three leaders of the Commonwealth countries met in Malta, with the meeting being opened by Queen Elizabeth. Following this meeting, Malta was the chair in office of the Commonwealth for two and a half years.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34941182

The valuable work done by the Maltese government was recognized by the British Prime Minister Theresa May at the Commonwealth leaders meeting held in London in 2018.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21V0LaMULDg

Over 4,000 delegates attended each summit, excluding 2,000 journalists who covered the events.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/over-4000-people-several-heads-of-government-heading-to-malta-for.590364

Panama Papers

In 2016, two of Muscat's close collaborators were implicated in the Panama Papers, holding two companies in that jurisdiction. These were Konrad Mizzi, a minister, and Keith Schembri, the Prime Minister's chief of staff. In 2017 journalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia alleged that Muscat's wife held a third company in Panama named Egrant. Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil made his own allegations of significant money transfers into Egrant. Muscat and his wife Michelle denied the claims and Muscat requested an independent magisterial inquiry, calling the allegations the 'biggest political lie in Malta's political history'. Muscat insisted that truth was on his side, and that he wanted to protect Malta from uncertainty, and called a general election. Corruption became the battlecry for the Nationalist Party in the general election campaign. Holding a snap election in the last months of Malta's rotating presidency of the EU Council was looked at with scepticism in Brussels.

The magisterial inquiry led by Magistrate Aaron Bugeja interviewed 477 witnesses. International forensic experts sifted through thousands of documents and digital records from multiple sources. The inquiry required the collaboration of five nations (including Panama and Germany) and spanned over 15 months. The results of the inquiry were made public on 22 July 2018 (though the final report of the inquiry was never released for public scrutiny). The inquiry found falsified signatures, differing testimonies and no proof that the Prime Minister, his wife, or their family had a connection with the company. The inquiry found no evidence linking the Prime Minister and his wife to the Panama company. Muscat defined the Egrant allegations as an "undisputed and elaborate" attempt at a political frame up.

General election 2017

The Labour Party ran a campaign focused on the administration's successes and achievements over the previous four years. Muscat stressed the record economic growth and employment levels, and the turnaround in the country's finances from deficit to surplus. The Labour campaign highlighted the fulfilled pledges, dealing with tax reductions, social benefits and childcare, as well as higher student stipends. Labour's fight on poverty and increase in pensions also featured prominently. Muscat's pledges for the next five years were aimed at the better distribution of the country's wealth, giving workers back public holidays that fall during a weekend, an ambitious seven-year plan to resurface all of Malta's roads and a tax bonus for every worker earning up to 60,000 euro.

The Labour Party, with Muscat at its helm, won the 2017 General Election and was returned to power with a wider majority.

Second term as prime minister

Muscat's first commitment upon being elected was the introduction of a gay marriage law before Parliament's summer recess. Same-sex marriage was legalised by mid-July 2017, after a vote which tested the Nationalist Party's conservative MPs.

In July, Muscat closed Malta's presidency of the EU Council, describing the country's achievements and the sense of positivity the EU Presidency brought to Malta. The Presidency itself got mixed reviews in Brussels.

2019 political crisis and resignation

Main article: 2019 Malta political crisis

In October 2017, investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia died in a car bomb attack. Muscat promised to "leave no stone unturned" in the subsequent investigation. The opposition blamed Muscat for what they deemed a "political murder" and for the collapse of the rule of law in the country. In the following two years, Muscat spoke very sparingly of the Caruana Galizia case and of the periodic protests that took place in Valletta. Government employees were tasked with clearing a makeshift memorial to Caruana Galizia at the Great Siege Monument in Valletta on a regular basis.

Muscat faced accusations of failing to take action against two close aides: Keith Schembri, his chief of staff, and Konrad Mizzi, tourism and formerly energy minister, whose business and underworld links had been subject to judiciary and administrative investigations.

Around the 2019 European elections, Muscat was touted for an EU job, possibly as successor to Donald Tusk as head of the European Council. His bid failed. While he had been a frontrunner to succeed Tusk back in 2017, in 2019 his image was tainted by the Caruana Galizia murder and the multiple reports of European institutions warning about the erosion of the rule of law in Malta.

In late November 2019, Muscat's premiership was rocked by the arrest of prominent businessman Yorgen Fenech and the implication of Muscat's chief of staff Keith Schembri. On 25 November 2019, after protestors had called for him to resign, Muscat autonomously decided to grant presidential pardon to Melvin Theuma, considered the middleman between the executors of Caruana Galizia's murder, and the masterminds. On 29 November, after a six-hours cabinet meeting, Muscat denied the same presidential pardon to Yorgen Fenech. The same day Muscat informed the President of Malta George Vella that he would soon be resigning his duties as prime minister.

On 1 December he announced that he would step down from his position as prime minister, after a PL leadership contest. Both Malta's main newspapers, The Times of Malta and Malta Today, as well as international media such as The Guardian called on Muscat to make his resignation immediate. The European Parliament also called for Muscat to immediately quit over the Caruana Galizia murder. National protests were held calling for his immediate resignation, rather than stepping down in January 2020. The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project named Muscat "Man of the Year in Organized Crime and Corruption" for 2019 for the increases in criminality and lack of prosecutions during his term.

In December 2019 Muscat had a strictly private meeting with Pope Francis. While in Rome, he did not meet with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

Muscat gave his final speech as Prime Minister on 10 January 2020. Following Robert Abela's victory over Chris Fearne in the Labour Party internal competition, Muscat resigned as prime minister.

Following activities

In late 2019 / early 2020, Muscat went on a number of oversea trips, including a New Year's Day trip to London and a 70-hour trip to Dubai with his family on 27–30 December, out of which 15 hours were spent in transit, to attend the Ritossa Family office Investment Summit. The tickets were purchased in Jordan. Despite Muscat's initial statement that he had paid for the trip out of his own pocket, Malta's Standards Commissioner George Hyzler confirmed that the first-class flights (for a total of €21,000) were paid by a third party, which he decided not to name, upon Muscat's request, as the visit was of a private nature.

In September 2020, financial crime blogger Kenneth Rijock alleged that Muscat aimed to move to Dubai and take up a post as CEO of a Maltese-owned Dubai catering company which had just been awarded a lucrative public tender in Malta. Rijock claimed Muscat could be among the targets of an FBI special money laundering investigation focusing on Malta, and as there is no extradition treaty between the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Muscat denied plans to move to Dubai.

In August 2020, Muscat was interrogated by police on the case of the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, following remarks by suspect Yorgen Fenech. Muscat was not under investigation. Muscat's former chief of staff Keith Schembri was arrested in September 2020 for money-laundering and corruption linked to the sale of Maltese citizenship.

In October 2020, Muscat resigned as Member of the Maltese Parliament with a 90-second speech.

In December 2020, Joseph Muscat testified for the public inquiry on Caruana Galizia's murder; he confirmed close contacts and "friendship" with Yorgen Fenech, while denying having any indication on the murder plot. In July 2021 the inquiry conclusions affirmed that Muscat's cabinet was "collectively responsible" for Caruana Galizia's death, having failed to grant her protection and having contributed in spreading a "culture of impunity" that ultimately facilitated the assassination. Muscat has accepted the results of the inquiry, despite expressing "serious reservations" on its conclusions.

Wealth

Since 2014, Muscat has declared an unchanging bank balance of €75,000. Since 2015, he has stopped declaring his actual salary, simply stating "salary prime minister" on his yearly asset declaration, which shows lower income than a number of cabinet ministers. In 2018, according to his spokesperson, his salary amounted to €55,978 plus €6,769 in allowances.

Honours

National honours

Malta: Companion of Honour of the National Order of Merit (2013) by right as a Prime Minister of Malta

Foreign honours

United Kingdom: Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (2015)
Greece: Grand Cross of the Order of Honour
Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Grand Cross – Special Class – of the Order pro Merito Melitensi
Germany: Great Cross of Merit – Grand Cross
Ukraine: Order of the Prince Yaroslav the Wise – II class
Italy: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (10 January 2018)

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External links

Personal profile of Joseph Muscat in the European Parliament's database of members

Party political offices
Preceded byAlfred Sant	Leader of the Labour Party 2008–2020	Succeeded byRobert Abela
Political offices
Preceded byAlfred Sant	Leader of the Opposition 2008–2013	Succeeded byLawrence Gonzi
Preceded byLawrence Gonzi	Prime Minister of Malta 2013–2020	Succeeded byRobert Abela
Diplomatic posts
Preceded byMaithripala Sirisena	Chairperson of the Commonwealth of Nations 2015–2018	Succeeded byTheresa May

v t e Prime ministers of Malta
Before Abolishment of 1933-1947	Joseph Howard Francesco Buhagiar Ugo Pasquale Mifsud Gerald Strickland Ugo Pasquale Mifsud
After Abolishment of 1933-1947	Paul Boffa Enrico Mizzi George Borg Olivier Dom Mintoff
After Abolishment of 1958-1962	George Borg Olivier
State of Malta	George Borg Olivier Dom Mintoff
Republic of Malta	Dom Mintoff Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici Eddie Fenech Adami Alfred Sant Eddie Fenech Adami Lawrence Gonzi Joseph Muscat Robert Abela

v t e Chairs-in-Office of the Commonwealth of Nations
Mbeki Howard Obasanjo Gonzi Museveni Manning/Persad-Bissessar Gillard/Rudd/Abbott Rajapaksa/Sirisena Muscat May/Johnson Kagame Fiamē

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