Malta seeks to restore trust in EU

Winning back citizens’ belief that the EU can work for them is going to be a main aim of the Maltese presidency of the EU, an official has announced.

Malta is due to host the rotating presidency of the EU from January to June 2017. This will be a time of “unprecedented challenges” for the EU, as the refugee and migration crisis, terrorism and the withdrawal of the UK are resulting in the “re-emergence of extreme nationalism, protectionism, xenophobia and geopolitical tensions”, said Ian Borg, the Maltese parliamentary secretary for the EU presidency, at an event in Brussels on 16 November.

“At times, the union failed to convince citizens that it is truly representing their interests,” Borg said. “We need to address concretely the uncertainty, fear and inequality felt by ordinary citizens. Currently, a significant number of citizens feel that national responses to issues of the economy, security and migration are far more effective than European ones.”