Joseph Muscat
Encyclopedia
Joseph Muscat is a Maltese
politician who has been leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives of Malta
since 2008.
, 1995), Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Public Policy (University of Malta, 1996), Master of Arts in European Studies (University of Malta, 1997) and Ph.D in Management Research (University of Bristol
, 2007).
). He later took on a similar role at Super One TV.http://www.one.com.mt, becoming the station's assistant head of news in 1996. He was also editor of Party's online newspaper, maltastar.com http://www.maltastar.com/ between 2001 and 2004.
(Forum Żgħażagħ Laburisti) where he served as Financial Secretary (1994–97) and Acting Chairperson (1997). 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 the Labour government of 1996-98 he was a member of the National Commission for Fiscal Morality (1997–98). Between 1998 and 2003, Joseph Muscat campaigned actively against Malta's membership in the European Union.
In 2003 he 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 ('The Labour Party and the European Union
for the benefit of the Maltese') which was adopted by the Labour Party Extraordinary General Conference in November of that year. At this General Conference Muscat was approved as a candidate for the election to the European Parliament
.
in the 2004 European Parliament election
being the Labour Party receiving the most first-preferences. 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.
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
after being elected Leader of the Labour Party. Before his resignation his report proposing new regulations for the EU’s financial services sector was adopted by the European Parliament
.
, who 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. Muscat was elected as the new party leader on June 6, 2008.
He was co-opted in the Maltese Parliament on 1 October 2008 to fill the seat vacated by Joseph Cuschieri
.
, the first with Muscat as Party Leader, Labour Party candidates obtained 55% of first-preferences against the 40% obtained by candidates of the Nationalist Party
.
Maltese people
The Maltese are an ethnic group indigenous to the Southern European nation of Malta, and identified with the Maltese language. Malta is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea...
politician who has been leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives of Malta
House of Representatives of Malta
The House of Representatives is the unicameral legislature of Malta and a component of the Parliament of Malta.The House is composed of an odd number of members elected for a five year term...
since 2008.
Education
Muscat graduated Bachelor of Commerce in Management and Public Policy from the (University of MaltaUniversity of Malta
The University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta Europe and is one of the most respected universities in Europe. The University offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, postgraduate Master's Degrees and postgraduate Doctorates .-History:The University of Malta was founded in...
, 1995), Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Public Policy (University of Malta, 1996), Master of Arts in European Studies (University of Malta, 1997) and Ph.D in Management Research (University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
, 2007).
Journalism
Muscat worked as a journalist with the Party's radio station, Super One Radio (today One RadioOne Radio
One Radio is a radio station in Malta owned by the Labour Party. Broadcasts commenced in August 1991...
). He later took on a similar role at Super One TV.http://www.one.com.mt, becoming the station's assistant head of news in 1996. He was also editor of Party's online newspaper, maltastar.com http://www.maltastar.com/ between 2001 and 2004.
Politics
Muscat was as a member of the youth section of the Labour Party, the Labour Youth ForumLabour Youth Forum (Malta)
Labour Youth Forum is the youth organisation of the Maltese social democratic party Partit Laburista.It encourages the participation of youths in politics, and ensures the voice of the younger generations in the Labour Party's policies. Former recent activists of FZL include the Leader of the...
(Forum Żgħażagħ Laburisti) where he served as Financial Secretary (1994–97) and Acting Chairperson (1997). 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 the Labour government of 1996-98 he was a member of the National Commission for Fiscal Morality (1997–98). Between 1998 and 2003, Joseph Muscat campaigned actively against Malta's membership in the European Union.
In 2003 he was nominated to a working group led by George Vella and Evarist Bartolo
Evarist Bartolo
Evarist Bartolo is a Maltese politician within the Malta Labour Party. Bartolo was born on 14 October 1952 in Mellieha. He has been a member of the Maltese Parliament since 1992...
on the Labour Party's policies on the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. This working group produced the document Il-Partit Laburista u l-Unjoni Ewropea: Għall-Ġid tal-Maltin u l-Għawdxin ('The Labour Party and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
for the benefit of the Maltese') which was adopted by the Labour Party Extraordinary General Conference in November of that year. At this General Conference Muscat was approved as a candidate for the election to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
.
European Parliament
Muscat was elected to the European ParliamentEuropean Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in the 2004 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2004 (Malta)
The European Parliament election of 2004 in Malta was the election of MEP representing Malta constituency for the 2004–2009 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 2004 European election. The vote took place on June 13 and used Single Transferable Vote...
being the Labour Party receiving the most first-preferences. Sitting as a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
with the Party of European Socialists
Party of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
, he held the post of Vice-President of the Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs is a committee of the European Parliament.Since Economic and Monetary Union , the most important function of this Committee has been in relation to the European Central Bank . Although guaranteed independence under the Treaty, the ECB is accountable...
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
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and with the countries of south-east Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He was also a member of the EU-Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, EU-Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
and EU-Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
Parliamentary Cooperation Committees.
As an MEP he supported a reduction in the tax for Satellite television
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
, the right for customers to watch sport events for free and a number of issues related to environmental protection
Environmental protection
Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently...
in Malta. He formed part of a team responsible for a report on the roaming mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
bills and sale of banks.
Muscat resigned his seat in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in 2008 to take up a seat in the Maltese Parliament
House of Representatives of Malta
The House of Representatives is the unicameral legislature of Malta and a component of the Parliament of Malta.The House is composed of an odd number of members elected for a five year term...
and the role of Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Malta)
The Leader of the Opposition of Malta is by convention the leader of the most powerful party in the House of Representatives not in government. The Leader of the Opposition is appointed by the President of Malta, with the President making his or her decision based on the situation within the...
after being elected Leader of the Labour Party. Before his resignation his report proposing new regulations for the EU’s financial services sector was adopted by the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
.
2008 Leader of Labour Party campaign
On March 24, 2008 Muscat announced his candidacy for Leader of Labour Party, to replace Alfred SantAlfred Sant
Alfred Sant is a Maltese politician. He led the Labour Party from 1992 to 2008 and served as Prime Minister of Malta between 1996 and 1998 and as Leader of the Opposition from 1992 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2008....
, who resigned after a third consecutive defeat for the Party in the March 2008 general election
Maltese general election, 2008
The latest Maltese general election for the renewal of the House of Representatives of Malta was held on March 8, 2008. The incumbent ruling party the Christian democratic Nationalist Party, led by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, narrowly won over the social democratic Malta Labour Party led by...
and a heavy defeat in the EU referendum in March 2003. Muscat was elected as the new party leader on June 6, 2008.
He was co-opted in the Maltese Parliament on 1 October 2008 to fill the seat vacated by Joseph Cuschieri
Joseph Cuschieri
Joseph Cuschieri is a Maltese politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2009. Previously he served in the House of Representatives of Malta from 1998 to 2008. He was born in a working class family and joined the Labour Party at a very early age.- Background :Cuschieri was...
.
2009 Maltese European Parliament Elections
In the 2009 Maltese European Parliament ElectionsEuropean Parliament election, 2009 (Malta)
The European Parliament election of 2009 in Malta was the election of the delegation from Malta to the European Parliament in 2009. The elections were held on June 6 on the same day as the Maltese local council elections, 2009....
, the first with Muscat as Party Leader, Labour Party candidates obtained 55% of first-preferences against the 40% obtained by candidates of the Nationalist Party
Nationalist Party (Malta)
The Nationalist Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in Malta, along with the Labour Party. It was founded by Fortunato Mizzi in 1880 as the Anti-Reform Party, opposing taxation decreed by the British colonial authorities and measures to Anglicise the educational and the...
.