Labour MP and former Gozo minister Anton Refalo believes Gozo should have more autonomy and be given a “special regional status” in the constitution.
Refalo, now agriculture minister, was speaking after PN MP Chris Said proposed that the powers of the Gozo ministry should be devolved to an elected council that enjoys executive powers.
“The council would be the decision-maker on things that directly impact Gozo,” Said told Times of Malta.
While Refalo entertained introducing more devolution for Gozo, the Labour Party’s central administration dismissed Said’s proposals.
In a statement, the PL noted Said’s proposal would reduce the Gozo minister to a “mere formality” and also lead to the council of Gozitan mayors being abolished.
“Said’s proposal would result in confusion and huge bureaucracy to the detriment of Gozo and Gozitans,” Labour said.
Refalo, however, believes Gozo could follow the model of islands like the Azores and Madeira, which have a regional government even though they are part of Portugal.
Those islands, considered as part of the ‘Outermost Regions’ of the EU, also benefit from fiscal and other measures from the EU, said Refalo, who was first elected to parliament in 1987.
“In the past, great mistakes and failures have been made with regard to the special status of Gozo in the EU. There was no recognition of a special status in the treaty of adhesion to the EU in 2004,” he said.
Later efforts to introduce regional status for Gozo were futile, said Refalo, who served as Gozo minister between 2013 and 2017.
He said that Roberta Metsola’s presidency of the EU parliament and lobbying by Maltese MEPs could help bring EU recognition of Gozo as a special region with the benefits that come with it.
The Gozitan MP said the government should also entrench Gozo’s status in the constitution.
He said regionality is already mentioned in the constitution when it says Gozo and Comino are to be considered as the 13th electoral district, irrespective of population size in the district.
The Gozitan MP said he had already put forward much of what Said is proposing 28 years ago when he drafted and pushed forward a White Paper on regionality.
The government’s plans back then were to introduce a Gozo Regional Council with executive powers over affairs affecting Gozo, Refalo said.
“Admittedly, this white paper was not one hundred per cent perfect, but it was the beginning of something good, letting in a lot of fresh air to the true concept of Gozo regionality,” he said.
Replying to questions, former prime minister Alfred Sant explained the scope of the white paper.
He said the “semi-autonomous” regional council would have been chaired by the prime minister and included representatives from all sectors of Gozitan life elected by those same sectors.
“It would have operated under a regional development plan for Gozo, with the responsibility to make it happen under the executive direction of the parliamentary secretary from Gozo but based as well at Castille.”
As it stands, the Gozo minister has near feudal powers- Gozitan environmental activist Daniel Cilia
Sant said white papers on the regional council and the proposed development plans were published, and by the spring of 1998, the cabinet was approving both the council legislation and the draft development plan. Legislation to set up the council was, in fact, ready for publication.
But the political crisis of 1998, which led to an early election and PN victory, killed the plan, the former prime minister and long-time PL leader said.
“The PN administration scrapped the whole project,” Sant said.
Labour sounds warning, Gozo businesses in favour
The Labour Party insisted that Said’s proposals would deprive Gozitans of having a fully functional ministry that sees to their challenges and aspirations, as did all Gozo ministries for the past 40 years.
The PL said Said’s proposal helped explain why the “extremist faction within the PN” targeted the current Gozo minister, Clint Camilleri.
“They don’t want Gozitans to have their own ministry,” Labour said.
Meanwhile, Gozitan business lobbies were in favour of giving more political autonomy to Gozo.
“Gozo needs more control of its future. Doing so can help bring about a diversified business model that is not as reliant on tourism and construction,” said Michael Galea, president of the Gozo Business Chamber.
“It’s important that the Gozitans make certain strategic decisions for Gozo, not people who know hardly anything about the island,” he said.
However, a council governing Gozo should work for the interests of Gozo and not turned into a political football, he said.
“More autonomy is the next step for Gozo. That would build on the decision to create the Gozo Regional Development Authority,” he said.
The GRDA is a consultative body that addresses the socio-economic development of Gozo by developing and streamlining regional policies.
Joe Muscat, of the Gozo Tourism Association, also said he supports more autonomy for Gozo.
“Gozitan stakeholders should decide on the touristic product we offer,” he said.
He said Gozo should be offering a different experience for tourists than Malta. While government policy outlines a different vision for Gozo, “having more autonomy would ensure that it is implemented”.
Gozitan environmental activist Daniel Cilia also backed an elected body with devolved powers.
“As it stands, the Gozo minister has near feudal powers. Bringing in an executive council would mean more checks and balances to the way things are done,” he said.