Mario de Marco will not contest election - stresses integrity in Valletta speech
De Marco referred to criticism of Labour candidate and Muslim social worker Omar Rababah and said racism should have no place in Malta
Mario de Marco will not contest the upcoming general election, ending a 23-year political career.
The Nationalist Party MP did not submit his nomination but addresses a PN event in Valletta. All prospective candidates had to submit their nominations by 7 pm on Monday.
PN leader Alex Borg embraced de Marco at the start of the event, telling the crowd that he had: “worked so hard not only for this district, but also nationally. He worked for democracy and also worked to ensure Malta became part of the European Union.” He thanked him for his service and said he looked forward to having him by his side so that they could both invest in the future of the country.
De Marco said he had decided to make way for other candidates, and the PN had an excellent line-up. “I want to give space to new people in the party, people with more energy than me, that is what this district deserves. No one is indispensable, not politicians, and especially not me, he said."
”He stressed that integrity and respect were key to politics. People without integrity should not approach politics, he said. And political opponents should respect each other, attacking the argument, not the individuals. In this context he referred to criticism of Labour candidate and Muslim social worker Omar Rababah and said racism should have no place in Malta. "Racism should not be tolerated wherever it came from," he said.
De Marco also referred to the disenchantment of politics by young people. Politics, he stressed, was something good, the best way to change the country. And political parties were the instrument to bring about change. One therefore needed to see why people were disenchanted with politicians and all should seek the high standards which young people wanted.
This, de Marco said, was not his end or even the end of the beginning, but a process, an evolution, and he would start a new chapter where he would use his experience to continue to serve. In the coming weeks he would continue to work enthusiastically as if he were a candidate, to see the PN regain the people's confidence, which was what the people deserved. "I will always be with you," de Marco said to applause. He thanked all those who had helped him in his political path, singling out Lawrence Gonzi, who entrusted him with Cabinet posts.
His decision marks the end of a political dynasty that he continued from his father, former President and Minister Guido de Marco.
First elected to parliament in 2003, Mario de Marco served his first term as a backbench MP in a PN government.
Following the 2008 general election, he was appointed parliamentary secretary for tourism. In 2012, he was promoted to minister responsible for the Environment, Tourism and Culture.
In March 2013, he was re-elected to parliament and became the party's deputy leader.
Health issues forced him out of the political limelight for some time. In a 2017 interview with Times of Malta editor Herman Grech, he spoke openly about those challenges and the impact they had on his career.
De Marco was re-elected in 2022 but left out of the PN's shadow cabinet by party leader Bernard Grech, having previously clashed with Grech's predecessor Adrian Delia.
In 2023, Grech brought de Marco back into the PN's shadow cabinet, appointing him the party's spokesperson for tourism - a role he retained when new party leader Alex Borg unveiled his new team of spokespeople.
A lawyer by profession, de Marco also lectures in commercial law.
He serves as a board member on the Strickland Foundation, which owns Times of Malta publisher Allied Newspapers.
The 60-year-old's decision to bow out of politics adds to the growing list of veteran MPs who have said they will not contest the upcoming general election.
Former minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici has also announced he will not be contesting in the upcoming general election, ending his family's three-generation presence in Maltese politics, as has former minister Chris Said.
Labour will also be bidding farewell to various former ministers, including Edward Zammit Lewis and Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi.