One of the youngest candidates on the Nationalist Party ticket, Francine Farrugia tells Adriana Bishop about her “modern ideas” for Malta with more green areas for better work-life balance and a holistic education preparing youths to be tomorrow’s leaders.

She may be “just” 27 years old and on her first foray in general elections but Francine Farrugia has already got over a decade of experience in politics. 

Currently serving as a councillor in her beloved hometown of Siġġiewi, Farrugia was only 16 years old when she joined the Youth Local Council where she also served as the Youth Mayor. As a teenager she presented a set of proposals in the Youth Parliament which have now been implemented, like extending the right to vote to 16-year-olds and introducing electronic tablets in schools. 

“My involvement in these voluntary organisations made it clearer to me where I wanted to be - in politics, delivering for everyone,” says Francine over Zoom as she sat down for a breather in the midst of this whirlwind campaign. “I was a shy person, but politics brought out the best of me."

The eldest of three sisters, Farrugia is the only one in the family who is actively involved in politics.

“My father used to be a canvasser but now he and my relatives support me through this campaign. After I lost my mother six years ago I realised how much I enjoyed being in politics and I wanted to get back into it.” 

I want to make a difference. I want to help those who have no voice but not in the traditional way of giving favours- Francine Farrugia

Farrugia likes the old-school “traditional” face-to-face contact with people. She makes it a point to send handwritten birthday cards to her constituents in the fifth and sixth district. “One man rang me recently. He was in tears as he told me he lived alone and nobody had remembered his birthday and mine was the only card he had received. That was truly touching.” 

A neat vote-grabbing tactic, the cynics might say, but for Farrugia these personal interactions matter. “I want to make a difference. I want to help those who have no voice but not in the traditional way of giving favours. I believe people should not beg for what is their right to have. I hope to see a Malta where people do not have to beg for money or food or base their life on donations in order to survive.” 

“Work - life balance is key. Family, work and hobbies are the three cornerstones of the pyramid and if one fails, the other two sides will collapse too. People should be able to have a decent lifestyle and not depend on government for benefits, rather they should rely on themselves to upgrade their lifestyle.”

An MBA and ACCA Diploma graduate, Farrugia is currently working on a Professional Doctoral Research thesis about work - life balance within SMEs and how it affects employees’ health and well-being.

“After the pandemic I noticed many people were looking for open spaces for their well-being,” she says making the case for more open green spaces and a cleaner environment. 

She continued that education should not be about “reading from a book and studying for exams” but students should be engaged in research and more critical thinking. 

She also called for people to become more involved in voluntary organisations adding that volunteering should be recognised as an important aspect of our civic sense of duty. She expressed her concern that students were not being adequately prepared to be tomorrow’s leaders. 

“The way we teach has to change. I want society to be more alive and have a mind to think. We need to cultivate youths now as they will be the adults of tomorrow."

Modern ideas, as she calls them, and new ways of teaching should not mean forgetting our heritage. “We should not lose what has made us who we are today. I want young people to know their history. Do we know what represents us?”

“Most of those who were involved in the youth local council are now involved in politics. I want to bring that back. Youths see politics as boring, synonymous with corruption and favours. Why are politicians associated with a mafia state when I am involved in politics to deliver something better? It is worrying when 80 per cent say they want to leave Malta,” she says.

Maltese politics remains a divisive issue. Farrugia confessed that her best friends who have different political beliefs have stopped posting any photos with her on social media but remain privately supportive of her. 

“They support me but they do not want to be seen to be associated with any party because it might affect their job or their family.” She has also been the victim of trolling, both online and in the street with offensive notes left on her car. “Why do they do that? I hate it,” she remarks.

As a female candidate she also commented on the Bill guaranteeing gender parity in parliament pointing out that she prefers to be elected on merit not on her gender. 

“When I was elected as a local councillor three years ago on my first try I did not need any gender quota to get elected. I don’t think people respect me because of the quota but because I am working for it,” she says.