[ANALYSIS] A cabinet for all seasons?

Joseph Muscat's 23-member executive - composed of himself, 14 Ministers and eight parliamentary secretaries - is the largest in Maltese history.

Moreover, Muscat's cabinet is even larger than Fenech Adami's 18-strong post-1987 one, which included 10 ministers and eight parliamentary secretaries; and also Alfred Sant's 19-strong cabinet in the two-year interlude between 1996 and 1998.

It represents a clear departure from  Gonzi's decision in 2008 to govern with a select group of ministers, in a way which alienated backbenchers. But the government's success depends on Muscat's ability to manage a larger team where personality clashes are bound to occur. 

He also faces a reduced number of backbenchers whose disappointment could be even greater for being left out of a larger cabinet. The ranks of the excluded include popular MPs like Silvio Parnis and Anthony Agius Decelis, who may not possess the qualities to serve in a cabinet.

By appointing a greater number of ministers and parliamentary secretaries, Muscat could afford to address new challenges like climate change, active ageing, water conservation and civil liberties. 

But his choices also betray a lack of attention to the separation of powers, evidenced in the reunion of justice with home affairs, and his decision to put regulators like the Resources Authority in the Ministry responsible for operators like Enemalta.

Planning and lands in PM's hands

Land use and planning seem to be high on the list of the Prime Minister's priorities. Apart from taking public administration and the coordination of planning, policy and priorities, Muscat's portfolio includes the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, the Land Registry and the Joint Office.

Government lands previously fell under Jason Azzopardi's Ministry for Fair Competition and small businesses.

After the 2008 election, Lawrence Gonzi had also taken upon himself the MEPA burden following his commitment to redress environmental deficit. This time round, Muscat will be presiding over the second consecutive reform of the planning sector, based on Labour's electoral commitment to separate the environmental and planning arms of MEPA.  

Interestingly, like Gonzi before him who had appointed Mario de Marco as the parliamentary secretary responsible for MEPA, a parliamentary secretary will assist Muscat. Michael Farrugia - a health minister in Alfred Sant's cabinet - will be responsible for both planning and simplification of the administrative process. 

The link between planning and simplification indicates that Muscat's priority in MEPA reform is that of reducing bureaucracy.  But it remains to be seen whether this can be achieved without weakening environmental regulations. This will depend on the appointments made on the new Authority's board. A sign will also be given if persons of integrity like Giovanni Bonello, appointed by the previous administration, are kept on the board.

Between the operator and the regulator

Muscat has defied conventional wisdom by putting the regulator (the Malta Resources Authority) in the same ministry of the operator (the Water Services Corporation) and Enemalta.

Keeping regulatory authorities such as the MRA separate from operators such as Enemalta is considered good practice as it minimises risk of interference in its decision-making. 

But judging from previous experience, MRA was still ineffective in regulating operators like Enemalta and the water sector, despite being put in a separate ministry.

Much now depends on the quality of people appointed on boards of these authorities.

As hydrologist Marco Cremona observed the MRA's new home within the Energy Ministry might well help it communicate better with operators, but "unless the MRA is strengthened and made independent, it might as well pack its things up and shut down - though that won't happen because having a regulator is an EU requirement".

In a sign of things to come Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi's first strategic move is to shift the energy policy team, previously based in the Malta Resources Authority, to the Ministry for Energy and Water Conservation.

Symbolically Mizzi will be setting up office in Delimara, next to the same power station described as a "cancer factory" by Joseph Muscat during the electoral campaign.

The inclusion of water conservation in Mizzi's portfolio is a recognition of the importance of water policy in the new government's agenda. 

But water issues risk being sidelined as the new Energy Minister will be fully focused on the PL's tight schedule to deliver its promised reduction in electricity and water rates. 

The government's action on this front could also be hampered by pre electoral commitment to guarantee a free water supply to farmers.

George Pullicino's inheritance

As the minister responsible for sustainable development, the environment and climate change, Leo Brincat will inherit most of George Pullicino's portfolio, with the notable absence of the Resources Authority and the addition of climate change. 

Brincat, who stood out in the opposition as one of the most prepared MPs in his unrelenting scrutiny of government, especially with regards to waste management, now finds himself occupying the hot seat.

As the minister responsible for waste management he is expected to take difficult decisions to ensure that Malta meets the recycling targets envisaged in EU directives, which eluded his predecessor.

The difficult decision on whether Malta should have an incinerator or not also falls squarely on Brincat.  Malta's waste management plan had controversially proposed an incinerator at Delimara, but no final decision had been taken.

Although Malta's contribution to climate change at a global level is minimal, by creating a portfolio for climate change Muscat is showing foresight in putting climate change to the fore. 

This is because as a small island,  Malta will be directly impacted by climate change, not just through the physical impact of rising waters but also economically. Brincat would be expected to consider concrete proposals already made by the climate change committee in the past fwq years. Still, Brincat would not be in a position to directly influence the Resources Authority with his sustainability agenda, which has been transferred to the Energy Ministry.

The decision to take the Resources Authority from Brincat's portfolio contrasts with the electoral commitment to merge the authority with the authority responsible for environmental protection.

Since MEPA falls entirely under the Prime Minister, it is not clear how Brincat will implement an 'environmental policy'.

Brincat would probably be in charge of the proposed Authority responsible for the environment, but the transition towards separation could be longer than expected and MEPA still falls under the PM's remit. 

With water conservation also falling under the energy minister and land use in the PM's hands, Brincat's "sustainable development" portfolio appears a bit hollow. 

 Brincat will also inherit Pullicino's vote-catching responsibilities related to national parks and afforestation projects, an area where George Pullicino excelled.

Roderick Galdes, who previously served as the opposition's representative on the MEPA board, has been distanced from his present employer.

He will serve in Brincat's ministry as the parliamentary secretary for agriculture, fisheries and animal rights. 

The appointment of a junior minister for this sector ensures a more focused action in these sectors, which previously fell in a wider ministerial portfolio.

It also remains to be seen whether the new government will making a decisive break with the previous government's support for the tuna penning industry, despite international concern on the fate of the blue fin tuna.

The combination of animal rights and agriculture and fisheries could be problematic as it could give rise to conflicts between industry and animal welfare concerns. 

Ironically, Galdes, the  Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Rights, ended up making the appointments on the Ornis committee (a rubber-stamping body) to issue the spring hunting derogation which is essentially a political commitment. Galdes's choice as Ornis chairman - Louis Cassar, a specialist in landscape ecology - is no newcomer to government appointments, having been previously appointed on the MEPA board by George Pullicino. Cassar had to abstain in a number of decisions as he had to declare his conflict of interest due to his private work as an EIA consultant on a large number of projects ranging from Ramla to Ta' Cenc.

From whip to transport minister

Joe Mizzi will now be expected to use his whip experience to make Arriva deliver the promise of an efficient and punctual transport system. But all efforts in this direction depend on a national plan to address congestion and the number of private cars on the road. 

To succeed, Mizzi must show vision and foresight as well as an ability to reconcile expert opinion with local realities. Probably in this task he will be relying on the drive of Transport Malta's new chief executive James Piscopo, who stepped directly from a post in the Labour Party to head a public authority. 

One major difficulty in this sector was Austin Gatt's perceived arrogance and his officials' failure to translate theoretical studies to the realities of Maltese roads. Still, the new government is bound contractually to work with Arriva for the course of the entire legislature and any changes to routes would probably come at a cost.

Mizzi, like Austin Gatt before him, will also be responsible for infrastructure. 

The Gozo fiefdom

Unlike Sant, who broke with the tradition of appointing a Minister for Gozo by appointing a parliamentary secretary for Gozo, Muscat has followed suit with a minister.

But despite the 17-year time lag, both Sant and Muscat appointed the same person in the two different roles: district heavyweight Anton Refalo.  

The Gozo Affairs Ministry remains a peculiar one, lacking any particular brief or job description since Gozo is governed like the rest of Malta and is therefore subject to the portfolio of other ministers. Refalo has contested elections since 1987 and was always elected on the first count. This suggests continuity, with Gozo remaining a fiefdom of the district heavyweight. The message sent by Muscat is that the most voted MP will always be appointed as Gozo's Minister.

The progressive agenda

Helena Dalli will be responsible for the implementation of Muscat's progressive agenda on civil unions and gender equality.

But it took some imagination on Muscat's part to link consumer affairs and industrial relations to civil liberties, although all these sectors involve empowering citizens with rights. It would be interesting to see how Dalli will define civil liberties and which yardstick will be used to determine how far Malta should go in catching up with the rest of Europe. 

Judging from the experience of countries like France and the United Kingdom, the introduction of civil unions or partnerships only served to bolster demands for full marriage equality.

One problem for the socially liberal Helena Dalli is that her portfolio might clash with that of more conservative ministers. Dalli's brief also includes "equality": a concept which underpins social policy. 

In fact Dalli's ministry could clash with that of the other woman in the cabinet: Marie Louse Coleiro Preca, the minister for the family and social solidarity. It is not clear which of the two will be responsible for the introduction of civil unions for gay people, a civil liberty that involves a redefinition of the term family. Coleiro will also be responsible for the sustainability of the pension system. 

Newcomer Franco Mercieca, who will be responsible for government policy concerning persons with disability and active ageing, will assist Coleiro Preca. The recognition of active ageing as a government priority shows that the new government is well focused on the demographic challenges facing Malta.

In his new role as Minister for Health, Godfrey Farrugia has already sent a strong message by establishing an office at Mater Dei.  This symbolic gesture would not make waiting lists vanish, nor would it address the sustainability of the health care system; but it reinforces the idea that the new government is hands on and not detached from the every day problems faced by citizens. 

But the most awkward and amateurish decision made by Muscat in his choice of Ministers was the offer of the Health Ministry to both Farrugia and his partner and fellow MP Marlene, leaving it up to them to decide as if a public matter is a family matter.

It's the economy, stupid

While the economy was not much of a determining factor in the general election, any slackening or regression on this front would be a determining factor on Muscat's trust rating in the coming months.

Chris Cardona, a lawyer and an unknown quantity in economic matters, will head the ministry for the economy, investment and small business. 

In this he will be assisted by his 8th District rival and fellow lawyer Edward Zammit Lewis, who has been appointed parliamentary secretary for competitiveness and economic growth.  

Zammit Lewis specialises in litigation in the civil and commercial spheres.

The Finance Ministry will be in the 'safe pair of hands' of Edward Scicluna, a respected economist known for his outspoken views on free health care and stipends before he joined the political fray.

He now finds himself at the helm of a ministry which has to deliver Muscat's 'all gain and no pain' package.  His major challenge will be to implement the tax cuts envisioned in the unapproved budget presented by Tonio Fenech, and find the monies for the PL's electoral programme which has been costed at €732 million. 

Very indicative of the real state of the nation, following the orgy of promises made during the electoral campaign, will be Scicluna first words as Finance Minister.

United again

One of the most surprising decisions taken by Muscat is that of putting justice and home affairs in the same ministry. This contrasts with the stand taken by the opposition in favour of separating the two roles.

 In the new set up, the attorney general will still fall under the same ministry, which also includes the police. But although justice and home affairs have been put in the same ministry, Owen Bonnici will serve as junior minister for justice.

Criminal lawyer Emmanuel Mallia now finds himself responsible for national security and home affairs: a portfolio which includes defence, the armed forces, police, immigration and correctional services. 

The greatest misfit in Mallia's portfolio is public broadcasting. Also questionable is the link between immigration and citizenship, with a ministry responsible for border controls and policing as this sends the message that immigration is first and foremost a matter of security instead of social policy.

European not foreign

The splitting of Foreign Affairs from European Affairs, which would be held separately by George Vella and Louis Grech, indicates that the government intends to give equal priorities to relations with the EU and relations with non-EU States like China, Russia, Latin America and the Arab world. It would also be interesting to see whether this new focus in will have a bearing on energy choices.

The identification of international economic relations in Vella's portfolio indicates the priority given by Muscat to the commercial aspect of international relations, which tallies with the PL's commitment to give foreign embassies a greater role in economic matters. The risk is that Malta's foreign policy will be dictated more by economic considerations than principles like human rights.

But the separation could also indicate a greater focus on EU affairs by having one ministry dedicated to it. It also raises the question on whether it makes sense to split the two, considering how foreign affairs and EU affairs are interrelated. 

The appointment of the youngest cabinet member - 27-year-old Ian Borg - as parliamentary secretary responsible for EU funds and the preparations for Malta's 2017 appointment indicates a high degree of trust in Borg.

It also translates in a big leap for Ian Borg, from serving as mayor of the small village like Dingli, to responsibility over EU funding for the entire country. Muscat could be sending a message of generational solidarity by twinning Louis Grech - the oldest member of his cabinet - with the youngest one.

Culture and Tourism

Karmenu Vella returns to the tourist ministry, a role he successfully performed under Alfred Sant between 1996 and 1998.  The veteran Labour Minister will inherit the successful legacy of his predecessor Mario de Marco.  

Vella's own recent involvement in the industry as a director of Orange Travel Group and his past role as Executive Chairman of the Corinthia Group could raise the spectre of potential perceived conflicts of interest; but his personal knowledge of the industry will make him more sensitive to its realities. 

He will also be taking Tourism Studies, which used to fall under the education portfolio: a decision which blurs the distinction between industry and educational institutions, which should be raising the bar for the private sector. 

This could be symptomatic of Muscat's vision, which seems oblivious to the risks posed by the proximity of industry to public policy.

Vella will also be responsible for the airport, but there is no reference to Air Malta in his portfolio, as suggested in the PL's electoral programme.  But Vella's portfolio includes "external transport".

 The inclusion of Air Malta in Vella's portfolio could pose a problem for a minister who would have to take decisions impacting on both Air Malta and low cost operators.  Moreover the interests of the tourist industry and Air Malta do not necessarily always converge. 

Yet this decision underlies Muscat's belief that Air Malta is not just a company like others, but a vital component of Malta's economic development. 

Like Gonzi before him, Muscat has twinned tourism and culture, a questionable decision which sends the message that culture is considered to be a part of the tourist package rather than an integral part of national development. 

But as Mario de Marco's sound handling of the culture portfolio showed this does not necessarily have to be the case.

Still, the decision to appoint a Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Culture, instead of having a directly responsible minister, could be interpreted as a sign that culture occupies the lower rung in Muscat's list of priorities. 

Moreover, unlike Owen Bonnici - who distinguished himself as Labour's spokesperson on culture on the opposition benches - Jose Herrera is an unknown quantity in the cultural sphere.

The idea that culture is being relegated is further reinforced by the fact that Jose Herrera's portfolio will also include Local Government. While this link could result in a greater emphasis on popular culture at the local level, it could also mean that culture could be further sidelined in a ministry which already includes tourism, and under a parliamentary secretary also responsible for local government. 

This is surprising in view of Valletta's appointment in 2018 as Europe's Capital for Culture.

Familiar ground for Evarist

Evarist Bartolo returns to familiar ground by taking back the reins of education, which has now been twinned with employment, as was the case with the second Gonzi administration before the 2012 reshuffle through which employment was transferred from education to social policy. 

The twining of education and employment makes sense in view of Malta's challenge to improve school leavers' skills through further training and further education. 

Evarist Bartolo also offers a degree of continuity by broadly sharing the previous administration's commitment to greater inclusion through the new curriculum framework.  But with Labour appealing directly to the teachers' vote during the electoral campaign, Bartolo would be hampered in implementing those reforms resisted by teachers.

Bartolo's greatest challenge will be that of bringing teachers on board and thus ensuring that reforms which make sense on paper are also implemented in the classroom.

Responsible for the stipend reform in 1997, Bartolo is now bound to have an electoral commitment to strengthen stipends. Muscat has appointed Stefan Bountempo as a parliamentary secretary inheriting Clyde Puli's responsibility for Youth and Sport, while adding research and innovation to his portfolio.