It’s not politics as usual

Malta starts 2017 with a bang today, assuming the rotating six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union at a testing time for both the bloc and the government. Britain is about to embark on its Brexit misadventure. EU Member States are far from achieving solidarity on immigration. The EU is still in the financial doldrums. These are among the "known knowns" of 2017, to borrow a famous phrase. Then there are what may be called the "known unknowns". Extreme nationalism is gaining traction but how much more in the French and Dutch polls of early this year? Will populism make further inroads in Italy if an early election is held there? When and where will terror strike again? How destabilising will President Trump be to the world order? Will the EU project survive? The answers are awaited with some trepidation. It has been described as the "perfect storm" for Malta as it takes over the presidency. But this year, there will continue to be stormy weather for the government back home too. When a special European Parliament committee investigating the Panama Papers comes visiting in February, the government will have to manage the fallout. Now, in normal times, the subject...

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