Joseph Muscat’s speech starts at 2:23:20

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat pitched Malta as a role model for European leftist parties in a powerful speech this afternoon in which he urged other socialist parties to embrace disruptive technological forces such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Muscat’s speech at the annual European Socialists’ Party (PES) forum in Lisbon was initially interrupted by Portuguese MEP Ana Gomes, a strong critic of the Maltese Prime Minister.

“Shame, shame! You support the corrupt!” Gomes shouted from the audience, while also referring to assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

However, Muscat, who is now the longest-serving PES Prime Minister and has been tipped as a potential successor to EU Council President Donald Tusk, shrugged off Gomes’ heckling and urged fellow PES politicians to start debating ways to address future job shortages that could be caused by advances in AI.

His speech was well-received, with members of the audience frequently breaking out in applause.

“We were talking to the mirror while real people were asking different questions, we delved into complications and avoiding giving answers for fear of contradictions,” he said. “Others were giving answers, wrong and over-simplistic answers, but most of the time they were the only answers around. People’s lives cannot wait for politicians to get their act together, it is us who must keep the pace with the changes happening in our societies.”

“We progressives cannot be the Luddites of the new Industrial Revolution”

“We are living in an era of technological disruption, which is indeed a challenging prospect. The Industrial Revolution was brought about by technological advancements that simplified the nature of work, making it more accessible to lesser trained people. This access to work led many previously disenfranchised people to start earning a decent living, organise themselves into trade unions and benefit from social mobility. It was the best and biggest ever boost to the global middle-class, an essential component of any democracy and part and parcel of our own electorate.”

“Inversely, we must acknowledge that the new Industrial Revolution we are facing, spearheaded by AI, risks depriving the working and middle class of what it has achieved. The instinct of many is to resist, if not oppose change. At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, there was a small group of textile workers who would go into factories to smash machinery which they saw as taking away their jobs from them. However, their successes were short-lived and their victories pyrrhic.

“We progressives cannot be the Luddites of the new Industrial Revolution; after all, we were always about change and not against it. Rather than ignore or hope to postpone this change, we must embrace and harness it. We need to seek the answers to the issues that will define the next generation of europeans, mostly Middle Europe, that is now feeling somehow lost, on the most basic of issues, the nature of work itself.”

Joseph Muscat in conversation with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa

Muscat urged fellow PES political parties to follow his lead and focus more heavily on economic growth, even if it means cherry-picking policies from traditionally conservative parties.

“Put simply, we must be the Spotify, not the Walkman of politics, no matter how cool that may have looked in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie! There are models, even in progressive politics, that work, especially if we understand the historic moment we’re in, open our doors and work in close proximity with all those who want Europe to move forward, who stand for optimism and who don’t pander to anger.”

“Malta isn’t heaven of earth and we have our fair share of problematic issues and challenges, but our progressive politics and economic model is working for our citizens.”

The Prime Minister noted that Malta is currently registering the highest rate of economic growth and the second-lowest rate of unemployment in Europe, and that it achieved a fiscal surplus in three consecutive years despite increasing pensions and the minimum wage and not resorting to austerity policies.

He also argued that the introduction of universal free childcare has led to a drastic increase of female participation in the labour market and that this new financial independence has encouraged more women in abusive relationships to walk away from their partners.

He also noted Malta’s progressive LGBT+ reforms in recent years, such as the introduction of equal marriage and adoption rights, the outlawing of ‘conversion therapy’ and a world-pioneering gender identity law for transgender people.

“It is this kind of progressive politics, of unity, equality, fairness and sustainability, that Europe needs,” Muscat said. “It is only progressive forces joined together that can move these policies forward for our citizens. There is a progressive scope for social democratic policies if we manage to reclaim the banner of change and take over the politics of disruption.”

What do you make of the Prime Minister’s speech?

READ NEXT: Joseph Muscat Really Wants Malta To Start Winning At Sports

Tim Diacono

Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]