Celebration preparations banished partisan politics

Malta won €1.5 million when Valletta was declared as the European Culture City in 2018, Tourism Minister Mario de Marco has said. But perhaps the pot of gold lies not in the financial perks but the fact that the prestigious title opened the doors to a new style of politics. Instead of taking up arms and shooting down whatever was uttered by the other party, MPs from both sides of the House, representing their parties in the coordinating Parliamentary Group, worked hand in hand in a grand gesture of national commitment. “This augurs well, seeing as this group will be witnessing two elections,” said Dr de Marco, referring to the 2013 and the 2018 polls. Both Nationalist and Labour MPs gave an approving nod to the Valletta 2018 Foundation’s proposals to commemorate the title. The main highlights will be the opening of a museum for contemporary art – with the old power station at Pinto Wharf cited as the location – converting the Mediterranean Conference Centre into a multi-performance space, renovating the old Valletta market and restoring the lighthouse at Fort St Elmo. “We will focus on utilising the existing buildings and promoting the heritage we have,” V18 chairman David Felice...