The Maltese presidency and social inclusion : Malta’s push for LGBTIQ rights

Abstract

When Malta launched its Council of the EU Presidency in January 2017, the Government outlined its intention “to contribute”, “to focus” and “to deliver” in various sectors but it was only in the area of social inclusion where Malta intended “to lead” with the aim that “we hope our experiences can rub off on our European partners”. This statement reflected the reality, both domestic and European, of the state of social inclusion (and LGBTIQ rights in particular) across Europe; on one side, it showed that Malta had made significant advances in the area of civil rights and felt able to lead while the EU’s track record was more mixed, reflective of its limited competence in this area and, some would argue, a lack of political will from the member states to allow the Union to be involved in this area of civil rights. [excerpt]