Mother of four and back bencher Dolores Cristina tells Miriam Dunn how she hardened up for a life in politics, but never takes her phone off the hook

Entering the world of politics is certainly an eye-opener, according to Dolores Cristina. Learning the hard way to be less naïve, while confronting some stunning revelations about hidden poverty are just two things that have stuck in the mind of the Nationalist MP.

Ms Cristina, who was elected from the tenth district in 1998, says that becoming a parliamentarian has changed her as a person and even admits that she is not sure she likes the changes she has witnessed in herself.

"I think I used to like myself better before," she jokes. "I have become more hard-hitting, I was more emotional before.

"But, as happens with all politicians, I’ve been taken for a ride. The trouble is that people seem to think they can dangle votes in front of politicians like carrots. And while people’s votes are their privilege, votes are not there to be abused.

"I have wised up to this, but the down side is that you start worrying about not giving people the benefit of the doubt and that genuine cases might slip through. It is, undoubtedly, quite a dilemma."

Ms Cristina, who used to be a teacher, admits she went into politics partly from a guilt complex.

"I had been president of the National Council of Women for four years and I felt I had been given a lot of opportunities to develop on a personal basis," she says. "These would have been wasted if I had stayed at home.

But I think I also needed another challenge at that time and I knew, right from the time I was asked by the party leader, that I wanted to do it."

I am interested to hear Ms Cristina say she felt the need for a new challenge since she has already told me that she effectively has two generations of children – three in their twenties and an 11-year-old son. How does she juggle the different areas of her life, I ask.
"I think I would translate juggling as trying to get rid of the guilt complex," she replies. "Most working women have a hectic schedule.

"The only way to survive is to prioritise, stop feeling guilty and to try to do what you give importance to as well as possible."

But Ms Cristina stresses that since becoming an MP she has realised that it is not only women that are splitting themselves down the middle.

"I’d always said that having a guilt complex is one of the occupational hazards of being a woman, but when you become an MP, your life is taken over, irrespective of whether you’re male or female" she explains. "In fact, I really admire my male colleagues who have a profession, which they need to maintain because of the lack of security in politics, a political career and a family. In a way I’m more flexible than they are and I appreciate that."

Ms Cristina admits it’s not always easy.

"It helps when your family stands by you, when it is not critical of the times that you miss out on," she says. "It hurts most when they criticise.

"But what I have also learned is to leave the politician outside the door of my house. I have realised that my family doesn’t always appreciate me being a politician at home!"

Is it drawbacks such as these that prevent more women from taking up a political career, I wonder.

"I’ve always felt that it takes a certain amount of presumption for women to enter politics because it is still very male-dominated and can be daunting," she answers. "I tend to be more worried about the lack of women contesting rather than the small number in parliament itself. It isn’t easy taking the decision and I think a lot of women feel the first priority should be to the family."

She also points out that it is impossible to regard politics as a part-time job.

"I always try to be there for people, I never take my phone off the hook, but you wind up with precious little time for yourself," she says. "In fact, I don’t like doing home visits unless I can spare enough time to really talk to the people because I’m too embarrassed to turn up for five minutes just before an election!"

So what else has Ms Cristina learned, both in her five months as mayor of Swieqi and since becoming a politician, I ask.

"That there are a great deal of problems in this country which I didn’t know about before," she answers. "I always believed I’d had a privileged life, both as a child and an adult, but now I realise how privileged."

Ms Cristina highlights the "enormous hidden social problems" she has seen in evidence.

"We have a great deal of hidden poverty in Malta and I have started seeing just how much there is since I started contesting the tenth district which, incidentally, is regarded to be the wealthiest," she says. "My origins lie in Senglea so I feel I can discuss both ends of the spectrum.

"I know what poverty is like in the second district, where people don’t have enough money to buy food or pay electricity bills or a car.

"But people in my district have major problems with paying school fees, to maintain their standard of living or pay their house loan.

"And sometimes these difficulties are linked to lateral problems like domestic violence, gambling, drink, drugs or usury."

Ms Cristina believes some progress has been made in this regard, since nowadays people are, at least, admitting that the problems exist and addressing them. Now she says the time has come to promote the one-stop shop concept.

"We need to guide people towards the help they’re entitled to, but when they are depressed or distressed, they will not go round a lot of different places," she says. "This is a great inhibitor. The system could improve if we look at cases holistically."

Having been in local politics, Ms Cristina is adamant that the setting up of local councils has made an enormous difference, although she admits there is room for improvement.

"The workload is heavy and many people involved, such as the councillors, are there on a voluntary basis," she says. "I’m also sorry we’ve lost a number of our independent candidates because they were very good.

"But despite political loyalties, I believe the local councils can and must rise above party politics if the concept is going to work."

As chairperson of the foreign affairs committee, does Ms Cristina believe that Malta can really retain its identity in the EU, as the Nationalist party claims in its slogan?

"Yes, most definitely. In fact, I have spoken to MEPs from other countries which are in the EU and they are all very big on identity," she says. "An Irish MP told me that since Ireland became a member of the EU there has been a great movement towards Irish identity and culture.

"And I think the same is happening in other countries like Cyprus and the Central and Eastern European countries. They are saying that they want to become EU members, but that they are Cypriots or whatever else first and foremost. They want to push their cultures, languages and natural identities and there’s space for this in Europe."

Ms Cristina stresses that it is up to national parliaments to safeguard a country’s identity.

"But I don’t think the idea sometimes put forward that Brussels wants to dominate everybody is the correct one," she adds. "This will only happen if the national parliaments allow it."

And how does she react to the criticism that the government is not relaying a fair picture of the impact of EU membership?

"The fairest criticism to make would be that a large disservice has been done to the people by allowing the EU issue to become politicised," she answers. "I think this polarisation has inhibited a spontaneous debate.

"This debate cannot come from the politicians, it should have come from other sectors. And it will have to come soon if we are going to see a genuine debate."

I am interested to hear how Ms Cristina regards her role as a backbencher. Is the picture portrayed of backbenchers grousing behind the scenes an accurate one?

She smiles. "We grumble yes, but it’s always positive discussion," she says. "Yes, there’s a line between the front and back benches; we get to move more freely among the constituents and we therefore know what’s going on, so we keep the Cabinet’s feet on the ground. But I can honestly say I’ve always been listened to when relaying the gripes of constituents to ministers."

And does she hope to be sitting on that front bench one day?

"I really don’t have political ambitions," she answers. "I feel fortunate and humble to get where I am in such a short time.

"I’m not in a mad rush to jump to the front bench. If people recognise that I’ve worked hard in what I’ve done, that’s enough for me."