Miriam Dalli ranks 28 in list of most influential MEPs

The Labour MEP is the only Maltese to make it to Vote Watch Europe’s top 100 list of influential lawmakers in the outgoing European Parliament legislature

Labour MEP Miriam Dalli
Labour MEP Miriam Dalli

Miriam Dalli has ranked 28 out of 100 most influential lawmakers in the European Parliament in a list compiled by Vote Watch Europe.

She is the only Maltese MEP to make it in the list drawn up by the EU affairs think tank, which based its decision on several criteria.

The MEPs’ scores are based on three main categories: direct shaping of Parliament’s reports, leadership roles in parliamentary bodies and strength of the person’s political network. Dalli achieved an overall score of 47.

Vote Watch Europe has ranked Miriam Dalli as the most influential Maltese MEP
Vote Watch Europe has ranked Miriam Dalli as the most influential Maltese MEP

The most influential MEP was the president of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani with a score of 93, followed by Manfred Weber, the EPP candidate for European Commission president, who obtained a score of 87.

The ranking for the Labour MEP, who was elected to the European Parliament for the first time five years ago, comes on the back of a similar ranking last month by Brussels-based Politico.

Politico had classified Dalli as one of 40 MEPs deemed to be key players in the outgoing European Parliament.

She was described “a master of building progressive alliances” to counter the conservatives in the European Parliament and the German car industry in matters related to climate change and migration policies.

In the outgoing legislature Dalli was responsible for driving important legislation that placed ambitious targets for cuts in carbon dioxide emissions from cars. She faced strong opposition from the car industry, which wanted lower targets.

The Labour MEP was also instrumental in proposing a new €10 billion Asylum, Migration and Integration fund.

Dalli said the Vote Watch ranking filled her with “energy and enthusiasm to continue working for the people”.

“The fact that Vote Watch classified me as the most influential Maltese MEP puts more responsibility on my shoulder to put my country’s interests before anything else,” she said, adding that what mattered was not the size of a country but the effort put in to make a difference in people’s lives.

Dalli is seeking re-election next May and is also being touted as a possible leadership contestant when Joseph Muscat decides to step down from Labour leader.