Getting to know

Claudette Abela Baldacchino

Did you know that Claudette used to play the piccolo clarinet and she had to cut short her musical career to dedicate time to politics?

Born and raised in Qrendi, Claudette is the daughter of Carmelo and Carmen. Her younger sister, Karin Maria, is married to Johan while her brother Amon is engaged to Marion.

She has been married to Kevin for the past 8 years.

"I was the only child for seven years. So clearly my grandparents spoiled me, especially because I can clearly remember my childhood living with my parents and grandparents (my mother's parents) at Mercy Street, Qrendi. My grandmother used to take me for walks in the countryside and there we would meet my cousins. Or else, all the family meeting at my grandparents."

From her happy childhood she remembers having a long break from school between noon and 2pm and then, back to school till four in the afternoon. Girls and boys used to assemble in the narrow streets to play. Girls played with beads (zibeg) and the boys played 'bocci', or else 'passju' or 'lakstu'.

"I can also remember my other grandparents (my father's parents). They used to take me to Valletta on Saturday mornings and I remember that almost every time I would be given a ride on a 'karozzin'."

Then Claudette's father came up with the idea that his daughter should learn to play a musical instrument and at 7 years of age Claudette ended up playing the 'piccolo', also popularly known as the E flat Clarinet. However she concluded her musical career when she was 13, a very important year for her future. Claudette with mum and dad after the graduation ceremony at the University of Malta

"At 13 I came across the opportunity to get closer to the Malta Labour Party. In 1987, Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, then Leader of the Party, had set up a 'Kummissjoni Zghazagh'. Its main aim was to recruit youth from each and every town and village to support the 'Zghazagh Socjalisti'. I remember one day, a man and a woman were at our doorstep. I could hear my name being mentioned, and then my mother called me to see to what the two persons had to say. They introduced themselves as Joe and Antoinette Falzon. Well, today everybody knows Antoinette a colleague of mine on TV and her husband Joe who is also the Chief Electoral Commissioner within the Labour Party, and a Member of the Party's Executive Committee."

The Youth Committee in Qrendi was set up immediately and Claudette was elected secretary. Thirteen years later she was elected Secretary of the Local Qrendi Committee.

"The Labour Party is my family, I grew up within its structures," Claudette admits while giving details of her ever-growing involvement, including her role as International Secretary of the Ghaqda Nisa Laburisti. In 1998 she successfully contested for the first time the post of member of the National Executive Committee of the Party, a post which she has been re-elected to ever since. Reading the news on One TV

In the meantime she started contributing at Super One Radio at a time when the radio had just started transmitting in 1992. Claudette remembers the role of Professor Edwin Grech, a close friend of her father's, who encouraged her to take on a career in broadcasting. Claudette started her first adventure with Ray Azzopardi and Team Qawsalla, and then moved to newsroom after Evarist Bartolo and Eric Saliba, who were co-ordinated the news division, invited her to join in. At that time Claudette was also studying for her first university diploma in Social Studies (Women and Development) and later degree in social administration. At the newsroom she met new people who were starting their career in journalism, the media or in politics. These include Party Leader Joseph Muscat, MEP Glenn Bedingfield, Felix Agius, Miriam Dalli, Simone Cini, Sylvana Tanti, Julia Farrugia and several others.

"Super One also gave me the possibility to meet another man of honour who we shall always remember: Joe M. Cassar, the former Mayor of Zurrieq," recalls Claudette with great sadness. "Joe instilled in me a vision for Local Government and the true meaning of social justice. In my roles as representative of the South East Region and Vice President of the Local Councils Association, I always remember and work with the same spirit he always showed."

For Claudette walking is an inspiring exercise while running gives her energy. Indeed she takes regular part in athletic meetings. "However the sea and nature give me hope, and this is where you will find me with a book when I have some free time. It is also the sea that brought me closer to Kevin, my husband."

Then 2006 brought another life-changing experience for Claudette. Claudette with her hurband Kevin (2nd from right) and her brother and sister

"With the traffic accident that I experienced in December 2006, I realised that I am there for the people. They gave me the energy to quickly recover and here I am, full of energy and on the beat for the Labour Party to win the majority of seats in the European Parliament Elections in June."

Claudette's nomination for the European Parliament Elections was approved by the Labour Party earlier in January 2009. "The Labour Party gave me the opportunity to be in touch with people's needs and aspirations. I believe that everybody in society must have the opportunity to advance, to live happily and to have his and her own rights and achievements met. It is a vision for a country for the many and not for the few. It is because my beliefs are the same as those of the Labour Party that now I feel obliged to return back what the Party has given me."

Political Experience

INTERNATIONAL FIELD

Committee of the Regions EU

Member of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) - EU 2006 -
Member of the Commission for Economy and Social Policy (ECOS Commission)
Member of the Commission for Education (EDUC Commission)
Member of the Western Balkans Group
Member of the InterGroup for the Mediterranean

PES Group in the Committee of the Regions

Liaison between the PES Group and the PES Women within the Party of the European Socialists. A Milestone was the seminar for Local Councillors organised in Malta and addressed by a number of PES Group members in June 2008 on the childcare campaign organised by the Party of European Socialists

Appointed by the PES Group in the CoR as Coordinator of the PES Manifesto for the 2009 European Parliament Elections

Rapporteur for the Committee of the Regions

2006 Rapporteur for the Opinion Roadmap for Equality between Women and Men 2006-2010 (Expert Professor Godfrey Pirotta)
2008 Rapporteur for the Opinion on the Communication from the European Commission and Directive to the Council on Non Discrimination (Expert Mr Joseph Gerada)

Congress for Local and Regional Authorities Council of Europe

Member of the Council of Europe 2006 -

Member of the Chamber of Regions
Member of the Sustainable Development Committee
In 2008 elected Vice President of the Socialist Group in Congress for Local and Regional Authorities in the Council of Europe.

Rapporteur for the Chamber of Regions - Council of Europe
Rapporteur for the Opinion on General Services of Interest in Rural Areas

Extraordinary Meetings
On behalf of the Committee of the Regions EU and Congress for Local and Regional Authorities Council of Europe addressed various conferences and held different consultation meetings amongst which one finds the consultation with European Commissioner Vladimir Spidla

On behalf of the PES Group in the CoR have been invited to different conferences and extraordinary group meetings.

THE LOCAL FIELD

Vice President of the Local Councils Association National Affairs 2006
Vice Chair for the Maltese Delegation to the Committee of the Regions EU
Representative of the South East Region - 2006
Deputy Mayor Qrendi Local Council on the Malta Labour Party List 2003
Councillor Qrendi Local Council since 1996

As Vice President of the Local Councils Association has been delegated various assignments related to the sphere of local politics. Attended and addressed different conferences with regards to National issues and European and International Affairs.

MALTA LABOUR PARTY

1998 - Member of the Executive Committee MLP
1997 - 1998 International Secretary - Womens Section MLP
1996 - Secretary - Qrendi Local Committee
1987 - 1991 Labour Youth Section - Qrendi