Arnold Cassola

Arnold Cassola
Leader of Democratic Alternative
Incumbent
Assumed office 2013
Preceded by	Michael Briguglio
In office 2008–2009
Preceded by	Michael Briguglio
Succeeded by	Harry Vassallo
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 10 April 2006 – 14 April 2008
Personal details
Born	21 November 1953 Sliema, Malta
Nationality	Malta  Italy
Political party	Democratic Alternative (1989-present) The Union (2006-2008)

Arnold Cassola is a Maltese politician, an Associate Professor in Comparative Literature at the University of Malta and the author and editor of various books and academic papers. He has held elective office and political posts in Malta, Italy and at a European level.

Maltese politics

Cassola was one of the co-founders in 1989 of Alternattiva Demokratika. Between 1990 and 1997, he was the Party's delegate to the European Green Party (EGP). He unsuccessfully contested all national elections with the Party since 1992. Between 1994 and 1997, he served as local councillor in Swieqi. His best result in Maltese politics was in the 2004 election for the European Parliament when he obtained 9.33% (or 23,000 votes) of the first-preference votes, just failing to be elected one of Malta's five MEPs.

In July 2008, Cassola was elected Chairperson of the Party after the resignation of Harry Vassallo. In the second elections held in Malta for the European Parliament in 2009, Cassola stood as candidate once more together with another candidate for the Party, Yvonne Ebejer Arqueros. This time the Party polled only 2.34% of the vote.^[1] In view of the result, Cassola resigned as Party Chairperson.

However, he remained active in the Party a spokesperson and unsuccessfully contested the 2013 general election. Party Chairperson Michael Briguglio resigned after this election and Cassola was voted again as party Chairperson.

European Green Party

Cassola was elected member of the Executive Committee of the European Green Party in 1997, eventually being elected Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the (EGP). In the latter post, he served between 1999 and 2006. Between 2001 and 2006, he was one of the three European representatives on the Global Greens Coordination, a European Union electoral observer in Burundi (2005), and editor of the official organ of the European Greens "Green Update" (since 1998).

Italian politics

In Italy, Cassola was a deputy in the Italian Chamber of Deputies elected by Italian expatriates in the Europe constituency with the centre-left coalition L'Unione between 2006 and 2008.

Honours

Cassola was made Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2003 by the Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.^[2]

References

1. "Malta European Parliament Elections". Maltadata.com. 2009-06-06. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
2. "Presidenza della Repubblica". Quirinale.it. Retrieved 2014-04-08.

External links

• European Green Party
• AD 2009 Election website