In one of the baroque halls in the Verdala Palace, on 6 February 2017, the President of Malta, H.E. Marie Louise Coleiro Preca launched the new book, Public Life in Malta II, the latest publication of the Department of Public Policy. It embraces a collection of thirteen original papers, edited by Dr Mario Thomas Vassallo and Rev. Dr Carmel Tabone, that revolve around governance, politics, and public affairs in the EU’s smallest member state. The book launch was also addressed by Dr George Vital Zammit, Head Department of Public Policy, Prof. Frank Bezzina, Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy and Mr Mario Cutajar, Principal Permanent Secretary within the Public Sector.

The second volume of this peer-reviewed book series embodies some of the recent research and thinking undertaken by public policy academics and practitioners. It delves wider and deeper  into a number of themes that have emerged in the first volume, namely governance structures and processes, political leadership and public sector management. Moreover it also encompasses new pastures of fieldwork research, including the Europeanization of domestic regulatory regimes, the institutionalisation of innovative forms of cross-sectoral collaboration in the public service and specific policy domains ranging from pension sustainability to tourism strategies, from managing higher education entities to the politicisation of the welfare state. This collection of academic works is most relevant to all those who are interested in the integrity and effectiveness of Malta’s public affairs, those who participate in its politics and students who are studying public policy, public management and the social sciences.

Public Life in Malta II is now available from leading bookshops in Malta and Gozo.