Michael Briguglio | I pledge to be your voice

Michael Briguglio is a PN candidate for the European elections

The European Parliament is the institution which directly represents European Union citizens, who elect its members. It is easy to forget that this is the main point of these elections, amid the noise of this long campaign. It is only when all the people living in the EU are truly heard that the European Parliament serves its purpose.

As an MEP candidate I pledge I will do my utmost, as I have been doing for the past 25 years, to listen to all the people in our communities: young people, adults and pensioners, people of different genders and sexualities, people of all social classes and backgrounds, workers, the unemployed, those with precarious jobs, those experiencing poverty, illness, loneliness and other challenges. I promise to base my work as an MEP on the evidence I gather on the ground. As a sociologist and activist I am fully equipped to carry out this task.

I pledge to fight the real issues – to fight for clean air and sea, for green, open spaces, for climate justice, for the protection of our endangered biodiversity and ecosystems, to secure our children’s future, for social justice, for workers’ rights and sustainability, for the dignity of the poorest and weakest in our communities, for the safety of those who seek protection and find themselves in danger. I pledge to be the voice of those who wish to fulfil their aspirations and who wish to see a truly meritocratic society beyond tribal pettiness.

I pledge to strive so that our particular challenges as a small island state are understood and recognised in the EU, while ensuring Malta becomes a European voice for small islands around the world.  

I can only do this by staying active both in Malta, constantly communicating with all the people in our communities, and in Brussels, where I will voice your concerns, making sure they are taken into account in the law-making process. I can only do this if I remain, as I have always been, free from behind-the-scenes donors.

The European Parliament is an institution built on dialogue and compromise, on the understanding that we need to listen to other people’s views with openness and respect, thoughtfully building on what we have in common. For this reason, I promise to be the candidate for people who reflect and respect others.

The European Union might sometimes seem to be a bureaucratic maze, full of flaws. However, ultimately the European Union is a force for good in the world and in our lives, something we Maltese fought for so passionately 15 years ago.

I pledge to work hard so that this good is felt by all people from all backgrounds, including those who are isolated and forgotten. I pledge to strive so that the European Union matters in all our lives.