Francis Zammit Dimech | Defending Malta’s name and interests

According to a survey published by MaltaToday, the most important issue for respondents in the European Parliament election is electing MEPs who will defend Malta’s name.

With a rating of 26.1% this topped the list for both Labour and Nationalist voters. This survey merits further attention, specifically this issue of our reputation.

The Government and the socialist party in Malta have been for years campaigning to spread the propaganda that PN MEPs are constantly harming Malta’s name. Time and time again we have explained that criticising the Government is the responsibility of the Opposition that serves as the Government’s public watchdog. This applies to us MEPs too that belong to the Opposition party. After all the European Parliament is also the parliament of all Maltese and Gozitans.

However, the Government pursued with its spin. This kind of rhetoric has been disarmed by no other than Frans Timmermans, the person who was invited by the Labour Party for a political event on Workers Day. Yes, the same Frans Timmermans who is the candidate of the European Socialists for President of the European Commission, who is pushing for tax harmonisation across the EU and who is trying to impose abortion on all EU member states through the socialists’ manifesto.

During a debate on the situation in Hungary, Frans Timmermans, the first vice-president of the European Commission responsible for Better Regulation, Inter-institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, said: “And I have to say, to then say that criticising the laws or criticising the government would amount to criticising a nation or a people – frankly speaking Mr Orban – that’s the coward’s way out.”

This statement speaks for itself and goes to show that Labour’s rhetoric is baseless and that Labour’s attempt to try to equate our duty to criticise to criticism toward our country is dishonest.

Another spin that Labour has tried to spread over the past years, including during this campaign, was that that we do not work in the interest of Malta. Speaking for myself I cannot understand this rhetoric. My work at the European Parliament was also about defending the interests of Maltese and Gozitan citizens. In less than two years I worked to defend the rights of Maltese workers from being obliged to pay for mandatory training, I supported the establishment of a European Labour Authority to safeguard the interests of Maltese working abroad, successfully campaigned for Maltese YouTubers to get paid like other YouTubers across the EU, ensured better value deals for consumers shopping online and supported SMEs through a new law that ensures fair competition, worked in favour of working environments free from cancer causing substances, defended the right of citizens to be informed on issues which are of concern to them, strengthened whistleblowers’ legislation to support investigative journalism, safeguarded jobs in the pharmaceutical, financial services and gaming sectors through legal amendments that I pushed for in favour of the people of Malta, defended life and always voted against abortion.
I ask, is this working against the interest of Malta, Gozo and its citizens?

I am proud of the results I managed to achieve yet there is much more to be done. I renew my commitment to continue working to safeguard our reputation and at the same time use my utmost loyalty to the party and the country to build further on this work. My pledge to work on a European masterplan to fight cancer is one matter I will focus on together with tackling digital barriers we still face in our daily lives. This is why I ask you for another mandate whilst promising to keep on working with honesty.