[WATCH] Abela calls for 'dose of realism' in government's decision-making

Prime Minister Robert Abela stated that his government will respond to the electorate’s message in the MEP elections by making decisions that benefit the country in the long term, as he called for "a dose of realism" when it comes to decision-making.

Abela was fielding journalists’ questions outside of Parliament on Monday, as he stated that the time has come for government to make decisions that shouldn’t have been postponed in the first place. 

He also spoke of the electorate’s disillusionment as he referred to the sizeable chunk of the electorate which did not vote. “Some times we tend to focus on petty issues or issues that could win us votes in the short term. Are we truly doing what’s right?”

Abela said that the only way that government can win back people’s trust is by doing what’s truly necessary for the country, “even if it’s not popular in terms of immediate votes.

He listed subjects such as the environment, the tables and chairs issue and civil rights as areas that need to be addressed. He even spoke of women’s rights as a subject that was postponed, in a nod to his government’s u-turn on the abortion law amendment last year.

On construction, he acknowledged the fact that Malta’s realities have changed, noting that, “excessive development does us no good.” 

Abela said that he believes in, “the fight for what’s right,” that could cause temporary pain. “We need a dose of realism in the way we make decisions.” 

Abela excluded calling an elections was the case in France, stating that the two countries’ realities are different from one another. Despite this, he said that he does not exclude re-shuffling his cabinet.

The Prime Minister was also asked whether his government’s position on Joseph Muscat’s recent court charges was one of the areas which needed to be addressed. Abela said that his view on the inquiry’s timeline has not changed. When asked whether the electorate punished the PL for the inquiry’s contents, he said that the contents cannot be applied to all the accused in the case.

PL MPs were also doorstepped on their way to Parliament, with many repeating Abela’s call for “more work.”

Finance minister Clyde Caruana, as usual, did not give long-winded answers, as he repeatedly told journalists, “The result speaks for itself.” When asked what was needed to change, he referred the media to previous comments he made but did not specify. He gave the same response when asked about whether PL candidates’ support for Joseph Muscat helped or hindered the party’s performance.

Justice minister Jonathan Attard spoke differently about the matter, as he suggested that the electorate was unhappy about the timing of the inquiry’s conclusion. On the contents of the inquiry, he said that this was now a court matter. 

Meanwhile, social accomodation minister Roderick Galdes responded to a comment on social media by ex-PL MEP Marlene Mizzi, who said that, “a particular minister tried to fool the people to win 100 votes,” as she referred to the Siġġiewi social housing debacle.

Ex-PL MEP Marlene Mizzi criticised Roderick Galdes' attempt to "win 100 votes fraudulently"

When he was asked whether the issue damaged Labour’s optics, Galdes said, “Ask Peter Agius, he’s done worse than that.”