‘You couldn’t help loving him’: Parliament pays tribute to Karl Gouder

Both sides of the parliamentary chamber offered their condolences to the family of former Nationalist MP Karl Gouder, who passed away in September.

Before Tuesday’s plenary kicked off, the chamber dedicated a 15-minute session to remembering Gouder. Prime Minister Robert Abela, Opposition leader Bernard Grech, and Speaker Anġlu Farrugia each delivered a short speech in Gouder’s memory.

“Karl never changed,” Abela said, recalling his memories of Gouder from when they were both students, and friends, at St Aloysius. “When I met him again in parliament, he hadn’t changed. He was friendly. We never let our different political views break our friendship.”

Abela was one of many attendees at Gouder’s funeral. “There were people from different segments of society, people with different political views who truly believed that [Karl] gave the most he could, never fostered division, and gave the best contribution to society.”

He briefly touched on the importance of addressing mental health. “It’s a societal reality, and we need to work to defeat this stima. We have an obligation. We are the policy-setters in this country.”

After Abela, Grech opened his speech by saying it is “the most difficult parliamentary speech” he has had to make in his time as Opposition leader.

“Karl’s loss, to me, was almost worse than losing my parents,” he said. “It happened suddenly. He was a young person. A friend, colleague, pillar, but also a person who, unlike others who see politics as a dishonour, stood up time and again, even when he left us, to fill important roles.”

“His tragic death shook us all. It wasn’t just a huge loss, but it left a void. Our condolences only make sense if we stop to reflect on some of his best qualities. We mustn’t just remember him, but ensure that his memory lasts by letting ourselves be inspired by these qualities.”

Grech described him as selfless, humble, sincere. “To [Karl], everyone he worked with, particularly workers or those who wanted his help or advice, were equal. He found time for everyone. He was able to listen to everyone.”

Towards the end of his speech, Grech addressed Gouder’s family, who were sitting in the strangers’ gallery. He said he admired the way they dealt with his death in public, as well as their resilience.

“Karl took care of everyone. Let’s be more sensitive. Let’s take care of each other the way Karl did. Maybe today you noticed a colleague was acting different – speak to them. We can talk about mental health in a utopian way, but other people’s mental health starts with us.”

The Speaker of the House gave a brief speech after Grech. When Farrugia was passing through a difficult time in 2023, Gouder would text him every week asking if he’s okay. “You couldn’t help loving him. There was no reason to not love him.”

Gouder passed away in September at the age of 45, sending shockwaves within the Nationalist Party and across Malta. The former MP was going to contest the post of PN general secretary, having held the role of chief operation officer in the PN’s media.