Looking Back 2024: What they told MaltaToday

RYAN FALZON

Artist

Sajf is all doubt – from beginning to end. The narrator doesn’t know what he wants, and the day after he is second-guessing what he gets and wants.

CLINT AZZOPARDI FLORES 

MEP election candidate

Neutrality does not mean not taking a position when there are countries in conflict; it means not taking a military stand, which is different. It is a fine line.

GRAHAM BENCINI

PN MP, finance spokesman

We saw our quality of life declining after 2015. We were once in the sixth place when it comes to quality of life, now we’re at 49th place.

DARREN CARABOTT

PN MP, home affairs spokesman

If you grow the economy through numbers, there will be repercussions. We have infrastructure such as the hospital, our roads and prison which can’t keep up.

MANUEL SAPIANO

CEO of the Malta Water and Energy Agency

It is a misconception that ground water comes for free, because there are still energy costs involved. We calculate that it costs a farmer between 25c and 40c per cubic metre.

ABIGAIL AGIUS MAMO 

CEO of the Chamber of SMEs

We are not against government addressing inflation; on the contrary, we proposed several measures that will help tackle inflation.

EVE BORG BONELLO

PN MP

It is the people who decide who their leaders are, and if they decide that they want a 16-year-old mayor why not?

PROF. ALEXIEI DINGLI

Artificial Intelligence expert

I am a fan of science fiction; I read or see something amazing, and I think, ‘Can I do it?’ Probably I don’t, but if I manage to do 20% or 30%, it’s already better than nothing.

NAOMI CACHIA

Government Whip

Abortion is a reality people may not want to acknowledge but as legislators we have the responsibility to continue speaking on subjects that are uncomfortable and sensitive.

CLINT CAMILLERI

Gozo Minister

The rules, policies and laws are there to be applied equally. You can put your minds at rest that no one will be allowed free rein because of me.

MIRIAM DALLI

Environment Minister

As a government minister I am 200% focused on the reforms we have promised as a government, and to deliver what we promised in the electoral manifesto.

CHRIS BONETT

Transport Minister

I have to be careful as a minister how to speak about what you are calling scandals because there are ongoing proceedings and I do not want to prejudice anybody’s position…

CARMELO MIFSUD BONNICI

PN MP

It will be a great political mistake for us to join NATO or any other military alliance. Our country would become more exposed to attack… We have no interest in being belligerents…

ALISON BEZZINA 

Animal Welfare Commissioner

The zoos we have right now cannot just be closed in a split second, because where would you put the animals? But yes, we cannot continue adding wild animals in captivity.

ARNOLD CASSOLA

Independent MEP election candidate

If I am walking in the street with my zipper down, I would expect a friend to tell me. If Malta has its zipper down it is my duty to point this out so that it could be fixed.

ALEX AGIUS SALIBA

PL MEP

I find nothing wrong with Ukraine undergoing the rigorous membership process that we went through before 2004.

MYRIAM SPITERI DEBONO

President of Malta

A lot of things have been amended. But you need to make sure that, when you do change the Constitution, you change it for the better, not just for the sake of changing it.

JAMES RYDER

Comedian, MEP election candidate

People are fed up with the same options. People may vote for me because they like my policies, but they will also vote for me to protest against the big parties.

RALPH CASSAR

ADPD Secretary General

I do not agree with a one-size-fits-all Europe but we must not use this as an excuse not to change or to justify what is bad and low standards.

FR JOE BORG

Media expert

The church has to be present both in the physical space and the virtual space if it is to reach out to people. If the church is not present it is not fulfilling its duty.

ROBERT AQUILINA

Repubblika president

There were times when people approached us to contest the elections as a party, but it is not the NGO’s role, and it never will be.

MARIA AZZOPARDI

Vice-president of the Malta Football Association

This is not the first time changes have been implemented in the premier division. There are other aspects like commercialisation which will contribute to this so-called revolution.

DAVID AGIUS

PN MP, MEP election candidate

I think the PN must focus more on what Europe means for Malta, without ignoring what is going on in the country. We must focus on what the EU means for the country.

ALFRED SANT

Former Labour prime minister and MEP

I won’t be popular by saying this but having so many ministers and parliamentary secretaries all with their own customer care adds to the clientelism competition between them