Malta needs to ‘salvage’ its reputation - Zammit Dimech

Nationalist MEP hopeful Francis Zammit Dimech this morning launched his campaign for the upcoming May elections, pledging to "salvage" Malta's reputation and to ensure that other European countries share the migration burden.

Launching his campaign slogan: 'Seriousness, experience and loyalty', Zammit Dimech said he will use his experience at the Maltese parliament to highlight Malta's needs on a European front.

Taking a swipe at the government and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, the veteran MP claimed Malta's name and reputation had been "tarnished" and turned into a laughing stock under the Labour government, especially following the introduction of the controversial Individual Investor Programme.

"A year into the new legislature, Malta's name is no longer synonymous with seriousness and responsibility, but conversely, due to Labour's politics and its way of doing things, Malta's name has been undermined," Zammit Dimech said.

The MEP hopeful added that Malta needs to salvage its reputation and set its standards higher.

Speaking in the presence of PN Leader Simon Busuttil and current and former Nationalist MPs, Zammit Dimech argued that Malta should not be left "alone" in shouldering the influx of migrants.

While insisting that this is a "humanitarian" tragedy, Zammit Dimech argued that tragedies are occurring on Malta's doorstep and it is therefore fundamental to avoid such tragedies from reoccurring.

"Notwithstanding these tragedies, the numbers of migrants alone are unsustainable and the influx of migrants is putting a burden on Malta."

He added that given Malta's size and its population, the number of migrants arriving on its shores is unsustainable.

"The European Union is based on two fundamental principles - co-responsibility and solidarity. It is now fundamental for the European Union to implement these principles and for the other European countries to shoulder the responsibility of migrants," the former foreign affairs minister said.

Turning his sights to national issues, the PN candidate hit out at the "lack" of job opportunities and the unemployment rates in Malta and pledged to address the lack of job creation at a European level.

"Regrettably, the government did not deliver on its 'roadmap' and Malta has been left in dire need of jobs. If elected, all European legislation would be looked at from the angle of creating new jobs and safeguard current jobs."

Alongside Francis Zammit Dimech, ten more candidates have been selected to contest the forthcoming European elections on the PN ticket: incumbents David Casa and Roberta Metsola, entrepreneurs Helga Ellul and Jonathan Shaw, lawyers Stefano Mallia, Kevin Cutajar and Therese Commodini Cachia, former TV Hemm presenter Norman Vella, Ray Bugeja and PN youth section president Kevin Plumpton.