In the Press: Perspectives on Labour Day mass meetings

Times of Malta

Starting off the report with an affirmation by Joseph Muscat statement that he plans to stay in office, the Times of Malta reports the prime minister's speech at yesterday's Labour Day mass meeting. Addressing a large crowd of Labour supporters Valletta, Muscat insisted that the current government’s job is not yet done. In doing so, he affirmed that the next election will take place in 2018.  During his speech, there was no mention of the Panama papers scandal or the Cabinet reshuffle, but instead the PM focused on the government’s achievements. The PM admitted vaguely of mistakes done by his government but that he had taken due responsibilty for them.

L-Orizzont

The newspaper shows expands on the support shown to the PM, choosing to focus its headline around the large crowd present and their unanimous feeling of successful politics. L-Orizzont goes into more detail about the PM’s plans for the upcoming two years regarding health, precarious work, people with special needs, equality and Gozo, among others.  It quotes the PM in saying that social justice and equality are the party’s main goals, but these two are based on economic growth. Thus the PM referred to investments in companies and hotels, as well as encouraging parents to push their children in studies. The newspaper insists on the precision of the PM's claims by quoting and reporting ravenously close to every statement he uttered, dedicating five pages to the story and photos of the event.

In-Nazzjon

In-Nazzjoni decided to report the Nationalist party’s Labour Day mass meeting in Mosta, depicting the party as 'the voice of reason', quoting the PN leader Simon Busuttil himself. Busuttil’s speech focused on the PM’s recent decision regarding those involved in the Panama papers scandal as a mistake that will haunt him for the rest of his political career. The newspaper reports Busuttil's heavy criticism aboout Muscat and his decision to keep Konrad Mizza and Keith Schembri in the cabinet, pondering that there is no other reason for him to protect them other than him being involved. Busuttil then went on to explain how workers are being descrimated against due to their political belief, stading by his driver, Tone Tabone, who he claimed was the PL's scapegoat to get to the Opposition leader.

The Malta Independent

The Malta Independent holds a positive outlook on the current political situation, focusing its report of yesterday's mass meeting in Valletta around  the PM's achievements and his future achievements, providing a picture of the PM together with his wife in the middle of an affectionate kiss. The newspaper gives a detailed break down of the PM’s speech in Valletta, providing long excerts of quotations from his speech. The report then goes on to outline and explain the government's manifeso for the next two years.