WATCH: Malta’s PM Joseph Muscat talks Trump, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn
– Joseph Muscat had lunch with Jeremy Corbyn but the two ‘disagree about everything’
– He thinks Boris Johnson was a smart choice by Prime Minister Theresa May
– Prime Minister says Malta’s infrastructure is ‘crumbling’
– Cautioned police to be ‘reasonable’ on cannabis
Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had lunch with British Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn last December.
But the two Labour leaders “basically disagree about everything”, according to Dr Muscat.
“I think he’s a very decent guy. He’s very nice and he’s got very sound values,” Dr Muscat told Lovin Malta in an interview to be released in full next week.
When asked about Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Dr Muscat said he thinks Mr Johnson is a nice guy who is “getting to grips with the real world”.
“He was a journalist. He said things, he wrote things… I see the British Prime Minister (Theresa May)’s take on why she appointed him and I think she’s smart, very smart, in doing that,” he told Lovin Malta.
Dr Muscat also spoke about US Presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Although he said he “naturally” supports Hillary Clinton for Presidency, he refused to say whether he thought Mr Trump was a danger to the world and to the US.
“I think the US is such a big democracy, such a solid country that irrespective of who is president, there will be repurcussions, yes, but at the end of the day there will be a coming to terms with reality.”
“I think the US is such a big democracy, such a solid country that irrespective of who is president, there will be repurcussions, yes, but at the end of the day there will be a coming to terms with reality.”
Dr Muscat spoke out against what he called the “political elite” around the world.
“These are people who believe they are godsent to lead and elections are just irritating events that need to be catered for. No, it’s the other way around,” he told Lovin Malta.
Asked about the Panama scandal that has overshadowed his government for a number of months, Dr Muscat acknowledged people had been let down.
However, he continued to defend his Chief of Staff Keith Schembri and former Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi, now minister without a portfolio but still responsible for energy.
When asked about the rise in traffic and the visible overdevelopment currently overwhelming the island, Dr Muscat acknowledged that the infrastructure is “crumbling”.
“But this is a good problem to have,” he said, arguing that it is a testament to the current interest in Malta.
Dr Muscat also cautioned the police to be “reasonable” when dealing with cannabis offences and to acknowledge the spirit of the changes in legislation made last year which should see people “cautioned rather than treated like criminals”.
The full 20-minute interview in 360° format is now online here.
What’s Joseph Muscat saying about Austin Gatt, Franco Debono, Michelle Muscat and Daphne Caruana Galizia? Watch this space to find out.
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