I Will Die A Nationalist, Former MP Mario Galea Says After Addressing PL Mental Health Conference
Former Nationalist MP Mario Galea has dismissed any suggestions that he has switched sides after he addressed a PL conference on mental health today.
“I was born a Nationalist and will die a Nationalist,” Galea said on Facebook. “If some people have an interest in portraying me as something else, then that’s up to them.”
Galea, who as an MP was open about his experience battling depression, spoke at today’s conference about how he had planned his own suicide, going so far as to search spots around Gozo he could jump off and ensure an instant death.
He said he ultimately decided against it because he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving his dog Rex alone.
Galea made it clear from the start that his presence at the conference shouldn’t be politicised and that he simply wanted to speak on behalf of thousands of people suffering in silence.
The former MP reiterated this stance on Facebook, stating he always accepts invitations to speak about mental health and that the topic doesn’t have political colours.
“I have always tried to pass on a message of consolation and courage to people struggling from mental health problems,” he said.
Galea has served as an MP in six legislatures but withdrew from the 2022 campaign shortly after the election was called.
He told MaltaToday that he decided to withdraw his candidature because people close to the PN leadership, who he didn’t name, “made his life hell” and stigmatised him over his mental health problems.
Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said he will sack anyone from his team on the spot if Galea can present evidence that they insulted him over his mental health.
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