Malta Out, Ukraine In? Candidates Send Maltese Flag To European Parliament Office In Protest
Two MEP candidates representing the small political party ABBA delivered a Maltese flag to the European Parliament office in Valletta to express their concern at how the national flag was replaced with the Ukrainian one outside the building.
Candidates Ivan Grech Mintoff and Tania Gauci Fiorini said they wanted to send a message to the EU that it was unacceptable to replace the national flag with the Ukrainian one outside Europe House.
They said they had originally flagged this “diplomatic faux pas” back in December but their complaints fell on deaf ears.
“It is clear that the two traditional parties who represent us in Parliament don’t care about the Constitution and Malta’s neutrality because none of them have spoken out about it,” they said.
“This proves that ministers and MPs are only there for ceremonies.”
In a letter to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen, the candidates went on to warn that hanging the Ukrainian flag on the public street of a “neutral country” indicates their clear alliance with one side during a time of conflict.
“While Germany, European industrial arms manufacturers, individuals or whoever might wish to politically support one side (and also make great financial gains by supplying arms, personnel and war assets to one/both sides) during a time of great conflict, the Maltese people seek peace actively instead,” they wrote.
“Our beliefs are clear: we oppose any military aggression/build-up and we adhere strongly to a policy of neutrality as per our Constitution (the highest law of the land), the Hague Convention of 1917 and as recorded at the United Nations in 1980 too.”
“Put simply, we have no wish to ever again be forced to enter into other belligerents’ wars against our will.”
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