Adrian Delia Hits Back At Claims On PN MEPs Undermining Malta Ahead Of Upcoming Elections
Nationalist Party (PN) Leader Adrian Delia hit back at accusations that PN MEPs have been undermining Malta, saying they have always fought for what is right at a political activity in Gharghur ahead of the MEP and local council elections on 25 May.
“Our candidates fight for Malta and not against Malta. We helped secure 10,000 more European forces protecting our borders, fighting for a better work-life balance and to use Europe’s resources to fight cancer”.
During the height of the Panama Papers scandal involving Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s two closest men, his chief of staff Keith Schembri and then Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi, PN MEPs were slammed for discussing the issue at a European level.
Delia argued that while Muscat said that €1.5 million worth of funds would be sent to Malta by the EU, the PN managed to secure €3 million worth of funding for San Lawrenz, Gozo, alone.
He stressed that the PN has always voted in favour and understood Europe, allowing it to be a far more effective representative than the Labour party.
Muscat’s European Socialist Party’s Nomination is in favour of tax harmonization, Delia warns
Referring to Frans Timmermans, the European socialist party’s nomination for European Commission President, Delia reminded the audience, as he has done before, that the Labour party forms part of the European socialist party.
Delia warned that Timmermans, who spoke beside the Prime Minister during the 1st of May celebrations in Castille Square, has expressed support for a harmonized tax system in Europe. Malta would be severely impacted by such a move due to the massive amounts of investment and job opportunities created through Malta’s advantageous tax system.
Pushing away from Muscat’s narrative that the election is a choice between the two leaders, Delia said that the public should be encouraged to understand what it means to be voting for a particular candidate and not a party.
“My appeal is for people to understand for what they are voting for, for the local councils and MEPs. We believe in local councils, we put forward 80 proposals for local councils with only a few being taken up.
“Muscat does not want to accept that this is not an election about him. He wants a general election, he is saying he will not contest the next one, so he is making this about him,” Delia said.
Referring to Muscat’s criticised claim concerning foreign workers and manual labour, Delia said that the prime minister wanted to create different classes of workers in Malta.
“He is supposed to represent workers, but workers mean nothing to him, they are just numbers and not people. Muscat trashes those who work with their hands in maintaining Malta instead of showing them respect”.
At the start of the political activity, the PN’s youngest candidate, Abraham Aquilina at 16-years-old addressed the crowd. He is a candidate on the PN ticket for the Gharghur local council and was celebrated as a youth who is taking an active role in providing a contribution to his community and his country.