Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola said today that Alfred Sant and Miriam Dalli, for reasons that are clear to everyone, have spent the last week or so trying their hardest to insinuate that the PN delegation has acted differently on Hungary than on Malta. 

The facts, she said in a statement, are as follows.

"It is absolutely untrue that I have ever voted for anything but the protection of the rule of law in Hungary, Romania, Poland or Malta. It is sad to see people like Alfred Sant and Miriam Dalli in a panic paraded on Labour media and watch them repeat insinuations that I have somehow treated Hungary favourably. It is part of a deliberate strategy of obfuscation and deflection that is the hallmark of this beleaguered Government that is happy to discuss anything as long as it is not the paralysis of our institutions or the lack of action to protect the rule of law in Malta. 

"The situation in Hungary has long been discussed by the European Parliament and the PN delegation has always called for action to protect the rule of law. The only time European Parliament in a ground-breaking move voted to call for an investigation into Hungary was on 17 May 2017, (see attached). The PN delegation voted in favour of action to protect the rule of law. Labour MEP Sant did not and MEP Mizzi quickly changed her vote after apparently making a mistake. The sheer hypocrisy is striking but sadly, not surprising. 

"When Prime Minister Orban came to the European Parliament, I represented the PN delegation and spoke out, to his face, in favour of the rule of law. See:

https://www.facebook.com/roberta.metsola/videos/1255848537865706/

"During the debate Miriam Dalli and Sant preferred to remain silent - as they do. For them silence on the protection of the rule of law is the norm.

"The European Parliament has had hearings on Hungary, we have sent delegations to Hungary. We have passed reports about the situation in Hungary. Two weeks ago the Socialists in the LIBE Committee wanted to send yet another delegation to Hungary in an attempt to drag out and delay the finalisation of the European Parliament’s report. The EPP preferred to call Hungarian representatives to a hearing in the Parliament, be more effective and save tax payers money. That’s what will happen. 

"Miriam Dalli it seems so desperately wanted to go on a trip to Hungary at an undetermined time in the future that she used this to try to imply that the PN delegation has ever been anything but forceful on the defence of the rule of law in Hungary. Labour think they can fool all the people all the time. They can’t.”