Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this morning reacted to the dissolving of the coalition between the Nationalist Party (PN) and Democratic Party (PD), referring to it as an 'annulment'.
"Today we laugh (at the situation), but if the public had chosen to stop half way in the general elections, then today the country would be crying," he said. ('Stop half way' refers to one of the slogans the Labour Party was using during the last general elections, where they appealed to the public to not 'stop half way' and vote them into government again.)
Muscat was talking at a political event in Mgarr this morning.
"How can you trust the country in the hands of a coalition of confusion that cannot even lead an opposition, let alone a government?" he asked. He continued that this shows the "lack of ideas from the side of the opposition," and said that the opposition has had "four years of negativity and criticism."
"This type of politics is not wanted by the people," he said. "Our appeal is to have an opposition which keeps us accountable, but is positive. " He then called the current opposition 'desperate'.
Air Malta pilots will 'make or break' strategy
Speaking about the Air Malta strategy earlier, the Prime Minister appealed to the pilots and their respective union, the airline pilotss association, to agree to the Air Malta strategy.
"The representatives of this category will make or break the strategy of Air Malta. It is in their hands," he said.
He reinforced the idea of turning the national airline into the airline of the Mediterranean, emphasizing that it is a possible notion.
"If there is not an agreement with the pilots but there is an agreement with everyone else then it would be for nothing," he said. "Let us arrive at a conclusive agreement."
The collective agreement, which has been under negotiation for many months, is valid for five years.
Muscat reiterates his promise to resign if Egrant allegation proves to be true
At the end of his address, Muscat reiterated that his 'promise still counts' if the Egrant allegation is proven to be true.
Refering to a story published today by Illum, which reported that MEP Ana Gomes and the respective delegation were not passed on any documents by Russian Whistleblower Maria Efimova, Muscat repeated that the allegation is "a personal attack of the integrity on a person." "Shame on all those associated with this lie," he said.
Last week, following Efimova's video conference meeting with MEP delegates, it was reported that she provided them with documents which allegedly back up the Egrant allegations.
"I want all the truth to come out, because I am proud of the work done by this government," he stated, going on to list work done by the government.
PN statement
Reacting, the Nationalist Party said that had it not been for the work of its three MEPs, Malta would have been labelled as a ‘tax haven’ by the European Parliament.
While Muscat boasted about the economy, it said, he did not say anything about the effect that such a label would have had on Malta.
The PN insisted that from now on it would be leading its own agenda and said that this worried Joseph Muscat.