Nationalist MEP candidate Peter Agius and Labour MEP candidate Alex Agius Saliba sparred over abortion and other subjects during the latest episode of Indepth, with Agius Saliba saying that the Labour Party has told the Party of European Socialists that they can never agree with them on the need for the implementation of abortion.

The argument over the matter was brought up during the debate after Agius said that the government was letting things slide and not caring about those with small businesses, those who want to protect life from the very beginning, those who practice hobbies, and the 27,000 families who are reliant on the financial service sector.  Agius said that the Labour party was not doing this as it had signed and approved the manifesto of the Party of European Socialists, which advocates for tax harmonisation and the introduction of abortion.

Asked by The Malta Independent Editor-in-Chief Rachel Attard, who was moderating the debate, to clarify this latter statement, Agius said that the PES' manifest states that it supports the notion that women should have a right over their bodies, which he called an "obvious, direct" message in favour of abortion.

Agius Saliba meanwhile retorted that this was a "total lie" and a "symptom of the politics of fear that [the PN] is trying to instil".

He said that Agius was trying to give the impression that Labour's Euro-parliamentarians voted in favour of abortion, when it is not the case.

He clarified that every time there is even a miniscule reference to abortion in any EU publication, the government has consistently voted against it.  Agius Saliba said that the Party of European Socialists have a number of fundamental principles, one of which is abortion, but the Labour party has made it totally clear to the PES that they will never coincide with their position on abortion.

"We are always totally against the fundamental right for abortion", Agius Saliba said.