The Nationalist Party’s Youth Movement (MZPN) said National Youth Day should serve as a day of reflection on the situation of young people in Malta, the challenges they were facing and the opportunities they were being offered.

In a statement, MZPN said that opportunities for young people had increased with Malta’s membership in the European Union. Three days after joining the EU, Maltese youngsters were benefiting from many advantages in the employment, educational and training sectors.

MZPN also referred to the SmartCity project which, it said, would lead to the creation of 5,600 jobs. This was yet another great opportunity for Maltese youth to show their worth, MZPN said.

In a statement, the Labour Youth Forum said that young people deserved better leadership, one that kept in touch with them and involved them in the decision-making process.

The Labour Youths said they wanted a leadership that took account of the difficulties they were facing in various sectors, such as employment and housing.