Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, speaking during the a meeting regarding Malta’s 10th anniversary from joining the European Union, addressed the need for the EU to look outwards for investment, towards growing economies.
Discussing the future of the EU, the Prime Minister said that Europe has been too focussed on bringing in energy from Russia. He insisted that the Mediterranean could be a good source for such a sector. He also mentioned bringing in investment from growing economies and that there is too much red-tape that has hindered investment opportunities outside the EU.
Earlier this week, the Malta Employers Association gave new rules regarding sick leave, which Dr Muscat today described as draconian.
General Workers Union spokesman Toni Zarb, who was present, said that prior to joining the EU, people used to look at Germany and countries like it saying that if we join the EU, it would be good for the country. He added that Malta should not be regressive now, which will send the rights of workers backwards.
He spoke about the number of children missing classes in schools, mentioning that attendance in Church and private schools is 10-15 percent higher than in government schools, emphasising the need to find solutions to such problems. Dr Muscat spoke about the future of the workforce if this keeps occurring.
Addressing the problems faced by SME’s, Dr Muscat said that the consumer is beginning to cut out the middle-man and going directly to the source, taking airline tickets as an example. He spoke about online trade, adding that €2 million last year was generated through online commerce in Malta.
Dr Muscat also mentioned the new ID card system, stating that this has in fact already been soft-launched, for both Maltese nationals as well as third party nationals living in Malta.
Answering a question from the floor related to relations between the EU and the USA, the Prime Minister emphasised the need for both to be partners, a mutual friendship, and not one dominating the other. “Remember the EU is not a federation and every country has its own foreign policy. We are all driving down the same road, just on different lanes”.
Minister Helena Dalli, during a short intervention, spoke about 80 percent of the Maltese population being against certain policies. “Are we tyrants or pluralists?” she asked. She said that every person has a right to be heard and be given their rights. “Nobody knows what he or she would be like when they are born. Everyone has rights”.
She spoke about Maltese self-confidence in EU structures, mentioning a forum she had attended where she argued for the need for a strategy against domestic violence.