Prime Minister Robert Abela said Saturday that the Nationalist Party contrived a plan for an early general election to create a sense of uncertainty and break down the country’s positive economic growth.
“It seems that every time Malta’s economy moves forward, the Opposition is determined to see how it will break this positive cycle. The Opposition is also a party that creates uncertainty,” Abela said.
Prime Minister Robert Abela was being interviewed on the Labour Party’s radio station, ONE Radio.
After weeks of speculation on whether an election would be held in November, Abela said that it was obvious and clear decision that a general election would not be held this year as it would not have been a decision in the national interest. The election woll be held next year.
Abela said that he is not interested in a seat of power, but he is interested in moving the interests of the country’s citizens forward. Therefore, the government believes that following the publication of the budget, the measures announced need to be implemented.
Speaking about the strains of rising energy prices which is happening across Europe, PM Abela said that Malta wanted to protect locals from pressures of rising energy prices.
“This is a situation that is worrying every responsible leader. While the world is recovering from a pandemic, we have now been faced with a great challenge as energy prices have skyrocketed. However, this did not happen in our country,” Abela said.
He explained that the Maltese government’s principle of helping the country’s citizens has been accepted twice by the European Commission.
“Consequently, Malta is benefiting the lowest electricity rates among the countries of the EU,” Abela said.
Abela highlighted that other countries are managing to keep the electricity bills from rising disproportionately by utilising a percentage of coal or by lighting more nuclear power stations.
“This is something that Malta will not do,” Abela said.
PM Abela referred to the comment made by Opposition Leader Bernard Grech when he was asked on the subject, saying that Grech noted that if the prices rise on an international level, this will mean that the prices rise also locally.
He added that “if it were for a Nationalist government, it would increase the energy prices as well. On the other hand, the Labour government did not want this to be a reality, so it worked to keep prices low.”
Speaking about the pandemic, PM Abela highlighted that a number of countries are currently experiencing a rise in Covid-19 cases.
He noted that the ultimate way to avoid this from happening is to take the vaccine against the virus.
“Although I understand that there are certain limitations, particular options, and a choice against taking the vaccine, our appeal is clear as the results following the inoculation of the vaccine are positive. This process also applies for the booster vaccine. Anyone who receives an appointment should go and take it in order to protect himself and those around him,” Abela said.
The countries which are seeing a rise in cases have a low percentage of people who took the vaccine against the virus. This shows that the vaccine is effective, Abela said.
PM Abela also spoke about the measures published in the 2022 Budget and the investment in Malta, saying that investing in Malta brings a great sense of satisfaction as there is a synergy between how the government works and how the businesses respond.
The government’s direction on the budget measures was primarily based on incentivising people and keeping the morale high. The budget aims to support different sectors in Malta and lead them to a better quality of life despite the challenges, Abela said.
Meanwhile, whilst budget estimates are being discussed in Parliament, Abela acknowledged that the government is not perfect, but it delivers what it promises.
On the other hand, referring to the Opposition, Abela said that except for negative remarks and speeches one does not hear.
“If the Opposition were in government, it would have presented a budget of austerity. A Nationalist government would have taken the country in the direction of locking up its citizens, leading to a disastrous effect.
He also mentioned how the unemployment rate is falling week after week and explained that currently Malta has a total of 1,257 unemployed people.
The World Leader Summit which will be held on 1 November 2021 will kick off the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). Asked on the matter, Abela highlighted that this is an important reality and challenge which is as great as the pandemic, if not greater.
“For a pandemic, we have the vaccine. However, when it comes to climate change issues, there are a number of measures that need to be taken and that might change our way of living. Malta is ready to do its part, but other countries must do their part as well because inaction is imposed on other countries,” Abela said.
He highlighted that if emissions in Malta are not reduced, the impact will be a negative one.
“We need to understand that this is not only an environmental challenge but a national challenge as well. Although Malta is the lowest emitter when compared to other countries, this does not mean we are doing enough.
We need to incentivize more and work on increasing the percentage of renewable energy in Malta because doing so not only improves the issue, but it guarantees fixed prices for our citizens,” Abela said.
He added that climate change is a challenge, but the government believes that it will succeed in overcoming this issue and turning it into a number of opportunities.