Self-described “radical” and independent MEP candidate Edwin Vassallo said that if the Nationalist Party wants to regain its relevance, it has to “go back to basics” as currently, the party’s ideals have steered more towards being centre-left.
Two weeks ago, Vassallo, a former Nationalist parliamentary secretary, announced that he will be running as an independent candidate for the upcoming European Parliament elections.
In an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday about his candidature, Vassallo questioned what the Nationalist Party truly stands for, saying that the PN has become "liberal like Labour". Vassallo represented the PN in Parliament between 1996 and 2022.
Both parties, including the PN, seem to have accepted that the PN has become more centre-left, Vassallo said, adding that a few weeks ago, Opposition leader Bernard Grech was quoted agreeing with PN MP Mario de Marco that the party is more centre-left, which in theory, should be the Labour Party description.
Vassallo noted that both parties, including the PN, seem to have accepted the PN's shift towards the centre-left. He added that just a few weeks ago, Opposition leader Bernard Grech was quoted agreeing with PN MP Mario de Marco that the party's positioning is more centre-left, a characterisation typically associated with the Labour Party.
"It seems that if we want to win votes, we need to be liberal. But we must also be truthful to what we are," Vassallo said.
He said that the Labour Party should return to what it truly is, and that the Nationalist Party should return what "it is meant to be".
Both parties have lost their relevance as they now only prioritise votes, "at all costs”, Vassallo said.
"First, we look at where the crowd is going, then we speak," Vassallo said, adding that his message has remained consistent in what he stands for, and appealed for more consistent politics rather than “fluid”.
He said that a vote for PN and PL candidates is a vote for the status quo in the European Union, for everything to remain as is.
"A vote for the independent parties is a vote for an alternative. We need to create an alternative in Malta. With an alternative, we can have strong politics in the country," Vassallo said.
Vassallo said that in the past, the two parties were different from each other, and criticised one another. "Nobody was perfect, but there was a clear line of division between the two," Vassallo said. This has been lost today.
"Today, if there is a liberal legislation, both parties will agree with it immediately, without a political discussion," Vassallo said, adding that this is the reason why there is no faith in today's politics.
"If the PN wants to fight against corruption, they have to go back to basics, to the values, otherwise we will continue having corruption," Vassallo said.
‘Somebody should have told Joseph Muscat he crossed the line’
When questioned about his decision to run in the European Parliament elections, Vassallo replied that he would always remain a politician, and he still cares about people.
His politics evolved to creating his new movement, Moviment Solidarjeta, to have a structure through which he could defend the values of life, family and freedom, which have never been as threatened as they are now, Vassallo said.
That commitment to defend those values eventually led to the decision to contest for the MEP elections this June, Vassallo said.
He denied that he had approached the Nationalist Party and had been rejected, saying that he had ceased contact with the party, and that politics at that level was a "closed chapter" for him, wanting to be more active in what he believes in.
Vassallo spoke of the recent instance where former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was invited to and addressed a crowd at a political activity held by Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba.
"That was my turning point: when I heard Muscat speak on a woman's right to control her own body, and nobody told him that that is not right," Vassallo said.
He continued that those who proclaim themselves to be against abortion did not speak up to tell Muscat he had crossed the line.
"I felt that we needed to correct this. I am against abortion, and in favour of life. And so, I started writing on various platforms, and saying that this is not right. Whoever is against abortion should have spoken up," Vassallo said.
He said that everyone had the time to defend whomever Muscat attacked, such as European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, but nobody was defending the baby in the womb.
"If we truly want to defend life, family and freedom, we must go to the source of the problem. The source of the problem was the EU. It is now the Maltese who are going to the EU to endanger the rights to life, family and freedom in Malta," Vassallo said.
Described as a critic by some, Vassallo goes a step further, and considers himself as “radical” as he speaks out on what is right and wrong, stands by what he believes in and remains consistent.
He said that his campaign, albeit different than those of other candidates, is a totally independent one which focuses on his cause and saving those core values, with Vassallo as the messenger. It is dedicated to the youths who feel unhappy in Malta, he added.
Vassallo believes independent candidates can acquire a seat in the European Parliament
Asked if he believes independent candidates could acquire a seat in the upcoming elections, Vassallo expressed his belief that this is indeed feasible..
He spoke of reports that the election's outcome would turn out to be three seats for Labour, with the PN acquiring a third seat.
"However, I see a huge possibility, as I see people overwhelmingly supporting me and others, as they want to see a change in the country; a new breath," Vassallo noted that many individuals who were previously non-voters have informed him of their intention to vote, and he emphasised that his ideals do not come as a surprise to people. Asked if people are truly ready to vote for a change in the country, Vassallo said he believes people are ready, although he admits results will not come easy or quickly.
He continued that MEPs selected to represent Malta will ultimately sit together and make decisions together. Vassallo said that the laws which created the high cost of living in the country were voted for by MEPs.
The green deal legislation, which was deemed against farmers' interests, was agreed upon by all MEPs, Vassallo said.
"All that is going wrong today will get worse tomorrow, as there is no theory on how to fix things. The Maltese family is decreasing, yet we continue to build more, but for whom? For the foreign workers that we continue bringing in the country?" Vassallo said. The economy is based on consumption and this leads to more cars on the road, more buildings, and an increasing cost of living, he said.
The political establishment is losing touch with its people
Vassallo said that he wants families to acquire something from his candidature.
"When I speak about family, I mean the middle-class and lower. Single parents, those who are not keeping up with life, the elderly who cannot manage with their pensions and expenses," Vassallo said.
He said that what he dreams of acquiring is not for his personal gain, but to save family values.
"In itself, a liberal democracy is good. But when it comes to the worst, liberal democracy leads to debauchery. And then everything becomes as if it is nothing," Vassallo said.
He said that what he wants to achieve is to put the country's politics facing in the direction where it looks out for those fundamental rights and core values.
“Today, the value of family is being threatened socially, morally, environmentally and economically," Vassallo said.
He said that the government needs to be one which looks out for the workers.
"I want the Labour Party to return back to how it was during Mintoff's time, not to go back in time, but to return to being a relevant government, so that we do not have the social chaos we have today," Vassallo said.
He said that in Mintoff's time, Labourites would brag that the party had eradicated poverty, yet today, poverty is increasing.
"We want to build a society, and so far, we have only broken it. It's all about money now. Only money has become this country’s core value," Vassallo said, adding that “Labour” stands for money.
On the other hand, Vassallo contends that the PN is not much better, saying that the Maltese public no longer sees it as the alternative.
Vassallo criticised the “political establishment” and said that it is losing its touch with the people.
“It is just a power struggle between power mongers,” Vassallo said, adding that the only motif left in politics is that every politician works to secure the assurances of their existence, and not of the people, he added.
Nobody from either party is seriously talking about the increase of people in the country and the issue of migration, Vassallo said.
"The government is bringing in more tourists. The PN is not opposing this. More tourists mean more foreign workers, meaning more people, and in the meantime, the Maltese family is collapsing," Vassallo said.
He asked if anybody is worrying that demographically, the existence Maltese family is at risk. Vassallo said that nobody is worrying about why there is so much bullying in schools, and there was no public outcry by politicians. No rallying and protests have been organised over the high rate of suicides either, he said.
Vassallo said that if he were the Opposition, he would be fuming at the statistics showing an increase in bullying.
"Bullying in schools starts from families, so we have a huge problem, and we need to take care of our families," Vassallo said, dubbing this as a "social crisis".
This means that the domestic violence issue is larger than we think, and this is not spoken about, Vassallo said. Those who bully today, can be abusers to their partners in the future, he said, adding that these are acts against the freedom of another.
He said that these issues are "worse than the sale of hospitals". Money corruption is mentioned and tackled, yet the corruption of life and family is not addressed, he said.
"The political establishment is not capable of providing a political vision. This is because there are no values, and that is what you have to build the establishment on," Vassallo said, comparing it to "cooking without ingredients".
Vassallo said that today's politics has become a "politics of selfies and photos”.
"Politics is not a fashion show. It is not the looks, but the statement you make. To make our politics relevant again, we need values," Vassallo said.
He said that the "big businesses" are ruling the country, and the family is paying for the impunity shown by the "big guys", who are protected, and in turn, finance political parties.
The political vision must be one that is pro-family, Vassallo said, explaining that government giving out cheques is "pro-politics, not pro-family".
‘Are countries who introduced abortion truly helping the woman?’
Asked on his thoughts about today's realities surrounding abortion, where despite a lack of access to "safe" abortions, women are still resorting to abortion via other means, Vassallo said that this needs to be questioned, as to why it is happening.
He questioned if things would be better if abortion is introduced, and if it would truly be defending the woman, and solving the problem.
"Are countries that have introduced abortion, truly helping the woman?" Vassallo questioned.
He posed another question "does whoever is in favour of abortion, especially the politician, truly care about the woman? As at the end of the day, abortion is an industry for money".
"How much do we care about statistics of how many women suffered after deciding to go for abortion? How much are we caring about the woman's health after the abortion?" Vassallo said, adding that the appropriate social structures to help the woman are not in place.
He said that nowadays, children as young as 10 years, are being taught how to wear condoms, yet questioned if they are being taught in schools to be responsible with other peoples' lives.
Vassallo was also asked why some believe that Malta should follow in the footsteps of other countries that have introduced abortion in one way or another.
"As a Maltese, I am not obligated to do what other countries are doing," Vassallo said, asking why some are adamant on “copying” other countries.
"If I believe in the dignity of life, why should I agree to killing the baby in the womb, which is a criminal act, to justify what others are doing and to be liked by them?" Vassallo said.
Vassallo said that he wants to go to the EU to protect the baby's right as a fundamental right, not to put abortion as a fundamental right.
"I will be against the current at all stages, even at European level," he said.
Vassallo said that the five pillars of our current economy are: the sale of drugs, prostitution, human trafficking, money laundering and corruption.
He said that the country has the lowest minimum wage, yet also the highest rate of inflation. "Do we truly have a politics for the family?" Vassallo said.
Vassallo added that his message may not reach everyone, as it is restricted. He said he is a “radical” as his views are relevant, and not because they are “out of this world”.
When asked whether he believes there are many others who share his beliefs, Vassallo said that he is addressing genuine issues that people encounter.
Vassallo said that he would still be defending a minority of people who adopt his beliefs. When he came out against divorce, there were those who expressed themselves against divorce as well, Vassallo argued.
"Minorities do not deserve to disappear," Vassallo said, explaining that he calls himself a 'radical', because he feels he has the courage to speak on behalf of minorities.