The government has repeatedly ignored warnings from the Nationalist Party and constitutional bodies to stop funding corruption and to stop passing large sums of money to friends of friends, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said.

"This has now led to the European Commission announcing that it will start procedures to place Malta under the Excessive Deficit Procedure."

On Wednesday, the European Commission called on Malta to gradually eliminate energy subsidies and take measures to ease traffic congestion and increase renewable energy. In light of its assessment, "and after considering the opinion of the Economic and Financial Committee, the Commission intends to propose to the Council to open excessive deficit procedures for these Member States in July 2024", the EU executive said.

Grech, when asked during an interview on Spotlight on Net Television what the PN would do differently and whether a PN government would stop subsidies to address the debt created by the Labour government, said that a Nationalist government would cut government's excessive and reckless spending on corruption and the large sums that go to friends of friends, that do not to aid the people.

The leader of the Nationalist Party continued to say that this problem was created by the Labour government with its irresponsibility, and it should solve it by reducing waste and corruption. He stated that "the government should in no way try to address this problem by reducing aid to the people or by increasing the burden on them, as this problem was caused by the government of Robert Abela and Clyde Caruana, not by the Maltese and Gozitan people." He added that the people are suffering the consequences of the government's bad policies.

When asked about his visit to Brussels this week, Bernard Grech said that he attended an EPP Summit and met with MEPs elected on behalf of the Nationalist Party. He said that in the meetings he had in Brussels, he talked about how the PN's and EPP's work should focus on improving the quality of life for Maltese and European citizens. Grech congratulated Roberta Metsola on her nomination as the EPP's candidate for President of the European Parliament and said that he hopes Robert Abela and the Labour Party will put national interest before partisan interest and declare their support for Metsola's candidacy.

Regarding the results of the European Parliament and Local Council elections, Grech said that the Nationalist Party achieved the goals it had announced: to secure 3 seats in the European Parliament, to win back at least 5 councils, and to halve the gap. He said that he and the Nationalist Party are determined to work to convince all those who are not yet convinced by the Nationalist Party to join together "to build a new majority in favour of the change that only the Nationalist Party can bring."