The Labour Party on Wednesday criticized what it called "the double standards and hypocrisy" of the Nationalist Party which in Malta says one thing, and in European fora does otherwise.

The last issue concerns a vote by MEPs on a report on human rights, democracy and the rule of law taken earlier on Wednesday at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the PL said.

"Nationalist MPs Peter Agius and David Casa sided with the far-right MEPs in the EP including Le Pen's French MEPs and Orban's Hungarian MEPs, and voted against this report, the majority of which deals with civil liberties, the rule of law and democracy," the PL said.

"While here Malta Agius and Casa act as the paladins of democracy and the rule of law with their fellow PN extremists, in Strasbourg they dropped the mask and showed that it is not true that they truly believe in democracy and the rule of law," the party continued.

It said that unlike PN MEPs, Labour Party MEPs "remained consistent with their principles and voted in favour of this report, except for one amendment dealing with abortion and on which they voted against."

The Head of the Maltese Delegation of the Labour Party and Vice-President of the Socialists and Democrats of the EP Alex Agius Saliba said that he, Daniel Attard and Thomas Bajada are working in the interest of the Maltese and Gozitans in the European Parliament, while PN MEPs have continued to work against our country in European fora.

Agius Saliba said that apart from this hypocrisy of Nationalist Party MEPs who say one way and do another, "Agius and Casa continued with fake news and lies against Labour Party MEPs, which are not worthy of the seat they have as Maltese MPs in the European Parliament."

"The Maltese people know who is really protecting their interests in our country and beyond, and this is none other than the Labour Party which is making a difference in people's quality of life from the Government and the European fora," the party said.