The Labour Party has accused the Nationalist Party (PN) of damaging Malta’s reputation abroad, following news that PN Members of the European Parliament have secured another debate on Malta in the European Parliament’s upcoming agenda.
In a statement issued by the Labour Party’s Communications Office, it was claimed that the debate — set to focus on justice and the rule of law in Malta — forms part of what the PN had previously described as its “holy war against Malta” during last year’s European Parliament elections.
The statement followed PN Leader Alex Borg’s recent visit to Brussels, where he held meetings in the European Parliament, including with the leadership of the European People’s Party. According to the Labour Party, these discussions led directly to next week’s debate, which it said was designed to “attack” Malta rather than defend its interests.
Labour MEP and Vice-President of the Socialists and Democrats group Alex Agius Saliba criticised Borg for what he called a contradiction between his words and actions. “Until recently Alex Borg was talking about national unity,” Agius Saliba said, “but the Nationalist Party is now pushing another debate attacking Malta in the European institutions.”
The Labour Party insisted that despite changing its leader five times in twelve years, the Nationalist Party’s “destructive strategy” of harming Malta’s reputation in Europe “remains the same.”
More fake news from Labour, PN says
The Labour Party is in panic, the PN said in response.
"Faced with the tireless work being carried out by PN Leader Alex Borg to improve the quality of life of the Maltese and Gozitan people, Labour continues to churn out more Fake News. Out of sheer panic, Labour has now come up with the absurd claim that the PN Leader's visit to Brussels over the past two days was somehow intended to promote a debate that goes against Malta's interests within the European institutions."
"In its desperation, Labour is lying and inventing stories - claiming that in Brussels, the PN Leader pushed for a debate on Malta. The truth, however, is that Labour didn't even realise that this debate had already been decided upon long before Alex Borg was even in Brussels," the party said.
"Worse still, Labour deliberately failed to mention that this debate, commemorating Daphne Caruana Galizia on the anniversary of her assassination, is supported by the Socialist Group, of which the Labour Party itself is a member. In fact, the Vice President of that very group is none other than the Labour Party's Deputy Leader, Alex Agius Saliba. This, therefore, is nothing but another piece of Fake News from those who have become experts at spreading lies and misinformation."
"Contrary to Labour's fabricated stories, during his meetings in Brussels the Leader of the Opposition discussed issues that truly matter to the Maltese and Gozitan people, including the state of the environment, the traffic crisis, rising prices, job creation, and the need for a competitive economy by reducing bureaucracy, strengthening social dialogue, and ensuring a European policy that protects the interests of small and peripheral islands. Discussions also covered the fishing sector, border security, and peace in the region. It is now clear that the success of the PN Leader's meetings with various European Commissioners, European People's Party (EPP) officials, and Maltese diplomats has unsettled the Labour Party, which is increasingly worried to see Alex Borg proving effective and delivering concrete results for the Maltese and Gozitan people, even at a European level. And every time it panics, the Labour Party explodes into Fake News," the PN said.