Momentum said Thursday it stands in full support of Arnold Cassola, "a politician who has dedicated his life to good governance, transparency, and the public interest in Malta", after ageist comments made by Jason Micallef, Valletta Cultural Agency chief.

It is deeply disappointing and unacceptable that Micallef has chosen to respond to legitimate criticism with "personal insults and ageist remarks" directed at Cassola. In comments given about the gravel crisis at Ta' Qali, Micallef referred to Cassola as an "elderly" person who never managed to get into Parliament.

"Such behaviour is disrespectful, undignified, and unbecoming of anyone holding public office, let alone a person entrusted with representing national institutions," Momentum said.

Mark Camilleri Gambin, General Secretary of Momentum, said, "No one should be dismissed, ridiculed, or belittled simply because of their age. The normalisation of this kind of hateful and dangerous rhetoric is what the true champions of mental health and wellbeing have long been fighting against. Malta's citizens, many of whom, like Prof. Cassola, have spent decades contributing to public life, deserve respect, gratitude, and fair engagement. While we may be accustomed to such insults from fake profiles and paid trolls, it is immensely more damaging when public officials resort to it. This undermines the principles of respect, equality, and decency that should guide our national discourse."

"I would like to remind Jason Micallef that, after Metsola and Agius Saliba, Cassola was the third most voted politician, receiving over 22,000 votes on the last count in the last MEP elections, which is a true testament to the trust and support of thousands of Maltese citizens who recognise his consistent integrity and courage. Yet even if Prof. Cassola had gotten zero votes, it would never have given Jason the licence to call someone a social failure or even to highlight their age as an attempt to belittle their argument."

Public officials must lead by example. Resorting to mockery or insults when faced with criticism is not leadership, but it is a failure of respect. Malta's democracy depends on open dialogue, transparency, and mutual respect among all citizens, regardless of age or political affiliation, Momentum said.

Regarding the Ta' Qali gravel works, Momentum reiterated that its Freedom of Information requests made on September 4 remain unanswered. The public deserves clarity on how this project was conceived, approved, and executed.