Updated 8:15pm

Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba has called on the leadership of EU’s largest political group, the European People’s Party (EPP), to investigate Malta’s Nationalist Party, one of its constituent parties.

In a letter to EPP president Manfred Weber and secretary general Ouarda Bensouag on Thursday, Agius Saliba highlighted the “worrying state” of PN’s financial records, citing its failure to submit information on donations it has received.

Stressing that voters “deserve to understand the motives behind our political positions,” Agius underscored the importance of “high standards” from political parties and said information on party financing allowed voters to make an informed choice.

“Regrettably, the Partit Nazzjonalista [PN] has failed to publish information about donations received for the last three years,” the PL deputy leader said, noting information on donations above €7,000 was also missing.

The PN had also failed to publish its audited accounts for the past four years, he said, adding it was “regrettable that a political party would systematically choose to contravene the law.”

Political parties are required by law to present audited accounts to the Electoral Commission) within four months of the end of their financial year and present a donation report within 60 days of the end of their reporting period.

According to the Electoral Commission website, the PN has not submitted its donation reports for 2022 and 2023, nor its statements of accounts for the same years as well as for 2021.

Last month, the party told Times of Malta it had submitted its accounts to an auditor and was waiting for the records to be reviewed and approved.

Agius Saliba said PN’s credibility had been “further weakened” by its treasurer Veronica Perici Calascione being the daughter of deputy leader Alex Perici Calascione.

Despite the EPP and Malta’s Labour Party – a member of rival European political group the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) – being “political adversaries,” Agius Saliba said they were united in their differences from “extremist” parties in Europe.

“I thus believe it would be in the interests of all centrist parties to ensure we hold ourselves to the highest standards of accountability,” he said.

“I trust that you will appreciate that it would be in our collective interest if these shortcomings are addressed, the sooner the better.”

'Pathetic move'

Reacting to Agius Saliba's letter, Nationalist MEP David Casa called it a "pathetic move", adding he did not know whether it was "laughable or worthy of tears."

Posting on Facebook, Casa said: "The Labour Party – which profited from everything it could at our expense – went crying to the EPP in Brussels about what was and wasn’t published by the PN."

He called on Agius Saliba to "stop defending the indefensible" while charging him with "making a fool" of himself.