It's the spirit that matters, not the size - Poettering

The Malta Labour Party could have problems fitting into the Group of European Socialists unless it is committed to the process of European unification, the leader of the European People's Party, Hans-Gert Poettering, warned yesterday.

The German leader expressed "astonishment" that MLP officials and candidates were telling supporters that the June 12 elections had nothing to do with Europe.

"It's a European election, it's the European future - and the future of Malta in the EU which is at stake," he said.

Mr Poettering was speaking to The Times shortly before joining Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and the Nationalist Party's MEP candidates for lunch at the Le Meridien Phoenicia.

With 232 members, the EPP-ED group is the largest in the European parliament, followed by the Socialists, which have 174.

The PN is hoping to land three seats in the June elections, which would see its MEPs sit alongside those of the EPP-ED in the European parliament.

Mr Poettering underlined how important it was for everybody to take the EP elections seriously.

"It's an opportunity to vote for those candidates that are committed to European unification. You should bring your interest from Malta into this process and this can only be done through those candidates that have European feelings," he noted.

The PN, he stressed, was well prepared for the EP elections, describing the team of candidates as an excellent recipe for success.

"We will support the views of our colleagues from Malta to share in this common feature," he said.

He appealed to the Maltese not to be deterred by their country's size, saying they still had a lot to offer.

"It's not the size of the people that counts but the spirit of the nation. And you have that," he enthused.

Mr Poettering also followed the swearing in ceremony of Eddie Fenech Adami as President, describing the appointment as one made with "dignity but not in an exaggerated manner".

He heaped praise on Dr Fenech Adami describing him as a "great European and Maltese statesman".