Irrespective of whoever leads the Nationalist Party, the Labour Party will continue to deliver electoral success because it had the people on its side, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Sunday.
“For us, whether it’s Delia, or his alternate or (Therese) Comodini Cachia, it doesn’t make much difference because we’re going to keep winning,” Abela said.
“I don’t say this out of arrogance or superiority, but because I know we have the trust of the people and they are on our side.”
The PM was speaking at a Labour Party political activity at the Mosta council on Sunday.
Referencing the crisis the PN was plunged into after the majority of its MPs declared they had no faith in Adrian Delia in a confidence vote, and subsequently roped in the President to take a decision on the embattled opposition leader, Abela said this was a mess of the party’s own creation and should be resolved internally.
“While the government took on board criticism by the Venice Commission, for example, and made changes to relinquish some of its powers, the opposition is trying to force the president into a decision that reflects its own will rather than his judgement,” Abela said.
“This is a hole that you’ve dug yourselves into and it’s up to you to dig yourselves out. Members of the opposition, or at least some of them, are trying to undermine a democratic process. It would be prudent to remind them that those who wish harm on their neighbours might find it in their own home.”
The Prime Minister said that the difference between the government and those who conspired against it, is the serenity, cohesion and trust by which it managed to deliver its work.
“We are a government that keeps our word. I don’t believe in backroom manoeuvres. With us, what you see is what you get, and other people are taking notice of this.”
Dialogue with Libya
Abela said that continued dialogue with Libyan counterparts had resulted in a substantial decrease in irregular migrants arriving by the boatload on Maltese shores, while similar regions like Lampedusa were struggling to manage the situation.
“This isn’t a coincidence,” Abela said.
“Because we kept our word with the Libyan government they know where they stand with us and we’ve seen an improvement. In turn, our European counterparts are seeing this and offering to help with relocations. There is always more work to be done but we are taking steps in the right direction.”
The Prime Minister also said that enjoying the trust of the people was being translated into tangible results, as best evidenced by Malta’s quick transition to recovery during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19: 'We came out on top'
“We came out on top in a test of resilience the likes of which the world will hopefully never see again,” Abela said.
“The results speak for themselves. Some countries are still in the throes of pandemic and are unable to cope medically, while Malta is enjoying absolute normality.
“The European Commission itself confirmed that Malta is the only country set to recover economically within the next year. This only happened because we were focused and took hard decisions when they needed to be taken. We are enjoying the results of those decisions now.”
Abela said that despite the fact that Malta’s economy improved significantly in the past seven years worked against it in budget negotiations at a European level, the government would continue to work towards a strong budget for Malta and would not accept a ‘mediocre’ alternative.
“We do not believe in a trickle-down of wealth, where those at the table have a feast and those at the bottom have to be satisfied with crumbs,” Abela said.
“We will never forget the poor and the small at the bottom because we are a socialist government, and we can never forget that these are the roots of the Labour Party. That’s what is fundamental, because when you love your country you love all of your people,” Abela said.