The Prime Minister on Sunday called for politics that discussed the wellbeing of the Maltese, slamming Jason Azzopardi’s involvement in a European Court of Justice case over whether a former system of appointing judges breached EU laws.
Earlier in the week, a court heard from the government and NGO Repubblika, whose lawyer, and PN MP, Azzopardi, said a series of decisions by then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat were “legitimate doubts” about the “impermeability” and “neutrality” of the judges involved.
He acknowledged the law has since been changed.
Addressing a political activity in Valletta on Sunday, Robert Abela said the rule-of law reform, which included a change in the appointment of judges and magistrates, had been green-lighted by the Venice Commission itself, but also by civil society and the Opposition.
“Why haven’t they dropped a case dealing with a former system of appointment? The case is closed... This is the damage that they are trying to cause Malta away from our shores,” Abela said.
He instead called for politics of beneficial policies and a debate of ideas that would provide the best future for the people of Malta.
Without naming him, the Prime Minister also criticised Azzopardi’s attempt at what he said undermined police work.
On Saturday, Azzopardi said a sitting cabinet minister is named in an application for a pardon by il-koħħu, one of the alleged assassins in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder case.
The Prime Minister also referred to a PN statement issued just before the Sunday activity in which the PN dissociated itself from 13th district candidate Ryan Mercieca, who contested the last general election on its behalf and will be vying for the seat vacated on the district following the death of Frederick Azzopardi.
He said, that without defending him, “the young candidate... had collected money from people and kept it. Another person who collected money and kept it to himself instead of passing it on to the taxman was turned into the party’s leader.
“That is how the establishment works. A law for the gods, and a law for the animals... If you’re not part of the establishment they will break you.”
In his address, Abela also noted that unlike what used to happen under the PN, he will not allow people who were appointed to lead a government or regulatory authority to continue with their private practice.
Budget gave people 'hope and courage'
Referring to the budget measures, the Prime Minister promised to look into the “anomaly” that deprives people suffering from a medical condition from acquiring a bank loan to buy their own property.
Noting that he had wanted to launch such a measure, he said he had recently spoken to a man with Hodgkin's lymphoma who was going to be treated abroad.
“Although the treatment will allow him a new life, he felt he had no future as the lack of a life insurance – as a result of his medical condition – will make it impossible for him to acquire a home loan.”
Abela said that the budget gave people hope and courage.
The Opposition leader’s reaction to the budget cleared any doubt that this was the best ever budget, he said, adding that Grech’s speech lacked vision.
Among others, he said Grech compared the vouchers’ measure – which had generated the equivalent of consumption generated by 40,000 tourists in 2019 – as a way of scooping out water out of a sinking vessel. However, the PN itself had asked for more vouchers, he said.
Taking a dig at Grech, who in December had said he would identify as Greek as he was ashamed to admit he was Maltese because of all the corruption taking place in Malta, Abela referred to Malta’s unemployment figure in the past four months – the lowest in the Eurozone according to Eurostat.
“Whoever is embarrassed to identify as Maltese and say they are Greek, I tell them, the rate of unemployment in Greece is four times higher than that in Malta,” Abela said.