Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola has urged youngsters considering the political sphere, especially women, to continue speaking out and standing up for their beliefs.  

In a reply to a hate message by former V18 artistic director and filmmaker Mario Azzopardi, Metsola said it was people like a “pathetic” Azzopardi that would sit down while they spoke their minds. 

“To all the young people thinking of getting involved in how our communities are run - and to the girls in particular: Politics is not the hate spewed by this pathetic man. Keep speaking out, keep standing up - it is these small men consumed by blind rage and hate who will sit down,” she said. 

She was replying to Azzopardi’s Facebook post who uploaded a photograph of Metola with the following message: "It is very difficult not to hate this sick woman. How can she sleep at night knowing that the country hates her with a passion? They hate you, Roberta.” Azzopardi also called Metsola a “traitor”.  

In her reply, Metsola said she was not going to comment but then decided to reply to get a message across to those considering political activism. 

“I want to reassure so many young people who are in politics or want to join a political party that politics is not how this man does it. Politics is principles, values, issues that make a difference to the people, ideas, working to make the country better. Don’t let someone like this discourage you,” she said. 

She added: “For my part, I reassure Mario Azzopardi that teasing, incitement and hatred do not frighten us. On the contrary they increase the determination to work harder.”

This is not the first time that Azzopardi was involved in controversy over his rants on Facebook. In 2014, he was forced to apologise after claiming that “all Islam is Sharia law”.

In 2016, the police had to intervene during a foul-mouthed clash between Azzopardi and a Valletta parish priest over the noise created by a marching band outside the Manoel Theatre.