What Peter spoke about.

8 Oct

2026

EN Speech

EU strategies for islands, coastal communities and outermost regions (debate)

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Ms President, I apologise to the interpreters today, because I will not speak Maltese because all Maltese know what I'm going to say. Dear Vice-President, this is a brilliant document. The problem is that we need this in every Union policy. Do we have an island strategy in ETS? I have not seen it yet. Do we have an island strategy in CBAM? Not yet. Did we have an island strategy when we imposed a …

8 Jul

2026

MT Speech

The EU’s role in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the accountability of Israel under international law (topical debate)

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Mr President, colleagues, I asked to speak in this debate on behalf of the young people I meet in Malta. The young people say to me "We have gone through double standards, we are like European hypocrisy." I want the prosperity of the Palestinian people as much as I want the security of the Israelites at home. But the biggest contribution we have to make to both of them is to insist on legality. So…

10 Mar

2026

MT Speech

Housing crisis in the European Union with the aim of proposing solutions for decent, sustainable and affordable housing (debate)

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16 Dec

2025

MT Speech

European Citizens’ Initiative ‘My voice, my choice: for safe and accessible abortion’ (debate)

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21 Oct

2025

MT Speech

Delayed justice and rule of law backsliding in Malta, eight years after Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination (debate)

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Mr President, in Malta there were those who did not want to talk about Daphne today. He said that this debate was a treason planned with the Leader of the Opposition. Then you see them coming here to defend the indefensible for the false defending Malta, but they are also defending the behaviour of those who want to abuse power. They defended the one who was removing the candles from Daphne's memo…

20 Oct

2025

MT Speech

A new legislative framework for products that is fit for the digital and sustainable transition (debate)

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Mr President, thank you to my friends who participated in these negotiations. We started from a very different point of view, but we found the balance. We have found the balance that shows us the way forward. I believe that the European single market is "a means to an end". It is a tool to protect the consumer. It is a tool for the king to be the consumer. Above all, the market is a tool to promot…

8 Oct

2025

MT Speech

The role of simple tax rules and tax fragmentation in European competitiveness (debate)

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President, I agree with several points expressed by colleagues here and thank colleague Michalis for the report. It is above all about simplification and working towards European competitiveness. But here I wanted to make an important point on the islands. I come from an island, the island of Malta and Article 174 of the Treaty obliges us all, in the European Union, to pay particular attention to …

22 May

2025

EN Speech

Deliberations of the Committee on Petitions in 2023 (debate)

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Mr President, out of respect for the colleagues, I want to address some of the issues that we spoke about here. I think we should ask a question: is there such a thing as too much love in life? Because what I see in the Petitions Committee is that there are some MEPs, some nationalities, who put a lot of effort into putting petitions in front of us to discuss them and give them due attention. And …

22 May

2025

EN Speech

Deliberations of the Committee on Petitions in 2023 (debate)

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Mr President, the Committee of Petitions is about giving a voice to citizens. It is the committee of the citizens. Through us, citizens can put pressure on the Commission, on the Member States to make sure that from laws we pass to rights. Because after all, this is what citizens really care about. They do not care about laws; they care about rights reaching them and their families. During the yea…

7 May

2025

MT Speech

Malta's Golden Passport scheme circumventing EU sanctions against Russia (debate)

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Mr President, Colleagues, the discussion today for me is not on passports. The discussion is about the great frustration of people who see a teethless Europe that takes eleven years to tell the truth. The court said it was obvious. It is not obvious that you must have a genuine link with a country to be a citizen! But did we need 11 years, to see how misleading the Labour government of Joseph Musc…

11 Mar

2025

MT Speech

Presentation of the proposal on Critical Medicines Act (CMA) (debate)

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Mrs President! I appreciate that the Commission has kept its word and joins the sense of urgency for us to work on a European law on the availability of medicines. I come from Malta, for us the joint procurement made in COVID was essential and we want to see it become more systematically. We have to deal with stockpiling. Undoubtedly. Imagine, often in Malta medicines out of stock, whereas the sam…

12 Feb

2025

MT Speech

Silent crisis: the mental health of Europe’s youth (debate)

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Commissioners, Colleagues, Before going into politics, I said that mental health is not a theme of young people. Today I know it is the most important topic. Young people feel their troubles and that of their peers, they know they are vulnerable. I am the father of three teenagers. My children today have challenges that I haven't had. We spent two hours on television, today from the morning until …

21 Jan

2025

MT Speech

Need to enforce the Digital Services Act to protect democracy on social media platforms including against foreign interference and biased algorithms (debate)

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Ms President, I am delighted to see a European Commission active on the operation of internet giants. But I want to see a more proactive Commission. I noticed that many of us spoke about the risks, but we need to talk more about the opportunities. In Malta we say in politics we have to listen to the two bells. But these algorithms will give you more than you already know, consolidating what you al…

18 Dec

2024

MT Speech

Need to ensure swift action and transparency on corruption allegations in the public sector to protect democratic integrity (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, I greet you. I wish you at the beginning of your mandate the right work and I also wish you to be bolder than before to fight corruption in the countries. I'm talking about everything here. The Maltese people who are seeing the Government steal from public contracts every day: hospitals, phantom works for girlfriends, a power station project in the shadow of Daphne Caru…

16 Dec

2024

MT Speech

Activities of the European Ombudsman – annual report 2023 (debate)

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Ms President, European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, I start by thanking you for your great work. In the past year, only we have had 398 complaints, inquiries from your office. I also thank your staff because we often see people at the forefront, but behind them there are many, in this case, administrator experts. I thank colleagues, as the rapporteur has said, for working very well in the Committee …

27 Nov

2024

MT Speech

Recommendation on smoke- and aerosol-free environments (debate)

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Dear colleagues, Commissioner Dalli, if I meet a friend on the street who smokes or vies, I advise him to stop. However, as a politician, I have a duty to protect freedom; freedom - unless we have a valid reason to limit it. Our health and that of our children is undoubtedly non-negotiable, but has the Commission done serious enough research to limit vapes and aerosols in spaces even outdoors? I h…

23 Oct

2024

MT Speech

Seven years from the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia: lack of progress in restoring the rule of law in Malta (debate)

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Ms President, Daphne for me was a friend. She was a friend of Malta. Her work was a service to democracy. Daphne’s murder is in fact a wound to Malta. The question we need to ask today is how to heal that wound, because the wound is still wide open! Alex Saliba, here, wants us to applaud the Government. Did the Government applaud the sweeping of candles in front of Daphne’s memorial? Do you applau…

7 Oct

2024

MT Speech

Facing fake news, populism and disinformation in the EU - the importance of public broadcasting, media pluralism and independent journalism (debate)

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Colleagues, I believe that we are Europeans not because we were born in this continent. We are Europeans because we believe that our people command governments, not the other way around. But those who think they can control democracy, they can silence those who challenge them. I was elected from Malta. Malta, where Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered due to corruption. He killed her in order to hi…