What Daniel spoke about.

8

Jul

2026

EN Speech

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

Mr President, 73 000 Palestinians have been killed. Among them, 21 000 kids; 10 000 kids have suffered life-changing injuries; 60 000 kids have lost one or both of their parents. Hundreds of journalists have been killed. Hundreds of thousands of homes have been completely damaged or totally destroyed. So when this genocide is being perpetrated, settler violence still continues to this very day. La…

17

Jun

2026

MT Speech

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The resilience of the European transport sector and the need to ensure the supply of essential goods amid ongoing geopolitical instability (debate)

Mr President, it is very good that today we are discussing the security of supply of essential products. To us Maltese and Gozitans, it affects us in the living flesh; for us a simple storm leaves us the racks of supermarkets empty, let alone what a war does. Because sometimes here with the mind of a continental Europe, we forget that Malta and Gozo, an island with an island, do not have alternati…

28

Apr

2026

MT Speech

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Enhancing connectivity, preserving cultural heritage and driving local excellence in European tourism – destination management and regional tourism growth (A10-0078/2026 - Daniel Attard) (vote)

Mrs President, I understand that everyone has to go to eat, but tourism has been left to the end, but it is not a secondary issue. It is a European economic force that employs millions of people, supports businesses, keeps our regions and yours alive. But if we continue without direction, we risk going into the wall and failing ourselves and the next generation. Today we understand the price of a …

25

Mar

2026

EN Speech

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Imminent death penalty threats in Iran in the light of the latest executions, including on 18 and 19 March 2026, by the Iranian regime (debate)

Madam President, right now, the world is consumed by one question: the war, its legality and its consequences. While that question dominates, we are missing something critical; repression in Iran has not paused – in fact, it is accelerating. People are still being arrested, tortured and forced into confessions. Just yesterday, I received information about a young man, Peyvand Naeimi, detained, tor…

11

Mar

2026

EN Speech

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EUCO and situation in the Middle East (joint debate)

Mr President, let us stop pretending that this crisis appeared out of nowhere. For decades, the Iranian regime has imprisoned its citizens, brutally crushed protesters and exported instability elsewhere in the region. That is the reality we are dealing with. But we should also stop pretending that bombs will magically deliver freedom. History teaches us a very, very simple lesson: missiles can kil…

11

Feb

2026

EN Speech

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Systemic oppression, inhumane conditions and arbitrary detentions by the regime in Iran

Mr President, another debate, another resolution on Iran. In the meantime, people are being murdered in the streets, arrested in their homes, cut off from the rest of the world. Let us stop pretending. In the face of the atrocities unfolding in Iran, we have the responsibility to protect, to move from words to actions. How many more must die before we act? This is not about foreign interference. I…

10

Feb

2026

EN Speech

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Situation in Northeast Syria, the violence against civilians and the need to maintain a sustainable ceasefire (debate)

Mr President, colleagues, when ISIS was advancing, many looked away. But the Kurdish forces did not – they fought, they bled and they died. Not just for their land, but also for our own security here in Europe. Today, the very forces that crushed Daesh risked being dismantled. This is not just morally wrong, but it was also strategically reckless. In Rojava, we saw something rare in Syria and beyo…

10

Feb

2026

MT Speech

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Extreme weather events in particular in Portugal, southern Italy, Malta and Greece: European response in strengthening readiness, preparedness and solidarity mechanisms (debate)

20

Jan

2026

EN Speech

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Brutal repression against protesters in Iran (debate)

Mr President, what you are witnessing in Iran is not simply unrest, it is systematic repression – thousands killed, thousands arrested, and the justice system weaponised against its own people. And I have one clear message to the regime in Tehran: stop hiding behind the claim that this is foreign interference. This is coming from within, from the population – a young population, mostly born after …

27

Nov

2025

EN Speech

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Development of an industry for sustainable aviation and maritime fuel in Europe (debate)

Mr President, for Malta, other regions and islands, aviation and maritime links define our economic reality. Without them, there is no trade flow, no tourism sector, no real integration. We back the development of a European sustainable fuel industry, but ambition must be matched by delivery. Production capacity, stable pricing and long‑term certainty are what will make this transition real. If su…

26

Nov

2025

EN Speech

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Escalating repression of the Baha'is in Iran

Mr President, Iran's persecution of the Baha'is is not incidental – it is policy; it is structured; it is calculated. The 1991 memorandum and the misuse of Article 49 are tools of exclusion disguised as law. Behind them are lives: elderly citizens detained without explanation; families kept in the dark; women arbitrarily imprisoned for propaganda; homes raided; families and faith criminalised. Dip…

25

Nov

2025

EN Speech

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Protection of minors online (debate)

Mr President, protection of minors online is the protection of society itself, it is the protection of our future leaders and, therefore, it is the protection of democracy. We all know the problems posed by fake profiles – not just fake profiles of children, but of those who target them, who prey on them. Let us be honest: the tools exist – age verification is just one of them – but what we need i…

25

Nov

2025

EN Speech

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Escalation of the war and the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan (continuation of debate)

Madam President, Sudan today is a test of credibility for this Parliament. In el-Fasher and across the country, civilians are being killed, displaced and stripped of their dignity on an industrial scale. Families are starved into submission. Women and girls are sexually violated to instil fear and control. And this horror persists with the awareness – and at times the direct facilitation – of acto…

21

Oct

2025

MT Speech

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

Mr President, again, I count on the facts that major reforms have taken place in our country in various sectors, not least in the judiciary and even in the case we are dealing with today, in the case of Daphne Caruana Galizia and her condemnable murder, where the judicial process has taken its course and only one trial is lacking. Again, there is still something to do, and we respect the European …

21

Oct

2025

MT Answer

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

Mr President, rather than on perception, I prefer to base myself on the facts, and I tell you that in Malta you no longer enjoy a lawyer in the morning and in the evening you go to the judge's home after a meeting with the Prime Minister. In Malta, he does not reach a police commissioner after a meeting with the Prime Minister. In Malta, the Prime Minister does not appoint himself a President. In …

21

Oct

2025

MT Speech

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

Mr President, this debate, in my view, is nothing more than another attempt to shoot the name of Malta. Because, I sincerely don't know how some people can't use the murder of a journalist to serve their political agenda. Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder was, remains and remains reprehensible. However, she does not want to be a law professor and political expert to acknowledge that progress has bee…

8

Oct

2025

EN Speech

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EU strategy with regard to Iran’s nuclear threat and the implementation of EU sanctions resulting from the snapback mechanism (debate)

Madam President, Iran is no longer simply breaching the nuclear deal, but is intentionally dismantling it. Uranium enrichment has surged, international inspections are restricted, and threats to regional stability are growing. And as such, the EU was right to support the triggering of the snapback mechanism. But unless we enforce these sanctions fully and consistently, we send the wrong message – …

7

Oct

2025

EN Speech

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The EU’s role in supporting the recent peace efforts for Gaza and a two-state solution (debate)

Dear colleagues, the very title of this debate exposes the sorry state of our Union; reduced to an observer on the global stage. We were first in line for the photo, but once again we are last when it comes to global policy. We even heard colleagues today shamelessly attacking humanitarian efforts, ridiculing the Sumud Flotilla, parroting Netanyahu instead of defending our shared European values. …

9

Sep

2025

EN Speech

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Gaza at breaking point: EU action to combat famine, the urgent need to release hostages and move towards a two-state solution (debate)

Madam President, colleagues, after the horrors of the Second World War, our forefathers said 'never again'. Yet today in Gaza, genocide is unfolding before our eyes. This is not anti-Semitism: this is the declared policy of Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, Smotrich and their extremist government. We present ourselves as the guardians of international law, yet when political conviction clashes with convenience…

18

Jun

2025

EN Speech

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Case of Ahmadreza Jalali in Iran

Mr President, Ahmadreza Jalali is not a prisoner – he is a hostage held by a regime of executioners. Iran is not just violating human rights – it is waging a war on them. But Europe's voice is often too timid, too selective. We roar against some regimes, but whisper against others. This is not foreign policy. I'm afraid to say that this amounts to moral cowardice. Our credibility demands consisten…

7

May

2025

MT Answer

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

Mr President, Regarding approval, I have not referred to the Commission. I said that the Court, and I quote from the judgment as well, the Court said, did not say that the scheme is illegal, but rather said that countries remain within the competence to determine the conditions under which they grant or refuse, or otherwise hinder their nationality. Regarding the issue of these programmes, as I sa…

7

May

2025

MT Speech

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

Mr President, Kollegi, I am proud of the Maltese passport, considered by EATA to be the fifth most powerful passport in the world. Respected and trusted by 190 countries, around the world, including Canada, Japan and Australia. This is, not a symbol of threat but a symbol of trust. And I am also proud that Malta has acquired and exercised its sovereign right to decide who is its citizen, a right w…

2

Apr

2025

EN Speech

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Execution spree in Iran and the confirmation of the death sentences of activists Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani (debate)

Mr President, Iran is killing its own people. Almost a thousand executions last year. Sentences handed down after torture and fake trials. This is state murder and we know it. We need real consequences. We cannot keep reacting with empty words. We need real pressure, clear red lines. We cannot be neutral in the face of injustice. We need to act. Silence and delays cost lives. Call this what it is:…

1

Apr

2025

EN Speech

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Dramatic situation in Gaza and the need for an immediate return to the full implementation of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement (debate)

Madam President, let's put things into context. Only the last plenary, our colleagues from the right wanted to strongly condemn Thailand for deporting 40 refugees and for having repressive laws. And we rightly condemned Thailand for deporting 40 refugees. But when it comes to Gaza, where 20 000 children have been killed – the equivalent of how many children we have in Maltese schools – this House …

12

Mar

2025

EN Speech

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Democracy and human rights in Thailand, notably the lese-majesty law and the deportation of Uyghur refugees

Mr President, Thailand is a country I have visited, a place of rich culture and resilience. We see Thailand as a valued partner of the European Union and today I am not here to preach, but to strengthen that partnership – one which is rooted in democracy, human rights and mutual respect. Yet, real partnerships require honesty, and we must be honest about our deep concern over the prosecution of Th…