Speeches

Ms President, the brutal murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia and other journalists, such as Ján Kuciak and de Vries, is reprehensible in every sense. There is no excuse for what happened. But let's be clear. This debate today is nothing more than a political exercise to cast a shadow over Malta. Since then, apart from arrests, Malta has changed the judicial system, strengthened the independence of the police, and introduced reforms that can frankly set an example for others. But of course the facts do not mean anything to those whose history has already been written. What I cannot accept is hypocrisy, because while this House does not miss an opportunity to inspect Malta, it remains silent on the 130 journalists killed in Gaza. Talk about Malta, then no, perhaps because we are young. But for the sake of fairness, let us also talk about how this Parliament has given a vote of confidence to those today accused of violence against humanity. We cannot say that we are defending the free press while remaining silent, if not discriminating against other journalists who have been killed in other countries, in Europe and beyond. This is not an issue with Malta. It is a matter of consistency. If we want to be credible, this farce must stop.

Colleagues, state-backed or planned terrorism is unacceptable in all circumstances, and this Parliament should never hesitate to speak and demand action. However, to be credible, we must be careful not to apply our principles selectively. Terrorism must be condemned in all its forms, not according to geopolitical considerations. We have condemned actions elsewhere and we have done well, but unfortunately, we remain silent when state violence is presented as a defence of the territory. So let's make sure that our demands for justice are free from double standards. Finally, I believe that while sanctions remain an important tool, they should not be used in isolation. Diplomacy, even in the most difficult circumstances remains the strongest path to lasting peace in the Middle East and beyond.

Mr President, I will not talk about the crisis, factory closures and competition from China. I prefer to talk about the mission, and the mission is to remain competitive. That is why I talk about the means, about the importance of creating a sustainable, innovative and inclusive future. In my humble view, we must look beyond reactive measures and address the root causes of the problem - the structural imbalance. The production costs of our competitors are that they are. To compete, then, we must invest in advanced technologies and manufacturing processes that lower costs without compromising social protection. Access to markets remains crucial, so we must be careful not to fall into the trap of protectionism. Instead we should promote fair and just trade by moving out of this House and looking to work towards international standards and global standards. We do not have the luxury of choice. We must adapt if we want to survive, and adapt by being flexible, being not just a regulator, but also a supporter. If we do this, I believe that we will not only save existing jobs but generate more work for future generations.

Mr President, the Energy Union has brought progress, but we cannot ignore the realities of small states such as Gozo and Malta. Insularity brings unique challenges in energy. For a small country like Malta at the end of Europe with limited access to connectivity and much lower consumption than other countries, the cost of generating each unit of energy is much higher. As Draghi said, affordable energy is crucial. If we do not want to leave even one family in a choice between poverty or cold, we cannot tolerate a one size fits all policy. To truly achieve a just transition, the European Union must respect the divergences of all its regions. Therefore, while we must continue to work for the development of clean energy, we should not restrict measures such as subsidies on electricity consumption which are essential for countries like Malta. Let us recognise that fairness also means flexibility, and a truly inclusive Energy Union must embrace these divergences and not punish them.