Wednesday, May 20, 2009

PRESS RELEASE

The importance of the upcoming European Parliament Elections was stressed by Edward Demicoli during a social meeting he held yesterday.

Edward Demicoli, who is contesting these elections on behalf of the Nationalist Party, said that Malta, like the rest of Europe is at a cross-road. At times there are decisions which one needs to take, in view of circumstances. There are other decisions which are to be taken aware that their impact is extremely important. On June 6th, the country will be faced with another decision that of choosing who will be representing us in the European Parliament in the coming 5 years.

These elections come at a time when the whole world is at a cross road. Malta is starting to feel the pinch of the recession. The gross domestic product has experienced a drop in real terms in the last quarter of last year. A number of firms are experiencing a drop in sales and consequently a drop in activity. Although the recession is a global one and the solutions that need to be agreed upon by the governments of the leading economies have to be global in nature, Malta still needs to address the issue locally to seek to mitigate the negative impact.

Malta is once again at the cross roads. It needs to decide how best to tackle the recession such that we are fully prepared to exploit the opportunities once the international economy starts to pick up momentum again. We have been at the cross roads before. In 1964 when we gained independence, in 1987 when we were faced with further retrenching of the economy into itself or liberalisation of the economy, in 2003 when we had to decide on EU membership, and in 2008 when we adopted the Euro.

Facts have shown that each time this country was at a cross roads, the Nationalist Party showed us the way. Not the easiest way, maybe and not the most popular way but time and time again the way forward proposed by the Nationalist Party was the best one.

My decision to contest the next European Parliament elections in June is based on a belief that this is the best possible way I can serve Malta in Europe.  For the past 10 years I have, in various ways, worked to facilitate Malta's membership in Europe, and hope that as an MEP I continue this work within the ranks of the Party which always took the best of our country. 

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