My Euro Vision

 

It has been a great experience, a privilege in fact to be given the chance to stand as a candidate for the European Parliament. I am encouraged and hopeful for a good result without losing the sense of realism that ought to accompany anybody on this kind of journey. If I am elected , I shall serve with unwavering commitment to both my electorate as well as to the ideas and principles I hold dear.

I believe that truth should be the driver of the political process. In all of our choices, we can be guided by a desire to live within its shade or, instead, to do whatever appears to be most convenient at the time, to take the path of least resistance or greatest popularity. We will be cast and characterised according to where we choose to stand on the great issues of our time. On hunting, I have made my position very clear from the outset. I respect the ongoing legal process in which our government is seeking to protect the preservation of a number of hunters' practices and I will fully support its outcome. My voice however, will always be one that urges curbs on any practice that threatens the sustainability of a species. I will promote the enjoyment of our environment and natural life in its fullest beauty. Some sprang to silence me, some claimed they were both with me as well as against me. Some made no secret of the fact that it was voter considerations that pushed their pen and I make no secret that it is truth considerations that will push mine.

In the parliament, we need people who will continue to defend the particular characteristics of this country even where they go against the current and defy the European model. We should continue to hold the flame for the unborn child. Our agenda should not be simply to prevent the right to procure an abortion in this country but also to act to limit it everywhere else in the Union. Is that charging at windmills ? Perhaps it is, but let there be a nation that refuses to go with the flow on this. On divorce however, we cannot continue to ignore the social realities that are mushrooming all around us. We need to look at truth in the eye and determine whether our society and its members are better off or not with the current legislation. We need to come to terms with the fact there are Maltese persons who are asking to be given the legal tools to break with their past and start afresh within a context of rights and obligations. Today, we are a nation in denial that believes that because we have no divorce we have no broken relationships.

Why would a pregnant woman cross deserts and seas to escape her country? To give a better life to her child is one answer. She wasn’t pregnant when she left is another, but got raped at every border crossing. These are the truths we cannot turn our face away from. Our battle should not be with those at the edge of our shores who ask for refuge and deserve it. Let us continue to engage instead, with the hard-heartedness of those in Europe who would sweep this problem under our carpet. We need, and must strongly claim, more money to provide humane reception to those who are held here and more material expressions of burden sharing. We also need to realize that this is not a temporary problem. Africa is not going to provide for its own overnight, neither is some mysterious God of Geography going to move us out of the way.

When all is said and done, votes counted and winners garlanded, I will look at my campaign expenses. Twenty thousand euros is what each candidate ought to have spent or benefited from regardless of direct payments or donations received. I was struck, in the last general election, by the adamant refusal to compromise on truth taken by some candidates with respect to their expenditure. Some did not present their expense declaration, to avoid taking false oath, and others simply refused to run a campaign in excess of the allowable one thousand three hundred euros. You cannot canvass a district on that, neither can you canvass all the electorate in Malta and Gozo on twenty thousand euros. What you can do is say the truth, always. That is what I plan to do

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 6^th, 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. 

Il-Partit tal-Konvenjenza

Anke jekk fuq livell individwali, għal darb oħra kellna konferma li l-inkonsistenza hija s-sisien tal-politika Ewropeja tal-Partit Laburista. Il-vot li ttieħed u li minnu il-Membri Parlamentari Ewropej Laburisti irnexxielhom jagħmlu ħerba huwa xhieda ta’ kif il-Partit Laburista dejjem ttratta l-Unjoni Ewropeja b’nuqqas ta’ konvinzjoni, sempliċiment b’konvjenza.

Kuntrarju għal-Partit Nazzjonalista, il-vizjoni politika kien dejjem mnebbħa minn vizjoni li Malta għanda tkun membru tal-Unjoni Ewropeja. Il-Partit Laburista, għal konvejnenza ra kif jipprova jdawwar kull issue ta’ importanza nazzjonali fuq livell partiġġjan billi jopponi dak li fl-interess nazzjonali jidher li huwa tajjeb.

Għall-Partit Laburista il-konvejenza dejjem ħadet l-ewwel post. Din it-tip ta’ attitudni għandha tassew tħasseb l-elettorat meta jiġi biex jagħżel il-kandidati tiegħu biex tassew l-interessi ta’ Malta u l-Maltin ma jiġux sagrifkati għal konvenjenza politika tal-laburisti. 

AT THE CROSS ROADS ONCE AGAIN

It is generally agreed that the international economic recession that has gripped the world’s leading economies is very deep. There is disagreement however as to how long this recession will last and as to how best to tackle this recession. This recession is different from that experienced in the past for two main reasons – it is a global recession in that it is hitting the leading economies simultaneously (albeit to a different extent) and it has been brought about by a crisis in business and consumer confidence (because the credit crunch is really nothing more than a lack of confidence by financial institutions in themselves and their customers).

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. History has proven the Nationalist Party right every time. History on the other hand has not been kind on the Labour Party. On each of these occasions they have consistently offered the worst option. Throughout the history of this young nation, the Labour Party offered protectionism and was proven wrong. Instead of EU Membership, the Labour party offered pie in the sky/Switzerland in the Mediterranean/Partnership. Instead of having the courage to go for early membership into the Eurozone the Labour party offered devaluing the Lira. When leadership was required, when decisiveness was a must, Labour offered neither.

On each of these occasions, the people chose to place their trust in the leaders of the Nationalist Party, in George Borg Olivier, in Eddie Fenech Adami and in Lawrence Gonzi. History has proven that the options these leaders gave were the correct ones. Once again though, we are facing a situation that is comparable to these occasions. It is a situation that requires strong leadership and decisiveness. The wrong decisions now will haunt us for years to come.

In all of this the Labour Party seems oblivious. It is a party that is far more eager to talk about refunding VAT on car registration, and on why we shouldn’t have an underground museum in front of St John’s co-Cathedral than on the economy and how we can create new jobs and safeguard those that we have. The country is at a cross roads but the Labour Party is not even bothering to choose which path to take. Not because they are still working on their policies; but because they have chosen to be absent and this to the detriment of the country. They are choosing the politics of style over substance, of trying to be popular with one and all, choosing the issues that could win some votes rather than choosing the right issues.

We are coming up to the elections for the European Parliament. It may appear to some that the members of the European Parliament would have little say on how to address the international economic recession. This is simply not the case. The European Parliament takes decisions on a number of issues that can and do have an impact on the Maltese economy. Facts have shown that the Labour Party members of the European Parliament have not always voted in the best interests of the country. They have forgotten the old Labour Party Mantra Malta l-ewwel u qabel kollox choosing to kowtow to whatever Mr Schultz from the European Socialists tells them to do. They voted against Maltese interests or abstained on issues like migration, detention period, and e-gaming. Issues where Maltese interests are at the core of how they should have voted. They simply cannot be trusted with Malta’s interests.

It is for this reason that the European Parliamentary elections are to be considered as critical. Malta is once again at the cross roads and a vote for the Nationalist Party candidates is a vote for the persons that have the best track record, that have always offered the best solutions, that have got it right time and time again.

 

TEMP MIGNUN

L-ambjent ta’ madwarna qiegħed jinbidel: it-temp qiesu xi kultant ‘jiġġennen’.

Illum il-ġurnata il-bidla fil-klima jew kif nafuha ahjar ‘climate change’ saret frażi familjari ma’ kulhadd. Il-gassijiet u dħaħen li t-teknoloġiji tradizjonali jitfgħu fl-arja tagħna jaf dwarhom kulhadd u nafu fejn ser iwassluna.

Malta, bħala pajjiż żgħir, jipproduċi biss persentaġġ żgħir ħafna minn dawn l-gassijiet, imma xorta nhossu l-effet tad-dħaħen li jipproduċi ħaddieħor.

Fuq livell personali kulħadd għandu jagħti sehemu fil-ġlieda kontra l-bidla fil-klima. Min-naħa tagħna individwalment ukoll nistaw naghtu kontribut, affarijiet żgħar: bħal nitfu bozza meta ma hemmx bżonnha, jew ma naħlux ilma u nużaw bozoz li jaħlu inqas.

Apparti dawn il-passi żgħar, li kulħadd jista jieħu, għandna bżonn nieħdu ukoll passi akbar bhala pajjiz.

Il-gvern diġa beda jaħseb f’dan r-rigward u grazzi għal-Ministeru għar-Riżorsi u Affirijiet Rurali u l-Uffiċju tal-Prim Ministru diġa ġie ffurmat progett interministerjali biex jaħdem fuq din it-tema. B’mod kawt u kuxxjenzjuz qegħdin niksbu riżultati tajbin anke fuq livell internazzjonali.

Ma’ dan ma nistawx ninsew proposti dwar produzzjoni ta’ enerġija alternattiva bħal dak ta’ l-imtieħen proposti fuq is-Sikka l-Bajda. B’dawn il-Gvern qiegħed jagħti sinjal ċar li l- bidla fil-klima qegħda fuq quddiem fl-aġenda ta’ pajjizna u li qieghed jsir kulma jista’ jsir biex Malta tilħaq livell sodisfaċenti fi zmien qasir.

Hemm bżonn li Malta tkun magħquda f’vuċi waħda ma’ ‘kor’ ta’ pajjiżi ikbar biex b’hekk leħinha jinstema’ wkoll fil-kamp internazzjonali. L-Unjoni Ewropeja qegħda toffrilna din l-opportunita’ fejn Malta qegħda membru fl-iktar blokk li jinsab fuq quddiem fil-ġlieda ghal ambjent aħjar.

Il-pajjiżi tal-unjoni f’Diċembru 2008 ftehmu fuq pakkett ta’ proposti biex isaħħu l-proċess li bih ser jitnaqqsu mill-arja dawn il-gassijiet li qegħdin jheddu l-ħajja tal-ġenerazjonijiet ta’ warajna. F’dan il-pakkett ġie propost u maqbul unanimament mill-pajjiżi tal-Unjoni Ewropeja, li sal-2020 dawn il-gassijiet iridu jitnaqqsu b’għoxrin fil-mija fuq il-livell li kien ikalkulat ghal-1990.

B’hekk l-UE qegħeda tiftaħ t-triq biex l-ulied tal-Ewropa stess, fosthom uliedna l-Maltin, jkunu jistagħu jikbru b’moħħhom mistrieh li ta’ qabilhom ħasbu fl-ambjent li huma ħa jqattgħu l-aqwa ta’ hajjithom fih.

Biex tagħmel dan l-UE qed toħloq fond apposta biex pajjiżi bħal Malta jkunu jistaw jibbenefikaw u jmexxu l-quddiem proġetti li jzidu l-effiċjenza, inaqqsu d-dipendenza fuq iż-żejt u jħajru aktar proġetti ta’ enerġija alternattiva bħal mir-riħ jew x-xemx.

Ir-rappreżentanti ta’ Malta fil-Parlament Ewropew għandhom jkunu dik il-vuċi soda ta’ dan il-pajjiż fi ħdan l-familja Ewropeja, biex inkunu nistaw naraw pajjiżna dejjem mixi l-quddiem, minkejja d-diffikultajiet kollha u ċ-ċirkostanzi partikolari tiegħu.

Respect for the environment, respect for myself

From the Independent on Sunday 19th April 2009

by Edward Demicoli

Respecting the environment is a matter of self-respect. Our size and lack of resources and, frankly, lack of commitment in the 1970 and 1980s has led to the environmental scene in Malta becoming one that threatens our very well-being.

Since the mid-1990s, consciousness has developed and in the current era organisations such as the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) and the various interested NGOs have continued to play their part.We all know however, that we still have quite a way to go.Space management has always been an extra challenging task for islands the size of Sicily let alone for virtual micro-states like Malta. It is a matter of history that it has always been the PN in government that sought to regularise development: the excesses of the 1970s and 1980s when anyone could build anything practically anywhere, which was not that long ago, should never be forgotten.

The creation of the Planning Authority, now Mepa, an organisation that is not universally loved, is evidence, if evidence is needed, of a commitment to at least try to impose a structure and procedure in the planning context.Mepa is in the process of restructuring itself under the direct guidance of the Prime Minister. With certain sections of our media being what they are, and certain vested interests having the influence they have, I am under no illusion that criticism of Mepa will continue and the way it will be changed. Nonetheless, those of us who are not blinded by self-interest but are guided by self-respect will willingly give it a chance.

Waste management, a different but closely related subject, was non-existent up to a few years ago. Anything was dumped in the available sites (even in valleys and by the road side!) with no consideration for toxic gases resulting from mixture of waste, damage to water table, and so on.

Now, however, we can finally speak and not just dream about a zero waste society and a waste management strategy that tackles the vast bulk of waste locally without distress to residents. The days of mattresses and fridges by the roadside should be a thing of the past because the amenities are there. What’s next is all of us being responsible enough to use them.

We now have to consolidate and seek avenues for further developing the waste management situation to be able to tackle also those categories of waste that still need to be exported and/or very expensive processing.Ways have to be found to lessen the strain placed on the shoulders of consumers, although these, at the end of the day, are also producers of waste.

Measures taken are rarely popular when they are introduced and, combined with the natural aversion to change many people have, there will always be those who grumble about further burdens and costs. Nevertheless, it is the government that introduced these changes that was re-elected, evidence that people accept that our living space and our environment is our collective responsibility.

In a wider context, we are currently seeing a public consultation on a document that will give Malta safe foundations for climate change control initiatives. We are aiming to reach targets without increasing burdens or pandering to populist notions of how things should be done but which ignore realities or practicalities.

All in all, I think I’m allowed to dream that my children are going to live in a cleaner and brighter world than the one in which I grew up.

I also believe that I can help make that dream become a reality if I have your trust in the European Parliament elections come June.

Changing the face of local politics

By Edward Demicoli

The decision by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi to nominate George Abela as the next President is one that will leave an indelible mark on the political landscape of this country. It is a bold, unprecedented decision that shows that Lawrence Gonzi belongs to that rare breed of politicians that are capable of putting the national interest before the interest of their own party.
Let’s face it, the boldness of the decision is also reflected in the fact that the majority of the people were genuinely surprised by the news. For most, it was a pleasant surprise. I can also understand that for some people, including people that belong to the Nationalist Party, it is not easy to stomach the fact that a Nationalist Prime Minister has taken the initiative to nominate as President, a significant political figure, someone from the opposite camp. Not any someone, but someone who was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, a long serving lawyer to the General Workers Union, a consultant to the then Prime Minister Alfred Sant and a person who a few months ago contested the leadership of the Labour Party. In a truly objective leadership contest, George Abela could arguably have been Lawrence Gonzi’s main political opponent today.

There is another equally important side to the Prime Minister’s nomination of George Abela as the next President and that is the fact that Dr Gonzi involved the Leader of the Opposition in the process. Dr Gonzi did not need to do this, he could have nominated anyone without seeking the consensus of Joseph Muscat.

I genuinely believe that George Abela has the right credentials to be an excellent President. He is charismatic, intelligent, astute, experienced and liked. He is a person that can further build on the courageous decision taken by Dr Gonzi to put the national interest first and contribute to a better political climate in the country.

The boldness and vision of Prime Minister Gonzi has been tried and tested. But one cannot reach the same conclusion on Joseph Muscat. It is not a bold move for a Labour leader to accept a proposal by a Nationalist Prime Minister to nominate a former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party for the Presidency. Joseph Muscat’s boldness and vision will be tested if, in the weeks, months and years to come, he will be able to treat national issues in an objective way and stop the tactic, typical of Labour Party leaders, to try and score political goals on national issues and in sensitive cases where Labour shouldn’t be playing games, let alone scoring goals. Joseph Muscat has still to pass this test.

Edward Demicoli is a Nationalist Party candidate for the European Parliament Elections.