[WATCH] If PM was against farmers’ new laws, he should have not voted in favour of them, Grech says

Prime Minister Robert Abela is actively seeking someone to blame for every issue that arises, and now he is pointing fingers at the European Union, Opposition leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday.

"I worry. I worry when you have a government that changes the narrative by lying and mocking the people's intelligence," Grech said. 

He was in Ħaż-Żebbuġ, during an interview with NET News editor Robert Cremona, when addressing the farmers' protest that took centre stage on Friday.

Prime Minister Robert Abela visited the protest himself, where farmers gathered at the granaries for a press conference. 

Responding to a question from MaltaToday, Abela blamed the European Union for their issues, stating that it is drafting a directive in bureaucratic offices, imposing on ordinary workers the weight of a greener future.

"First, he voted in favour of bringing harm to our farmers, and then he blames the EU. It was the government that failed our farmers. It was our government," Grech exclaimed.

The Opposition Leader explained the concept of derogation, a provision in EU legislation allowing all or part of a legal measure to be applied differently or not at all to member states, thus avoiding the "one size fits all" problem.

Therefore, according to Grech, the Maltese government could have approached the EU council and countered Malta's part for a "customised" directive protecting not only the farmers but also the sustainable future of the nation's food.

"The farmers' issues now are not the fault of anyone but the government," Grech insisted. "It is the government that chooses to ignore their problems over and over again," he added.

Grech acknowledged that the European Union has been the best thing to happen to Malta in recent years, working towards improving its citizens' future, though not every law is perfect.

According to Grech, the same could be said for the 'Fit for 55' directive, which will bring changes to the importation of various products, affecting the Freeport workers, as Grech noted.