In the Press: Parties launch MEP election campaigns | Anti-poverty week cost over €30,000

The Times of Malta

The Social Policy ministry spent over €30,000 on anti-poverty week last September. PN spokesperson for social dialogue and civil liberties Claudette Buttigieg directed a PQ at all the ministries and secretariats, enquiring about how much each spent on media campaigns in the government's first year. Not all the data has been collected but topping the list so far is the Social Policy ministry, with €52,307.38. Next was the Environment ministry, which spent €47,111.41 on over 100 media events.

In-Nazzjon

Both parties launched their European Election campaigns today. The PN open theirs with a rally at Dar Centrali this evening. This election is of particular significance because the European Parliament will now have the capacity to elect the President of the European Commission, who would have executive powers within the Union.

L-Orizzont

Referring to an interview that ran in MaltaToday's Sunday newspaper, the front page of L-Orizzont reports on the statement made by Opposition leader Simon Busuttil about the somewhat toned down reaction of the Church to the passing of the civil unions bill. Busuttil said that this was because it felt it was being silenced by Muscat's government and that this was evidence of a failure in the democracy of the nation.

The Malta Independent

Peter Cordina, the former head of the Civil Protection department, said that the recently approved legal notice that gives the Education ministry access to student data is necessary, as it provides parents with peace of mind in the knowledge that their children's progress is being monitored. This was part of an interview carried in The Independent, in which the now-retired Cordina also spoke about his candidature for the upcoming MEP elections, at the request of the PM.