[WATCH] President’s Christmas message: ‘Malta should become Mediterranean capital of peace’

President Marie Louise Coleiro has called on the Maltese to unite and work towards making Malta the ‘Mediterranean capital of peace’. 

“I encourage all of you to work against unethical politics and destructive militarism,” she said in her Christmas and New Year’s speech. “Violence doesn’t distinguish between social class, skin colour, sex, age, sexuality, religion, ability and nationality. We can’t be indifferent to the plight of others.” 

She said that 2014 was locally full of the sweetness and bitterness of life.  “Despite the lack of media coverage, the two sides of the House often worked together this year on a number of laws that improved people’s lives,” she said.

“I was pleased to see a dynamic, critical and active civil society in an ever-changing social landscape. We improved with regards civil rights, and the economy kept on growing. However, a number of institutions in our country have yet to win the people’s full faith. 2015 should be the year in which these institutions recover their prestige.”

She praised the recent publication of a national strategic policy for poverty reduction and social inclusion and expressed her wish for 2015 to be the year in which poverty is fought urgently on an interdisciplinary and inter-ministerial level.

“The best way we can address poverty is through social community work, close to the suffering and sadness of people,” Coleiro Preca said. 

Ostensibly referring to recent Budget-announced schemes, she warned that “people lacking basic life necessities and suffering from other shortcomings cannot be lumped into one category.”

“Some people cannot work because they are suffering from physical or mental health problems or because of other dramatic circumstances,” she said. “I therefore appeal for caution when tying down new social aid initiatives solely to work- this formula doesn’t always work and can impoverish more than liberate.” 

The President called for the education system to become more relevant and to “address the needs of democratic citizens as much as it fulfills the economy’s requirements”.

She also warned that people damaging the environment are ultimately harming the population.

“We certainly can’t allow the current environmental situation to get any worse,” she said, while reminding the relevant authorities that their decisions on the environment are first and foremost ethical ones.

“Every sector that impinges on our environment must examine its conscience,” Coleiro Preca said. “The word ‘sustainability’ should not remain an empty word but be used as a operational guideline.”

She ended her speech by repeating her call for national unity. “As I’ve been saying since the first day of my Presidency, it is when we unite that we can understand each other and help each other out during life’s difficult moments.”