Eurovision singer’s ‘value scare’ is about abortion sneaking onto political agenda

 The ‘singing doctor’ Gianluca Bezzina has warned that Maltese political parties could end up bowing to a pro-abortion lobby group. 

“Although all major political parties in Malta are against abortion, I am scared of the future,” Malta’s former Eurovision representative told MaltaToday. “A minority lobby group in favour of abortion could be set up and political parties would decide to legalise it for the sake of winning votes. Abortion will always remain morally incorrect.” 

Bezzina raised eyebrows when he accepted an invitation by Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil to speak at the party’s general council on Sunday. 

In his speech, the singer urged political parties to stand by what is right and warned that it is very simple for a government to fast-track legislation in favour of controversial issues, such as abortion. 

“The Opposition should safeguard morals and should not seek to increase its votes at the expense of morals, even if it means spending another five years in opposition,” he said. 

However, Bezzina’s speech was hit with a barrage of criticism, with several arguing on social media that his words were actually a veiled denouncement of civil unions, which he has vehemently denied. 

“I am not a coward, and I would have mentioned civil unions upfront if that was what I was referring to,” he said. “I have several gay friends, all of them know that I am in favour of gay rights, and none of them was offended by my speech. I don’t know why so many people assumed that I was referring to civil unions and to, for example, divorce and hunting.”  

When quizzed as to what he was in fact alluding to, Bezzina insisted that he wasn’t condemning any particular law, except for the spectre of abortion legalisation.

“I was referring to a political pattern, in which political parties adopt the same stances for the sake of not losing votes,” Bezzina said. “Unfortunately, that means that people often end up voting for the least scandalous party.” 

Bezzina is a practising Catholic who has previously said that he reads extracts from the Bible everyday. However, he denied that his speech at the PN general council was in any way linked to a promotion of religion. 

He also denied being in any way affiliated to the Nationalist Party. 

“I am not a Nationalist or a Labourite and I would have similarly accepted an invitation to address a Labour meeting,” he said.