Socialists never opposed EP debate on state of rule of law in Malta, EPP vice chair insists

The European People’s Party has said claims by Labour’s delegation that the Socialists and Democrats opposed a plenary debate on the state of rule of law in Malta are untrue.

“We thank the S&D Group for not objecting to the holding of this debate at the last COP meeting,” EPP vice-chair Tomas Tobé said. “It is therefore regrettable that there are claims circulating based on fiction, clearly intended to help members of Malta’s Labour delegation dig themselves out of a hole of their own making.”

The European Parliament on Tuesday is set to debate the rule of law and state of justice in Malta.

Labour figures, including MEP Alex Agius Saliba and Prime Minister Robert Abela have criticised the move, saying it is aimed at tarnishing the country’s reputation.

On Sunday Abela appealed to Nationalist MEPs to withdraw the debate.

After claims by Labour that Opposition leader Alex Borg had lobbied in Brussels in favour of holding the debate, the PN came out saying that the S&D, the political grouping which Labour forms part of, had agreed to the debate.

But on Monday, MEP Agius Saliba who is one of S&D's Vice-Presidents, wrote on his social media pages that as confirmed by the S&D's Head of Communications Department, S&D opposed and never actually gave its support for the debate to be held.

In his social media post, he published a screenshot of an e-mail he received from S&D's principal communications person, Utta Tuttlies, in which she wrote to him that “S&D opposed the debate and never supported to put it on the plenary agenda.”

On Monday afternoon, EPP vice-chair Tomas Tobé contradicted Agius Saliba’s claim, labelling it “fiction”, and an attempt by the Labour MEPs to “dig themselves out of a hole of their own making.”

Tobé also insisted the debate was being held in solidarity with the people of Malta, not against them.

“It is an opportunity for the European Parliament to reaffirm its commitment to justice, democracy and the protection of fundamental rights,” he said.

In an official statement, Agius Saliba stated that "The S&D Group firmly believes that the Maltese Labour Government has implemented a vast array of judicial reforms to strengthen the rule of law in Malta."

He added that those responsible for Caruana Galizia's murder have been brought to justice.