David Agius: ‘PN must focus on what Europe means for Malta’

David Agius believes the Nationalist Party should not forget what the European Union means for Malta when calling out government misdeeds during the election campaign.  

“I think the PN has to focus more on what Europe means for Malta, without ignoring what is going on in the country,” Agius tells me when I ask whether the PN is repeating past mistakes by focussing its election campaign on corruption and government wrongdoing. 

The deputy Speaker and Nationalist MP is also a candidate for the 8 June European Parliament election. 

Agius insists the national debate related to the findings from the Vitals inquiry, and subsequent charges against former top government officials should not be ignored but he concedes the PN could do better in reminding people on the benefits that came with EU accession. 

“Despite Muscat being charged, the pensioner who has problems with his pension, will continue to experience that problem; the traffic problem will stay there; unfulfilled promises over the metro will remain unfulfilled. These problems will not be solved because Joseph Muscat and others will be charged over corruption,” he says. “What is more worrying for me is that we are not seeing a political debate on Europe. I am not seeing political debate on local councils. We have had to revert to national issues, because what is happening is unprecedented.” 

Agius plays down the significance of high voter abstention among young people and says it’s the result of becoming used to living as an EU citizen. 

“A lot of young people do not know what it means to live in a country outside the EU. Most of them lived their life in a European country,” he says. “When I was young, to get a television you needed a minister’s blessing. The mentality that you need the politician to get something in life is declining.” 

On whether he feels his candidature for the MEP elections is threatened by independent candidates, Agius insists working within the structures of an established party leads to more impactful change at a political and national level.  

He is evasive when I ask whether a bad result in the MEP elections should result in Bernard Grech stepping down from leader. 

“I think the PN will elect a third MEP. It is not a question of failure or not, I think we have a united party, and the people recognise this,” he says. 

The following is an excerpt from the interview.  

Watch the full interview on maltatoday.com.mt, Facebook and Spotify  

Right now, the parties are constantly rambling on about the Vitals inquiry. Despite the charges against former government officials and damning details that have emerged, surveys show the PN is not gaining any traction, but rather losing it. Why is this happening? Do the people not care? 

I think that it is a difficult concept to grasp that a former prime minister and former minister will be criminally charged. This is not something that happens every day. For example, on the Egrant inquiry, the magistrate did not recommend involved persons be charged. This time she did. Labour used to ask us where the proof is. Today we have the proof thanks to Repubblika, the Nationalist Party, and now even the courts have shown us the proof.  

Having said that, the people don’t feed their families on activism and political statements against corruption.  

Despite Joseph Muscat being charged, the pensioner who has problems with his pension, will continue to experience that problem; the traffic problem will stay there; unfulfilled promised over the metro will remain unfulfilled. These problems will not be solved because Joseph Muscat and others will be charged over corruption.  

That is why people, if they are moving forward in life despite the corruption in the country, will not be affected. 

In recent history, the PN has never won an election when its main campaigning issue was corruption. Are you repeating these mistakes during this election campaign?  

Surveys and election results were showing a 40,000 gap, and now we are hovering at around the 20,000 mark, and this shows some progress. When you have a government abusing the power of incumbency through cheques and giving out favours, that shows me Labour is realising it is losing the electorate’s trust and is trying to sustain that trust. Are they coming to the PN? Some have and more are yet to come. The PN must continue speaking about issues which affect people on the ground, but at the same time we must see what the government is doing and react to it. 

During the election campaign, the issues which are being discussed seem to be national ones, with Labour billboards on childcare and Nationalist billboards on the inquiry findings. Do you feel we are losing touch with what these elections truly are on – the European parliament, and have become a litmus test for parties to see how well they are doing halfway through the legislature? 

I think the PN must focus more on what Europe means for Malta, without ignoring what is going on in the country. If a protest needs to be held after the details which have started to emerge, granted it needs to be done, but we must focus on what the EU means for the country, because we sold the dream of being part of the European family. If it were for Labour, we would be just an island in the Mediterranean. I can list countless projects funded by European funds. When we discuss the air quality and environment around us, nobody raises the question on how we fund such projects. Nobody mentions these projects because they are not sexy and are boring. 

You were deputy leader during Adrian Delia’s tenure as leader. Given the circumstances we find ourselves in today, do you feel that if he remained leader, the PN would be better positioned to fight and criticise government on the hospitals inquiry?  

I started my political career under Eddie Fenech Adami, after him Lawrence Gonzi, after him Simon Busutill, after him Adrian Delia and today, Bernard Grech. I am always loyal to the party... all these people taught me loyalty towards the party.  

… 

What I think is happening today is there is more continuity and unity between everyone. The cult around a single person is not something I agree with, but I’d rather have a united front within the party to show the people out there. The more people see us united, the better results you have.  

If the PN does not elect a third MEP, would it mean Bernard Grech has failed as leader? 

I think the PN will elect a third MEP. It is not a question of failure or not, I think we have a united party, and the people recognise this. I also feel on several issues, we have shown we were right in what we were saying – corruption, abortion, energy tariffs, Jean Paul Sofia - and the people are recognising this. 

What if the PN gets a third seat, and the vote gap stays the same. That would mean there was no progress. Would that mean Grech has to go? 

I don’t think this will happen, but I am no prophet, and we will cross that bridge when we get to it.