MPs emotional as parliament pays respect to Silvio Parnis

Members of Parliament paid their respects to the late Silvio Parnis, who passed away recently after a battle with illness.

Prime Minister Robert Abela praised Parnis's unwavering positivity and his belief that he could overcome even the toughest circumstances.

He said Parnis was of great help during the election,  when he reached out to people who were skeptical about voting. He added that Parnis was a significant part of the Labour Party’s election results last year.

He used to tell Abela every day that he was praying for him, even though, as Abela said, "I knew he needed those prayers more than me."

He said Parnis’s biggest worry was for his family, especially his wife Dorianne and Jacob, if his condition worsened. Abela reassured him, saying "focus on your treatment and health. Beyond that, it's my responsibility.”

“I kept my word and will continue to keep my word," he stated.

Robert Cutajar, a Nationalist MP, spoke of Parnis's ability to listen and understand people’s concerns.

“He was the ideal politician to sit down with, he would listen to proposals, hear you, but would not just leave it at that.”

Labour MP Julia Farrugia Portelli spoke of Parnis's commitment to helping the elderly and ensuring that they did not fall into solitude.

She recalled Parnis’s roly-poly gaffe as parliamentary secretary for active ageing, when he distributed packaged roly-polies to elderly homes across Malta and Gozo while COVID-19 was on the rise among elderly patients.

Farrugia Portelli said that Parnis’s intention behind this was to help any elderly people who might have been feeling lonely during this period, especially since many elderly homes were closed to visitors.

She briefly touched on how Parnis was left without a cabinet position in a 2020 reshuffle. She said that, while this was a painful time for Parnis, he still remained close to his costituency.

Nationalist MP Ivan Bartolo spoke of his 25-year friendship with Parnis and described him as a rare and true friend. He said that Parnis was "synonymous with social justice".

Jonathan Attard, a Labour MP, spoke emotionally about Parnis. He said Parnis kept a close relationship with the people, and he always tried to ease their burdens.

Attard also spoke of Parnis's determination to continue his work and involvement in foundations even after his recovery.

“His life was relatively short, but the wealth he left behind is limitless.”

Nationalist Charles Azzopardi, a former Labour mayor, described Parnis as a man of identity, character, and mission, who was truly dedicated to politics. He emphasized Parnis's genuine socialist beliefs and his desire to help the vulnerable.

Azzopardi also highlighted Parnis's humility, stating that he did not want any monuments or roads named after him.

Speaker of the House Anġlu Farrugia recalled that he was in Australia for a conference when he heard that Parnis passed away.

“I knew he was battling cancer, but I wasn’t expecting his life to be cut so short. I had to leave the room, make some calls, eventually continued the conference but my thoughts were always with Silvio.”

Farrugia shared a few anecdotes and memories of Parnis, including trips to Brussels and Palestine.

He said that these anecdotes were evidence of Parnis’s caring nature and his concern for others.