[WATCH] Busuttil distances PN from ‘conservative Christianity'

Busuttil insists PN 'open to non-Christian values'. Video•Ray Attard

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil reached out to non-Christians, insisting that the PN has always been an open-minded party that promotes religious equality and tolerance.

“Although the Nationalist Party has in recent years been associated with extreme religious and conservative policies, it has in fact always been an open-minded party,” Busuttil told a conference organised by the PN’s equal opportunities forum. “The PN should in no way be seen as an exclusive club for Christians, and has in fact always been open to other religions. Indeed, the PN was first established at a time when the Church was the only power in Malta, meaning that the party’s very creation was a sign of secularity.”

A member of the crowd had appealed to the PN leader to remember his party’s traditional ‘Religio et Patria’ (religion and country) slogan. However, Busuttil drew a clear line between himself and the slogan, arguing that it has never enshrined in the party’s statute.

“Traditionally, Christianity was practically the only religion followed in Malta, but times have now changed and when you speak of ‘religio et patria’, one must now question which religion you are referring to.”

He pointed out that a census in November 2005 revealed that only 42% of people younger than 50 go to Mass every Sundays.

“That was ten years ago; let alone what a new census will reveal,” he said.

However, Busuttil said that the PN should be proud of the Christian roots of its values of tolerance, solidarity and human dignity.

“Christ introduced the concept of solidarity, and the PN brought it into the Maltese political vocabulary,” he said. “The concept of tolerance means that we must also accept those who may be intolerant towards us, within the context of the law, and not compare the situation in Malta to how Christians are treated in Arab countries.”

He also defended the display of the crucifix in public spaces, arguing that is not simply a religious symbol but a symbol of Malta’s tradition.

‘Government’s values based on opinion polls’

In his speech, Busuttil lambasted the government for “basing its values on opinion polls and target audiences”.

“The government has absolutely no values, and makes decisions according to where it thinks the wind is blowing,” he said. “While our values may not always be perfect, at least they are consistent. I will not say one thing to hunters and another to environmentalists, or speak one way in Brussels and another way in Malta.”

He also accused the government of pushing “secondary issues” such as the decriminalisation of the vilification of religion, embryo freezing, and the banning of the burqa to the forefront of public debate.

“The real issues are government corruption, nepotism, clientelism, and politicians entering pre-electoral obligations,” Busuttil said.