[WATCH] Only PN MEP candidates are able to defend our country, Delia says

Opposition Leader Adrian Delia said that only the Nationalist Party MEP candidates were qualified to defend Malta's name, reputation and interests. 

Delia's speech at the PN's general council at the party headquarters underlined the "many government's failures" as the PN leader insisted that Labour candidates could not possibly be qualified to protect Malta at the European Parliament. 

"We have an arrogant government that does not care about anyone,” Delia said. "In every sector, this government followed a formula of hidden contracts and corruption." He made reference to the Vitals Global Healthcare €2 billion contract with the government for the service concession, tasked to run three public hospitals. 

"Even in the energy sector, the same formula as the public health sector applied, deals that incorporated hidden contracts and fraudulent deals. This energy sector is an opportunity and yet we are currently at the bottom of the energy targets list. We haven't even reached our own targets yet," he said. 

"What happened to the social soul of the left-wing party? Joseph Muscat is only looking out for big businesses and the big fish. Direct orders for the select few now run into the millions," he continued. 

Delia argued that Malta's economy was thriving because of a rapid and unprecedented growth in population, where instead of a middle class doing better, it was importing slavery with foreign workers forced to live off with €400 a month and to reside in containers.

On abortion, Delia said that since the European Socialists' manifesto included the right of choice and since the Labour Party delegates had signed that manifesto, it meant that the Labour Party was onboard with the pro-choice stance. 

"The PN is clear on this and it thinks differently. We will never change our view on this and will continue to protect life from conception," Delia said. 

Delia said that Christian values would remedy government's failures and that PN MEPs were the only ones qualified to do the country justice and protect it from a reputation that was tarnishing it. He said that the Nationalist Party is not about politics of hate but about a rhetoric of hope. 

"Unlike the Labour Party, the PN would ensure that the people’s quality of life is improved and that its politicians are putting themselves out there to serve and not to destroy," he said.

The PN's electoral manifesto was presented at the general council and unanimously approved. PN Secretary General Clyde Puli highlighted some of the proposals: a good allocation of funds for Gozo, politics that would make Malta carbon netural, allocation of EU funds to improve integration between foreign workers and Maltese citizens, protecting life from conception, and investment in research with special focus on cancer among other things.

Manfred Weber: 'Christian democrats made the first step towards freedom'

European People's Party Group Leader and candidate for President of the European Commission, Manfred Weber, spoke ahead of the Opposition Leader.

"I’m 46 years old and I’m someone from the first generation in Europe that can say I’ve lived in peace and freedom in Europe. It’s such a fascinating and great achievement. It was Christian democrats who made the first step towards unification and freedom," Weber said. 

Weber spoke of pride in Christian values, that it was no longer an issue where nations had to rely on socialist parties for socialist reforms. 

"We don't need socialists for social issues anymore," he said, gesturing at PN MEP David Casa who he said had fought so hard in the realms of work-life balance. 

He referred to PN MEP Roberta Metsola and Casa as powerful coordinators and asked the constituents to tell Maltese voters that a vote for the EPP would guarantee that they would be contributing to "the biggest movement in Europe and it will definitely cater for Maltese interests."

Weber is running a European campaign. He has visited Greece, France, Lithuania and Malta in his candidature.

Weber praised the PN's electoral manifesto and called it a "plan for tomorrow." He said that if Europe were to remain strong it had to rely on constant reform. 

He said that, despite criticism, the EPP was a party of solidarity but that on the issue of migration, border control needed to be brought back. "It should be Europe who decides who comes in, and not smugglers," he said, urging for all European nations to take responsibility for migrants because behind every refugee was a human being. 

Weber said that on the issue of global warming, the EPP was a frontrunner, again reiterating that topics like this did not belong exclusively to socialists anymore.