This House prides itself on being strong in the defence of human rights and the rule of law according to our common European values.
But to remain strong, the action it takes must be based on due process that collects facts as evidence, puts them in context and assesses them as a whole.
Otherwise this Parliament risks losing credibility.
Worse, itrisksdevaluing the values that we all claim to believe in.
A brutal assassination has taken place in Malta that has shocked us all.
Justice needs to be done.
In the investigation, the Malta government has called upon Dutch and US police authorities for help, as well as Europol.
But the outcome of one murderinvestigation, whateverandwhereveritis, cannot be held to reflect on therule of law, hereorthere.
Malta is being assailed for perceived deficiencies in the rule of law on the basis of jumbled facts and semi-facts, unproven allegations taken at face value, innuendoes and issues irrelevant to the rule of law.
Is this being done as a tit for tat related to processess about the rule of law that other members states are being subjected to?
Yet the Malta government has repeatedly accepted to receive delegations of this Parliament to investigate issues that are raised and it is still doing so.
It has accepted, indeed invited, European Commission scrutiny over a variety of areas.
Partisanship over the rule of law will undermine the moral basis this House may have to raise issues related to it.
Is this being done because in the wash of interests and allegiances that define this House, it is easiest to overlook, from all EU member states, Malta’s realities and to cast doubts on the motives of the Maltese government?
Yet that government has just been relected with an absolute majority possessed by no party that it is represented in this House.
And it has guided the Maltese economy towards growth rates that are among the highest, if not the highest in Europe.
Attitudes in a debate like this should be objective.
They aretendentious.
We needed well informed assessments.
Insteadwehaveprejudiceandpolemicalopinions, brewed like instant coffee.
Subjected to such a methodology, all member states can be made to smell foul.
If the joint motion before us passes as written, the credentials of this Parliament to really show how to defend European values transparently and honestly could well be put at risk.
Maltese Version – INTERVENT TAL-MEP ALFRED SANT FIL-PARLAMENT EWROPEW, 14 TA’ NOVEMBRU 2017
Dan il-Parlament huwa kburi li huwa b’saħħtu fid-difiża tad-Drittijiet tal-Bniedem u tas-saltna tad-dritt skond il-valuri Ewropej.
Imma biex dan il-Parlament jibqa’ b’saħħtu irid ikun ibbażat fuq proċess li tinġabar l-evidenza, ipoġġihom f’kuntest u janalizzahom.
Jekk ma jsirx hekk, dan il-Parlament jitlef il-kredibilita’ tiegħu.
Agħar minn hekk, jista’ jimmina l-valuri li aħna lkoll nemmnu fihom.
F’Malta kellna delitt brutali li ixxokkjana kollha kemm aħna.
Hemm bżonn li ssir ġustizzja.
Fl-investigazzjoni, il-Gvern Malti talab l-għajnuna tal-awtoritajiet tal-Pulizija Olandiżi u Amerikani kif ukoll lill-Interpol.
Iżda r-riżultat tal-investigazzjoni dwar dan id-delitt, ma jistax jirrifletti fuq is-saltna ad-dritt f’Malta.
Malta qed tkun akkużata fuq defiċjenzi perċepiti fis-saltna tad-dritt fuq il-bażi ta’ fatti mgħawġa, allegazzjonijiet mhux ippruvati u kwistjonijiet irrelevanti għas-saltna tad-dritt.
Dan qed isir bi tpattija għal proċessi dwar is-saltna tad-dritt fi stati membri oħra tal-UE?
Il-Gvern Malti ripetutament aċċetta li jilqa’ delegazzjonijiet minn dan il-Parlament biex jinestigaw kwistjonijiet kwistjonijiet li jitqajmu. Dan għadu jsir sa issa.
Il-Gvern Malti aċċetta, u stieden, l-iskrutinju tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea fuq għadd ta’ kwistjonijiet.
Il-partiġġjaniżmu fuq is-saltna tad-dritt jimmina l-bażi morali li dan il-Parlament jista’ jqajjem dwar kwistjonijiet marbutin magħha.
Dan qed isir għaliex fid-dawl tal-interess u l-alleanzi ta’ dan il-Parlament, huwa eħfef li tinjora r-realtajiet ta’ Malta u biex titfa’ d-dubji fuq il-mottivi tal-Gvern Malti?
Dan il-Gvern għadu kemm ġie ri-elett b’maġġoranza assoluta li l-ebda partit f’dan il-Parlament qatt ma kellu.
Dan il-Gvern kabbar l-ekonomija Maltija fost l-aqwa, jekk mhux l-aqwa fl-Ewropa.
L-attitudnijiet f’dan id-dibattitu għandhom ikunu oġġettivi. Bħalissa huma tendenzjali. Għandna bżonn analiżi oġġettiva.
Minflok għandna opinjonijiet preġudikati u polemikużi, qisna qed nagħmlu l-instant coffee.
Jekk l-istati membri se jkunu suġġetti għal dil-metodoloġija, l-istati membri kollha jistgħu jiġu mħammġa.
Jekk dil-mozzjoni konġunta tgħaddi kif miktuba, il-kredenzjali tal-Parlament Ewropew biex jurina kif niddefendu l-valuri Ewropej b’mod trasparenti u b’mod onest ikunu f’riskju.
Post a comment