The EP cannot allow politicised procedures on breaches in fundamental values in EU member states

Former Prime Minister and Maltese MEP Alfred Sant said that the European Parliament cannot allow procedures by which allegations of breaches in fundamental values in EU member states are investigated to be politicised and made suspect, when intervening during the debate on the “Need for a comprehensive Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights mechanism.” Dr Sant insisted on the urgency to construct a mechanism that can be accepted by all as objective, fair, transparent and deliberate in correcting any such breaches.
“The risk has increased that allegations of breaches of our fundamental values get instrumentalised from within polities for partisan reasons. They are then promoted at European levels to foment criticism directed at the government of the day. I have seen this happening for my country Malta. And in this House. I cannot rule out that it might be happening for other Member States.”
The Maltese MEP said that assessing whether democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights are being breached systemically depends on analysis of the available facts, duly proven. It also frequently depends on subjective points of views adopted for political and other reasons that filter into the assessments being made. Unless this is recognized, there can be no worthwhile approach to spotlighting and correcting breaches. Mutual trust among Member States and their legal systems underpins what the EU stands for. Yet the ideological consensus that used to prevail among Member States seems to be breaking down.

Maltese Version – IL-PARLAMENT EWROPEW M’GĦANDUX JIPPERMETTI PROĊEDURI POLITIĊIZZATI FUQ KSUR TAL-VALURI FUNDAMENTALI

Il-Parlament Ewropew ma għandux jippermetti proċeduri politiċizzati li permezz tagħhom jiġu investigati allegazzjonijiet ta’ ksur ta’ valuri fundamentali fl-Istati Membri tal-UE. Dan qalu Alfred Sant fil-Parlament Ewropew meta insista li b’mod urġenti għandu jinħoloq mekkaniżmu meqjus minn kulħadd bħala oġġettiv, ġust, trasparenti u magħmul apposta biex jikkoreġi l-ksur tal-liġi waqt id-dibattitu dwar il-ħtieġa tad-Demokrazija, il-liġi tad-dritt u l-mekkaniżmi favur id-drittijiet umani.

“Żdied ir-riskju li allegazzjonijiet ta’ ksur tal-valuri fundamentali li ngawdu jiġu strumentalizzati mill-politiċi għal raġunijiet partiġjani. Dawn imbagħad jiġu promossi f’livelli Ewropej biex titħeġġeġ kritika diretta lejn il-gvern tal-ġurnata. Rajt dan jiġri f’pajjiżna Malta. U rajt dan iseħħ ukoll f’din il-Kamra. Ma nistax neskludi li l-istess jiġri għal Stati Membri oħra.”

Dr Sant qal li l-evalwazzjoni dwar jekk id-demokrazija, l-istat tad-dritt u d-drittijiet fundamentali humiex jinkisru sistematikament tiddependi minn analiżi tal-fatti disponibbli u ippruvati bl-evidenza. Ħafna drabi pero` l-evalwazzjoni qed tiddependi fuq punti ta’ fehmiet suġġettivi adottati għal raġunijiet politiċi.