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Both major parties appear to be worried by uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the first European Parliament elections in Malta to be held in June.
Nationalist Party Secretary General Joe Saliba told MaltaToday that his party will not be interpreting the results as a vote on the government’s performance. Similarly, his Malta Labour Party counterpart Jason Micallef said the June elections were “not a test of the government’s popularity” and the Opposition will not interpret it as such.
“This is the first time we’ll be participating in the EP elections, it’s a new experience for us,” Mr Saliba said. “However one cannot say that the results will be an indication of the people’s reaction to government performance. Abroad there are parties in government that win general elections, but not the majority of EP votes.”
Labour’s Secretary General said: “The EP elections are very important but we won’t consider them a test of government’s popularity a year and two months since the general election.”
Mr Micallef admitted Labour was facing difficulties to get its die-hards to vote in view of its anti-EU position last year.
“At this point we’re working to get the hardcore Labourites to vote,” Mr Micallef said. Even though the EU membership question was closed after the general election, some of them might still not go out to vote.
“It is similar to what happened to us in the local councils elections, where Labour found it difficult to persuade its people to vote after four years abstaining from the elections. Our message is that Labourites should vote for MLP candidates in the country’s best interest.”
MLP sources said Opposition leader Alfred Sant is bound to face trouble if Labour fails to garner 50 per cent of the votes.
Alternattiva Demokratika secretary-general Stephen Cachia told MaltaToday the green party believed the EP elections would be an indication of the validity of its policies with the general electorate. “We are fielding a candidate we believe has the valid experience required for this post. The result will show how many people today are listening to our message. I fear that the two other parties’ campaigns will be partisan affairs but I hope the Maltese and Gozitans see through this. This is not an election for a party or government, but for a voice in Europe.”
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