Alfred Sant, the Member of European Parliament and former prime minister of Malta, has announced that he will not contest another European parliamentary election.
In an interview with Andrew Azzopardi on 103, Sant said that he wants to “make room” for others and that it makes sense to leave when you reach a certain age.
Sant, who has been an MEP since 2014, said that he always worked for Maltese interests rather than European ones. He never took on roles such as vice president of a parliamentary committee that would have required him to act in the interest of the EU. This is why Sant saw no conflict in his well-known stand against Malta’s EU membership in 2003 and subsequently his election to the European Parliament.
Despite being an MEP, Sant maintained his opposition to Malta’s EU membership. He believes that on balance, Malta lost more than it gained through EU membership. “The country did well in sectors where the EU has no competence like tourism and financial services and badly in sectors like transport, agriculture, and manufacturing where the EU has a larger say,” he said.
Sant, who served as Labour prime minister between 1996 and 1998, also discussed other topics during the interview. He expressed his opposition to abortion and criticised what he sees as the country’s “addiction” to a feel-good factor.
Sant’s decision not to contest another European parliamentary election marks the end of his European chapter.
Photo Source: Newsbook
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