The President of the European Parliament and PN MEP Roberta Metsola has been officially nominated as EPP Group’s candidate for President of the European Parliament. The nomination was confirmed after a vote of approval by EPP MEPs in a closed meeting.

During her speech in front of EPPs 188 MEPs, President Metsola said, “Running to be your candidate for re-election as President of the European Parliament is a responsibility that I take seriously; that I understand is a decision that weighs heavily on all of us. I am proud to be a politician. I am proud to be an unashamedly pro-European, MEP. I am incredibly proud to represent you as President. For a girl who grew up on an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, it is the privilege of a lifetime.”

The Maltese MEP, who was elected by a record amount of votes by the Maltese and Gozitan people just last week, added that she will keep working tirelessly to repay the people’s faith in her.

President Metsola said, “I take this step with a deep sense of purpose, with a strong sense of pride to represent the people of Malta and Gozo. I will not let you down.”

The next step is for the plenary of the European Parliament to vote on who should serve as President for the next two and a half years. Should Roberta Metsola be elected as President, she would be the first woman and only the second person ever to lead the only directly elected European Institution for two consecutive terms.

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Il-Kollettiv has launched a campaign for a reform of the electoral system to ensure a truly representative democracy. The civil society group has submitted a parliamentary petition to collect signatures from the public via an online petition hosted on the site of the Maltese Parliament, calling for the immediate opening of a consultation process with the aim of carrying out the reform within this legislature.

Through this petition, Il-Kollettiv seeks to give a representation to the 143,028 voters who chose to vote for independent and smaller parties – or to abstain – in the last European Parliament elections held on the 8th June. These amount to 38.6% of the electorate; out of these, 12.7% voted for independent or smaller candidates.

This confirms how the Maltese voter’s profile is changing as time goes by, and how there are shifts in opinion from one election to the other. However, despite these shifts in the electorate’s preferences, the electoral law hasn’t changed: under the current system, candidates require 16.7% of the district vote to be elected.

Il-Kollettiv deputy Secretary Cyrus Engerer, the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Social Wellbeing Claire Azzopardi Lane and activist Omar Rababah have presented the petition on behalf of the group.

“A democracy is only strong when it represents the smaller voices, and not only at election time. An analysis of the votes achieved by the independent and smaller parties will show that, at 12.7%, it will equate to 10 of the 79 seats in national Parliament. In reality, however, the present system works in favour of the two big parties, and this means that no independent or third party will ever be elected.”

“At every election, various representatives of the two major parties insist that voting for a smaller party is equal to wasting your vote. After 143,028 voters chose not to vote for either government or opposition parties, it’s high time that they are given a fair representation in our democracy. Through this petition, the public has the chance to show that it wants to be represented in the running of the country.”

The petition calls on the House of Representatives to:

1. Immediately and during this legislature, launch a wide-ranging consultation process on the electoral system;
2. Discuss, as a matter of principle, the introduction of a national threshold that guarantees a full representation of the Maltese electorate;
3. Initiate the full process leading to an electoral reform, which presents a fairer system as from the next general elections.

The petition that has been submitted today will be open for signatures after it is reviewed by parliamentary services.

Individuals and groups who would like to take part in this campaign can do so by emailing il-Kollettiv on [email protected].

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On June 13, 2024, tenant Aleksandar Vukoje faced a harrowing ordeal when his landlord illegally entered his apartment and issued death threats, including “I will slit your throat and flush it down the toilet” and “I kill you!”

According to Solidarjetà, the landlord attempted to unlawfully evict Aleksandar, demanding, “Move the things out! Go out now!” When Aleksandar called the police, the landlord boasted of connections with law enforcement and threatened prolonged legal battles to ruin Aleksandar financially.

The landlord, who claimed to own 150 properties, revelled in causing trouble, stating, “I love it trouble me. It’s my hobby.” He also mentioned having Aleksandar followed, creating an atmosphere of intimidation and surveillance. When police arrived, they initially sided with the landlord, who falsely claimed that Aleksandar was an illegal occupant. Despite showing a valid contract, Aleksandar was warned that his guest’s presence could lead to eviction, although police cannot enforce evictions without a court order.

Aleksandar’s attempts to file a report at the police station were repeatedly thwarted by a sergeant who denied him the opportunity and warned him he wouldn’t stay long in the property. The landlord escalated the harassment by cutting off water and electricity, leaving Aleksandar without utilities over the weekend.

On Sunday, Solidarjetà accompanied Aleksandar to the police station, where a respectful officer allowed them to file a report, and the Superintendent apologised for the previous mistreatment, promising that the sergeant would no longer handle the case. This incident underscores a broader issue of landlords committing criminal acts with little consequence and police inaction towards tenants and foreigners.

Solidarjetà demanded immediate restoration of utilities for Aleksandar, that police treat tenant issues seriously, and that the Housing Authority prevent landlords with a history of mistreatment from renting properties.

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