Alfred Sant has abstained on the resolution adopted by the European Parliament
about the situation in Bulgaria.
The following is an explanation of his vote given to the plenary session of the European Parliament:
“For the last six years I have been questioning the legitimacy of this kind of
resolution, when applied to the Malta government for sure, but equally when
applied to other governments.
If a judgment is going to be applied to any government system, it has to be
based on a dispassionate, objective examination. That process does not exist.
What happens is in my view, a polarised, politically skewed method, both at
European Parliament and at Commission level.
I cannot but denounce the political hypocrisy, which accompanies the process.
During this debate, we saw an esteemed member of the EPP, who has been at
the forefront in blindly fomenting and promoting before this Chamber
allegations, strictures and sanctions against the government of Malta, the
country which she represents here, light a candle for the Bulgarian government
and present now amendments in defence or mitigation of its position. This is
indefensible.
In the circumstances, in full coherence with my stance about a process, which I
consider to still be a political charade, I had no hesitation to vote against the
EPP amendments and to abstain on the final resolution. In no way should this be
taken as an explicit or implicit endorsement of what is happening in Bulgaria.
To the contrary”.
