The Head of the Maltese S&D Labour Party Delegation to the European Parliament Alfred Sant voted in favour of a report to the parliament’s plenary on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations.
Under EU regulations, the Parliament is required to adopt a report on the parties’ statute and funding by the end of 2021. The report was accompanied by a legislative proposal to update the regulation. Sant agreed with recommendations in the report that would oblige political parties to observe democratic and transparent procedures when it comes to the selection of party leaders, candidates for elections and the adoption of internal rules and political programmes.
Other proposals mainly focused on improving donation monitoring, denying funds to those who do not adhere with EU values and scaling down non-essential administrative barriers.
However, Sant expressed caution about a recommendation to rectify current rules to clarify that respect for EU fundamental values should apply to both European political parties and their member parties. “Such a proviso has to be interpreted with great care since it could be applied in a partisan manner by prevailing political majorities on contentious issues like migration, human
rights, abortion, secession from national entities and religious beliefs and customs”, he warned.
The Labour MEP also expressed his disagreement with the notion also in the report of harmonizing financing rules of European political parties and their foundations in line with pan-European constituency campaigns at the European elections. “I do not agree with the introduction of such campaigns and anyway believe that this matter falls outside the scope of this resolution”, he stated.
The report was adopted with 428 votes in favour, 92 against and 49 abstentions.
