The President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola addressed educators, civil society organisations, the diplomatic corps, religious and other leaders at an event in Malta this morning.
“2024 will be an important year for Malta and for Europe. It will be the year that we celebrate 20 years of Malta in the European Union and all the opportunities that this has brought to our islands and our people. The story of Europe may yet be unwritten, but in the last twenty years, Malta has played a key role in the chapter that has seen Europe go from strength to strength. That has seen us standing up for our values, making our people more prosperous, safer and more secure and Europeans’ everyday lives that little bit easier,” said President Metsola, speaking at the high-level event as the keynote speaker.
“If the past few years of geopolitical challenges have taught us anything, it is that Europe stands more to gain from working together. I am proud of what we did together,” said President Metsola referring to funding from EU programmes, Europe’s response to attacks on Ukraine and on democracy, to EU actions and legislation in the digital realm, on disinformation, on women’s rights, on climate, and on migration.
The impact of the European Union in daily life and the work of the European Parliament in particular were discussed with participants also informally by the President of the European Parliament and the representatives of the European Parliament Office in Malta.
With the elections to the European Parliament coming up in June this year, the importance of influencing the policies and decisions of the European Union through voting for the direct representatives of the citizens was underlined.
“The European elections matter because our freedom matters. Our rights matter and the opportunities that we get from working together matter too. That is the message that I came with today and that I am taking all over Europe,” President Metsola concluded.
The Head of the European Parliament Office in Malta Mario Sammut also highlighted that 2024, is a year that is particularly significant because it will mark 20 years since Malta joined the European Union and that “it is also a year in which 4 billion people around the world, amongst which more than 400 million Europeans, will be called to exercise their right to vote”.
“This year, more than ever, the European Parliament Office in Malta has an ambitious mission — to help citizens understand that, firstly, decisions made at the European Parliament have tangible consequences in their daily lives,” Dr Sammut underlined. “Secondly, that they can influence and shape this impact through active engagement in the European democratic process, especially by exercising the right to vote in the European elections”.
The high-level meeting was hosted by the European Parliament Office in Malta. The President of the European Parliament delivered the keynote speech as the guest of honour, and all Maltese MEPs were invited.
The President of the European Parliament is visiting all EU Member States, meeting with EU citizens and urging them to use their vote, warning also of the dangers of disinformation, and of the importance of engaging to defend the benefits of the EU that are easily taken for granted.
