This is not to present any glimmer of hope that the Labour Party has begun its road to the Enlightenment. However, I can confirm from various sources that the leadership and top officials of the Labour Party have renewed their internal discussion on neutrality and defence following the incident of “Conscience” outside the Maltese coast.
In the last European Parliament elections, the Labour Party, but most notably the Prime Minister, Alex Agius Saliba, and Daniel Attard, broke the customary bipartisan consensus on national security and defence. Instead of discussing these matters internally and seeking compromise, they chose to exploit national security issues on the election campaign trail. This was a gross violation of our national consensus.
After the occurrence of an actual national security incident, the Labour Party leadership has been slapped in the face with a bout of reality and discussions are ongoing. Alex Agius Saliba is also reconsidering some positions. Apparently, the “Economy of Peace” doesn’t stop rogue nations from bombing humanitarian vessels across our borders.
This does not mean that anything will change or that the Labour Party will change its policies or rhetoric. Their sense of sobriety may wane off after they forget about the incident altogether with their daily life.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister referred to security as a prerequisite of defence in his speech during the Labour Party’s Annual General Conference.
You may also read this article for background.
Website Editor
Historian and Publisher
Leave a Reply