MLP "wants to build on reality" - Sant

Labour leader Alfred Sant yesterday insisted his party was the most credible and realistic in foreign policy, as he launched the Labour Party's electoral campaign for the European Parliament elections.

The MLP was the only party which had been able to decipher between the good and bad of EU membership and that was why it deserved the electorate's vote on June 12, he said.

Flanked by party officials, Dr Sant also launched the MLP's local council election campaign during a televised news conference.

Dr Sant would not be drawn into giving any predictions about the MLP's chances in the elections but chose to outline his party's priorities for the elections, and reiterated that any MEPs elected on the MLP ticket would defend workers and Malta's interests.

Dr Sant said he disagreed with the decision taken by the electorate to vote for EU membership, but pointed out he considered the matter closed.

"The Nationalist Party wants to sell stars. We want to build on reality," he said.

"We believe it is crucial to avoid adopting a signor si (yes sir) attitude to EU policies. We want to squeeze out the EU's advantages to our benefit and keep the disadvantages to a minimum."

He insisted that the June 12 election was not a vote of confidence in the EU or otherwise.

The European Parliament was one of the few EU institutions where work and social needs were discussed. Other EU institutions were cut off from the interests and needs of European citizens, he said.

Commenting about the Working Time Directive, which dictates overtime regulations in the EU, Dr Sant said his party would do its utmost to make sure that any proposal would suit Malta's needs.

Dr Sant claimed that the government was manoeuvring its way towards undermining pensions, but this would take place only after the June elections.

He said it was useless for the government to speak about the introduction of the euro before it reined in the deficit. EU officials had already warned the acceding countries against the early introduction of the euro.

Heaping praise on the quality of the MLP's eight candidates, Dr Sant questioned the PN's democratic structures for handpicking its EP candidates.