Let's keep debate to the issues

Marlene Mizzi's reaction to my article (When Petty Is Pretty Serious, March 5) was a knee jerk personal attack on me that was totally uncalled for, in that my criticism was limited to the political approach she has adopted and was based on verbatim quotes from her own article.

I wrote that she wants to be in the EP to do things like "hamper our government", "name and shame the government" and to attack "a government gone wrong".

At no moment did I stoop to emotional and personal tirades, neither against her and nor in a pseudo empathic champagne-socialist listing of types of problems that real people face and who she claims to have looked in the eye.

Notwithstanding the relative age gap, I can claim years of studies and experience in European affairs, including active (and voluntary) campaigning for EU membership.

These experiences have taught me that the European Parliament is best peopled by genuine individuals with a good grounding and belief in what Europe stands for and who know well how to work inside the system for the betterment of the citizens they represent and not as a platform to attack their own governments. That is why I am running for these elections for the second time with the party that steered this country not only to EU membership but more relevantly to the opportunity for all Maltese citizens to be represented in the European Parliament, something that the party Ms Mizzi has joined was vehemently against.

People want to see politicians debate the issues not slag each other off. I therefore absolutely refuse to be drawn into the type of argument and level of debate that Ms Mizzi seems to have launched, although I must say that I did find the mental image of her in boxing gloves quite amusing.