The government and the social partners have a responsibility to understand why marriages are breaking down and to find a solution, said Andrè Camilleri, who heads the anti-divorce movement.

“The state is completely absent when it comes to preparing couples for marriage... If the state really believes in marriage it ought to invest in it,” he said during an event organised in Mġarr, Gozo, as part of the no campaign leading up to Saturday’s referendum. He said that, in the past, couples could look to their parents and grandparents as role models of a lasting marriage. However, nowadays, many young people travelled to study and their role models were replaced by the media and the mentality in countries where there was divorce.

He urged people to vote on Saturday to uphold the values listed in the Civil Code that spoke about the promotion of unity and stability in the family. The proposed divorce Bill would demean those values, he cautioned.

Anna Vella, a member of the movement, called on people to reflect on how divorce would affect children and the family unit. She pointed out that the proposed law did not put a limit on how many times one could divorce and stressed that children would suffer the most. Maria Attard, director of Dar Ġużeppa Debono, a home offering various services to young mothers, said there was need to teach children to be resilient and try to solve problems. It was important to teach young people to invest in building relationships without rushing into marriage.

Nationalist MP Fredrick Azzopardi, who sat among the audience, shared his thoughts and pointed out that those who voted against divorce were not doing so because they were insensitive. “It’s not because we are selfish or conservative. I don’t agree with divorce because it will damage people and society... We are focusing too much on the immediate without looking at the holistic picture of the future... I will vote no as this will help ensure we have strong marriages,” he said.