President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca focused on poverty, migration and international terrorism when she greeted ambassadors accredited to Malta for the exchange of New Year Greetings today. 

She said the economic situation continued to show signs of cautious recovery last year.

"However, there remains much to be done, especially in the European employment sector, where many young people are still finding it difficult, to join the workforce.

"The issue of the ‘long-term unemployed’ and the ‘working poor’ still persist on Europe’s agenda. A solution must be sought urgently to this social scourge that is affecting the wellbeing of one in four Europeans, and 1.4 billion people globally."

Poverty, she said, not only persists among us, but is a growing concern both in Europe and globally.

Turning to terrorism, she regretted that during 2014, bloodshed continued to spill in Libya, Syria and Iraq, with conflicts in the latter two giving rise to the emergence of the Islamic State.

One consequence had been the increase in the number of migrants.  

"My thoughts are constantly with these people, and especially with the thousands of people who lost their lives along a difficult journey, which was meant to give them a dignified life in safety.

"Malta’s plight, together with that of other Mediterranean countries like Italy and Greece, should be heard by the international community, so that the movement of people, so much a reality today, should be a quality experience, and not a tragic end to many hopes and lives."

She said this human devastation was then further compounded by the fact that, those who survived the ordeal were faced by poverty.

"Migrants’ poverty is also increased by racist discourses which render them as the perceived threat to jobs.In addition, the exploitative nature of their serving as a grossly underpaid and possibly even non- paid, ‘reserve workforce’, and the process of marginalisation, breeds further poverty and becomes complete.

"The only outlet for most migrants seems to be, the low paid and insecure informal economy which constitutes an important feature of a number of European countries.

"We need to shift the discourse, enabling people to realise why migrants leave their country, if we are to even attempt to change the lives of these persecuted people," the President stressed.  

In her address the President condemned violence "from Gaza to Syria; from Iran to Afghanistan; from Pakistan to Libya; from Ukraine to Nigeria, and now in Paris, horrific scenes, pools of blood, human slaughter that terrify and sadden all those who believe in human dignity."  

She also spoke briefly on the local situation, noting that the economy was doing well despite having been affected by the deteriorating situation in Libya.  

"Malta, as a country in the midst of the Mediterranean, has every interest to see neighbouring Libya regain its political stability through democratic ways that will safeguard freedom and restore constitutional governance for all," she said. 

 She looked forward tot he Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Malta this year, hoping this event will lead to  a roadmap that will kick start the shaping up of the Commonwealth of tomorrow hat have an effective voice and be a useful catalyst to influence change.

Referring to the terrorism in Paris President Coleiro Preca said this was an  attack on freedom and on democracy. 

"The aftermath of these horrible events should not be a clash of cultures, but the realisation that fundamentalism, no matter where it emanates from, can only destroy what has been gained through so much suffering and endurance by our forefathers and fathers to make democracy our way of life.

"Let us then use our freedom to make our voices heard, to spread love instead of hatred, to unite and not destroy, and to celebrate our differences, not let them tear us apart." 

(Read the full speech on pdf below)