Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1122313
4 maltatoday | MONDAY • 27 MAY 2019 EUROPE 2019 PRIME Minister Joseph Muscat addressed Labour supporters outside party headquarters on the Mile End road in Hamrun, as he celebrated his party's vic- tory at the European Parliament elections. It is the biggest ever electoral victory in Maltese politics, with Labour winning a fourth seat in the EP out of the six available, and at least 55% of the vote – a possible unprecedented majority of 48,000 votes. Muscat was flanked by his wife and children, as well as deputy leaders Chris Fearne and Chris Cardona, and Labour MEP Mir- iam Dalli. "As a country we've shown that what unites is greater than what divides us. This country does not want division, but unity. I thank you for giving this movement your trust, for the tenth time in a row," Muscat said. "There has never been any political movement that ac- complished what we manage to achieve." Muscat warned jubilant sup- porters that his party would not allow itself to allow the electoral result, a mid-term acclamation of the government, go to its head. "This historic result burdens us with greater responsibility. "I will see that myself, our min- isters and MPs keep their feet to the ground – we must be of ser- vice to the people, and with the people. I make my appeal for na- tional unity among all of us." Muscat also seemed to play down the central role he played in securing the victory, running a campaign in which he told voters they had to choose between him and Opposition leader Adrian Delia. "We have managed this thanks to the seeds of unity we have sown. It is a unity that must be the central point of this move- ment. This movement is not one person, it is not Joseph Muscat, it is all of us together." Muscat said Labour's victory was also a message that had pun- ished MEPs whose used their voice in Brussels to criticise the country's state of governance. "This result is a message from the people that it does not want its MEPs to work against the country. We are ready to work with everyone. Be ready to work with us." Some time earlier, speaking on TVM when he first announced Labour had secured a 45,000 lead over the PN, Muscat said he was left speechless at "what looks to be the biggest win for any politi- cal party in Malta's history". Muscat said that while the PL's 55% majority is roughly simi- lar to that the party obtained in the 2017 general election, and denoted an increase over the advantage obtained in the 2014 MEP elections, the gap itself had grown substantially. "Our provisional figures - the process is still at an early stage, and it is a new counting process, so our party predictions are moving slower than usual - are of around a 55% majority for the PL, which indicates an increase over the 2014 MEPs election, and the same percentage as the last general election," he said, "The gap has grown however, and it appears to be the biggest in history, at around 17% or 45,000 votes." He said projections indicated that the PN obtained around 37% of the vote - a record low - signi- fying a 17% gap from the Labour Party. Muscat: Vote punishes MEPs who 'worked against Malta'