Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1240944
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Since 1969. e. renting@franksalt.com.mt | w. franksalt.com.mt/renting L E T T I N G L E T T I N G #STAYSAFE SUNDAY • 12 APRIL 2020 • ISSUE 1067 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY €1.95 maltatoday PGS 2-3 Malta tells EU traffickers are 'using' NGO to ferry migrants MATTHEW VELLA MALTA'S foreign and home affairs ministers yesterday met the ambassadors of France and Spain, explaining to them that it was "impos- sible for Malta" to rescue boat migrants and asylum seekers being transported out at sea by traffickers in Libya. Evairst Bartolo and Byron Camileri told the ambassadors that the COVID-19 pandemic had put the Maltese islands under pressure in terms of law enforcement. "The resources and space in migrant reception centres are limited, and the arrivals of more mi- grants will imperil the migrants living in these centres," they said in a statement to the press. The ministers said that Spain had closed its ports and borders, much as Malta had done af- ter Italy announced its closure of ports to mi- grant rescue charities. "Human trafficking has increased since Sun- day after the German-flagged boat operated by Sea-Eye 'promoted' its operations at sea to take in rescued migrants to Europe," the ministers said, adding that human traffickers in Libya had taken the cue to ferry the asylum seekers out at sea to be picked up by the 'Alan Kurdi' vessel. The ministers said the traffickers were ex- ploiting the Libyan instability, and that the EU had to intervene to disrupt this business model. Bartolo also spoke to the EU's external rela- tions commissioner Josep Borell yesterday, say- ing that unless Libya is aided, human traffickers will keep imperiling the lives of migrants they ferry out to sea. STAY IN, STAY SAFE, WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT/COVID19 Raphael Vella: Home is where the art is INTERVIEW MT 2 Never before has your support of free and independent journalism been so crucial SUBSCRIBE maltatoday.com.mt/maltatodaydigitaledition Pilots were 'guaranteed pay' in 2016 side-letter AIR Malta pilots were given a signed guarantee by the Labour government that they would be kept on a state payroll with their same take-home pay, in the absence of a volun- tary retirement scheme should their jobs be terminated. The side-letter of 18 August 2016 was an agreement forced by the threat of a strike by Malta's pilots, in which then-tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis had to placate pilots in a bid to increase their flying hours. The agreement states that the government "is giving all Air Malta pilots in Malta a guarantee of work, and will actively consid- er a voluntary early retirement scheme to 'right-size' [the air- line] that would be acceptable to all parties, including ALPA… the government is guaranteeing pilots that they will continue receiving a 'take home pay' of their choice according to either years 2014, 2015 or 2016." PAGE 4 Robert Abela gets 62% 'pandemic' trust rating, while PN gets Gozo boost mt survey Eek! With humans at home, pests mount return 9 Foodie frontliners: wine and fine dining 10-11 and takeaway armies 16 MALTATODAY SURVEY PAGES 14-15 Same-day delivery of your favourite Sunday newspaper Monday-Friday Sat Sunday MaltaToday Midweek €1 n/a MaltaToday on Sunday €1.95 BusinessToday €1.50 n/a ILLUM €1.25 The Malta Independent €1 €1 The Malta Independent on Sunday €1.95 Times of Malta €1 €1 Sunday Times of Malta €1.95 In-Nazzjon €1 €1 Il-Mument €1.20 l-Orizzont €1 €1 It-Torca €1.50 Daily Mail €2.40 €2.40 Mail on Sunday €3.30 Daily Mirror €2.50 €2.50 Sunday Mirror €2.70 The Sun €2.50 €2.50 Sun on Sunday €2.50 Daily Express €2.50 €2.50 Sunday Express €3.30 Daily Star €2.20 €2.20 Sunday Star €2.50 Daily Telegraph €4.50 €5.00 Sunday Telegraph €5.70 The Times €4.50 €5.00 The Sunday Times €5.70 Financial Times €3.70 €4.50 People €2.70 The Guardian €3.90 €4.60 The Observer €4.90 Support your favourite newspaper with a subscription https://bit.ly/2X9csmr MATTHEW VELLA THE former Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil was de- scribed as being completely ab- sent on his European political family's lack of action on Hun- garian prime minister Viktor Or- bán's rule by decree during the coronavirus pandemic. Labour MEP Miriam Dalli told MaltaToday that Busuttil, now the secretary-general of the Eu- ropean People's Party, was absent about Orbán's clamp-down on civil liberties in Hungary – de- spite statements from PN leader Adrian Delia yesterday, calling for a virtual EPP summit to dis- cuss the expulsion of Orbán's Fidesz party from the EPP. "The Nationalist Party in the European Parliament speaks strongly of wanting to defend democracy and rule of law in Malta, but does very little in or- der to address the deteriorating situation in other countries such as Hungary. A classic case of two weights and two measures and double standards," she said. "Simon Busuttil, who described his job as leading the EPP's polit- ical positions, is completely ab- sent in encouraging the EPP to expel Fidesz. "Simon Busuttil preaches on fundamental rights of the media but then ignores questions by lo- cal journalists about his lack of action towards Fidesz in Hunga- ry. It is therefore very logical to deduce that his stance in Malta was a hypocritical act, fueled by purely partisan reasons every time he and his colleagues sought to attack Malta abroad. This is a typical tactic of the EPP, which we have now grown so accus- tomed to in the European Parlia- ment," Dalli said. Hungarian MPs passed a con- troversial coronavirus law allow- ing Orbán – long at odds with Brussels – to rule by decree as long as a state of emergency is in effect. The law also sets prison terms of up to five years for those convicted of spreading false in- formation about the pandemic. Adrian Delia has gone on re- cord numerous times saying that Fidesz's membership of the EPP family had now reached a point where the EPP must speak with one voice. Even Nationalist MEP Robert Metsola joined a group of signatories demanding a clear position on rule of law in Hungary from the EPP. But Busuttil has been less vocal about the new regime laws imple- mented by Orbán: twice Busuttil forwarded Mal- taToday's questions to the EPP press service when asked whether he agreed with Article 7 sanctions against the Hungarian strong- man. No answer was received from the press service so far. "Orbán is the same prime min- ister that continuously opposes any joint efforts to help countries like Malta when it comes to irreg- ular migration," Dalli told Malt- aToday yesterday. "Where is Si- mon Busuttil to convince his EPP colleague in Hungary to change his stance on migration? At the same time, the PN's own exponents were very much present to condemn 11 Maltese soldiers and threaten them with life imprisonment without first checking the facts." The EPP is divided on what to do about Fidesz: the German CDU is divided about expelling the party, while the French Re- publicains, Italy's Forza Italia, and Spain's Pardido Popular support Orbán. He also enjoys the support of Baltic and Central Eastern parties. The coronavirus lockdown also means the EPP will not ex- pel Fidesz without convening a meeting in Brussels. Sacking Fidesz from the EPP would lose the bloc, the largest in European Parliament and con- sistently the most influential, 13 Hungarian MEPs. Some parties fear that expelling Fidesz would attract other MEPs in the EPP from switching their alliance and following Fidesz. MEP takes Busuttil to task over silence on Orbán Labour MEP Miriam Dalli says Simon Busuttil (left) is absent on the EPP's issues with Viktor Orbán