Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1507984
4 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 20 SEPTEMBER 2023 4 KURT SANSONE LABOUR MP Randolph De Batti- sta has called out Roberta Metsola for failing to make a single appear- ance in the Europride events held in Malta last week. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, De Battista accused the European Parliament President of missing the 10-day events "not to irk the [Nationalist Party's] conservative grassroots". Calling Metsola's absence one of the "biggest" in Europride 2023, De Battista hit out at what he de- scribed as her double personality – the one on display in Brussels and the one shown in Malta. "A person who in Brussels takes selfies with LGBTIQ+ activ- ists and others who work in the field of human rights… A person whose nationality all the more re- quired her to come and celebrate with pride this enormous event happening in her home country. A person whose agenda is admitted- ly very busy but in a 10-day time- span could not find just one slot to come over," De Battista said. He noted that despite her busy schedule, Metsola will be finding time to get back to Malta to ad- dress the PN mass meeting on the eve of Independence Day. "Do you think people are to blame for suspecting that the ab- sence [for Europride] of the Euro- pean Parliament president and EP election candidate Roberta Met- sola was a calculated move not to appear bad with the conservative base she will be asking to vote for her in June?" The Labour MP, who is open- ly gay, also posted a file photo of Metsola in Brussels posing with an EU flag blending into the rainbow flag characteristic of the LQGTIQ community. "You cannot show one face in Brussels and a different face in Malta. People are not nincom- poops…" De Battista ended his rant. Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba also called out the European Par- liament President for not being in Malta for the Europride march. Malta hosted Europride this year, which culminated in Satur- day's well-attended Pride march held in Valletta and Floriana. The march saw the participation of Prime Minister Robert Abela, Opposition leader Bernard Grech, and European Equality Commis- sioner Helena Dalli, among other politicians from both sides of the Maltese parliament. In a terse reaction, a spokesper- son for the European Parliament said Metsola was not invited to speak at Europride and was unable to attend other activities because of institutional commitments at the G7 Speakers' Summit in Ja- pan, the EP's plenary session and the UN General Assembly. "The European Parliament does not take the accusations by a gov- ernment Member of Parliament of Malta lightly. The European Par- liament is recognised across the world for its work on LGBTIQ+ and its President is a global lead- er in the commitment to equality and the protection of LGBTIQ+ rights," the spokesperson said. He added that the EP Liaison Office, Vice-Presidents and MEPs were present for the Pride march held in Malta. Metsola will on Thursday visit the exhibition The Wind Blows… Waves In All Di- rections. "The President of the European Parliament is a proud ally to the LGBTIQ+ community, has always been so and will continue to be so. EuroPride is a European celebra- tion of love and equality." Labour MP flags Metsola's absence from Europride Randolph De Battista criticises Roberta Metsola for finding time to come and address the PN mass meeting but not to attend a single Europride event held in Malta