Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1521974
NEWS 12 maltatoday | THURSDAY • 6 JUNE 2024 KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt YOUR VOICE IN EUROPE It's the time to confirm our resolve to move forward VOTE LABOUR And continue to vote for all Labour Party Candidates INDEPENDENT MEP candidate Arnold Cassola said the is edg- ing closer to a historic day where "Malta could be born again." "We are moving closer to a mo- ment of freedom which the people of this country have not experi- enced for a long time," Cassola said in his final address of the 2024 MEP campaign. He said people have understood that environmental degradation, the chaos in their communities, the crisis in Malta's mental health sector "do not stem from noth- ing." "We are living under an old, tired and inefficient political sys- tem which continues to produce disastrous results. That is why this moment provides the opportunity for a new beginning," he said. "We have to reform the political class from the ground up." Cassola stated his mission in Brussels would be to reform the economy so that it gives purpose to young people and to improve the country's visual aesthet- ic through a clean and efficient transport system which does not privilege cars over everything, and by focusing on proper good gov- ernance. "While a lot of our childish pol- iticians keep on insisting on par- tisan bickering, the Maltese are showing clearly they are matur- ing," he said. The MEP candidate reminded viewers about the Jean Paul Sofia protests last year, and how "thou- sands of Maltese" came together in Castille Square to show support to his mother Isabelle and to show "the country is capable of loving". "We showed that hate which stems from tribalism no longer has a place in the country," he said. Making reference to ongoing de- velopments related to the hospi- tals inquiry, he said the country "is passing through a dark time, but on the horizon the sun is rising". "With your participation, 8 June will mark a historical day for the country if you go out and vote," he said. "Become the protagonist, together with your Maltese and Gozitan brothers and sisters." "If you vote for me, I will use that trust to work tirelessly so the country can enter the modern age, as Malta could be one of the brightest stars of the EU," he said. He also spoke about EU funds negotiations in the coming years, saying the last €1.3 billion received by Malta last time round had been squandered on a road system which was "of no benefit to the Maltese citizens." "Education, environment, inno- vation and urban aesthetics were all side lined in order for grey con- crete to be laid and for trees to be cut down, he said. Cassola's final address of the campaign: 'Malta could be one of the brightest stars of the EU' Arnold Cassola