Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1537082
foreign judgments, but, appar- ently, completely ignored the public policy issue. It stands to reason that one would have logically and lawful- ly expected the Maltese author- ities to defend their new legal stance by relying mostly, if not exclusively, on the grounds of public policy as understood by them. It's a 50-50 chance either way of victory at the end of the day. We will naturally have to wait and see whether, if the Euro- pean Court of Justice (ECJ) is seized by the matter in dispute, the European Commission or the Maltese authorities come out triumphant in their legal ar- guments. Still, going by the evolutionary interpretation of EU legislation by the ECJ, it would be no won- der or surprise at all if the pub- lic policy concept under the EU Regulation is interpreted and widened to such an extent that it will be another step in the EU chipping away at the nation- al sovereignty of EU member states. For Malta, it's surely a risky gamble! MALTA will be joining the ranks of Denmark, Germa- ny, the Netherlands and Sweden, in setting a minimum age of marriage at 18 with no exceptions allowed. The bill put forward by Reforms Parliamentary Secre- tary Rebecca Buttigieg started being debated in parlia- ment at Second Reading stage this week. The proposed law will remove the exceptions in our law that allow a person to get married at 16 and 17 with parental con- sent. The change will bring Malta in line with the recom- mendations made by the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) to set the minimum age for marriage with and without parental consent to 18 years, for both girls and boys. The CRC is a body of experts that monitor and report on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. When opening the debate, Buttigieg framed the pro- posed legal changes as necessary for a society that has grown culturally, ethnically and religiously diverse. She said that in some communities and religions it was ac- ceptable to have arranged marriages that involved chil- dren, something that jarred with Malta's commitment towards human rights and the protection of children from exploitation and abuse. Two years ago, the Directorate for Child Protection Services had identified a case of a forced marriage where an underage girl was promised to a man for €5,000. Other voices at the time pointed towards simi- lar instances of child marriages among certain commu- nities from the Middle East and North Africa living in Malta. Child marriage robs children of their innocence. And while the phenomenon in Malta may not be widespread, even one child being auctioned off like this is one child too many. In this sense, it is good that the country is amending its legislative framework to prevent this from happen- ing. Under the proposed amendments, which enjoy cross-party support, no exceptions will be permitted for civil, religious, or cultural marriages involving anyone under 18. This legislation follows that enacted a few years ago when female genital mutilation—a brutal practice in certain communities that scars girls for life—became a criminal act. This is one way how a secular country that has em- braced multiculturalism in a rather erratic way ensures that the values of equality and non-discrimination it be- lieves in are respected by others. But the law on its own will never be enough to change attitudes. This needs to be accompanied by education- al campaigns and administrative interventions among those communities where such practices are more prevalent. But this outreach must not be limited to issues of child marriage and FGM. It should also extend to women's rights in general and the rights of LGBTIQ+ persons. It is a known fact that in certain cultures women are afforded inferior treatment to men and LGBTIQ+ per- sons are discriminated against and even criminalised. Migrants, whether they arrived in Malta through legal channels for work purposes or came here undocument- ed, should know what the Maltese state stands for, what the laws say, what is acceptable behaviour and what is not, and what the norms are. This can help eliminate misunderstandings and pro- vide a more harmonious multicultural experience for everyone. A broken promise Robert Abela made it clear in parliament on Tuesday that Malta does not want to go it alone in recognising Palestine as a state despite an earlier pledge to do so by 20 June. The prime minister reiterated the mantra that Pales- tinian statehood will be recognised by Malta when the circumstances are right. He once again did not say what these circumstances are. When queried about this in parliament, Abela went on the defensive, blaming Roberta Metsola for darting to Israel shortly after the October 2023 attacks to show solidarity with Israel, and hitting out at the Opposition for doing nothing on Palestinian statehood while in power. These issues have absolutely no bearing on what the Labour administration decides to do. Abela tried to deflect attention from his own inaction and broken promise but this behaviour prompts the question: Is the Maltese government being held to ran- som by Israel and the US? We won't hold our breath waiting for an answer. Defining Malta's values maltatoday MaltaToday, MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 MANAGING EDITOR: SAVIOUR BALZAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR: KURT SANSONE EDITOR: PAUL COCKS Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt 11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 JULY 2025 EDITORIAL