The only way the EU can secure its place as a geopolitical interlocutor is to understand when and how to cooperate with China, even if it requires swallowing its pride. As the 7-8 December EU-China Summut approaches, all eyes will be on whether China will roll out the red carpet for the presidents of two of the European Union’s main institutions, or whether their welcome to Beijing will be a more subdued one. Should it turn out to be...

Maltese S&D MEP Alex Agius Saliba attributes the rise of far-right parties across Europe to a perceived gap left by left-wing parties. He stresses that, no matter how well-intentioned, European policies must not impose undue hardships on citizens. The far-right is once again raising its head in Europe. Following its historic electoral win on Wednesday in the Netherlands, Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom now joins our neighbour’s Brothers of Italy, Hungary’s Fidesz, Poland’s United Right, Finland’s Finns Party,...

A report championed by Maltese S&D MEP Cyrus Engerer, emphasising the supremacy of European law over national law, has gained strong support within the European Parliament. The Journal unpacks the intricacies of the subject. The importance of the principle of primacy of European law for the functioning of the 27-strong bloc, the risk to the effectiveness of EU law posed by decisions taken by national courts challenging that principle, and the perceived need for a constructive dialogue...

Are you aware of the potential impacts of climate change on our health and healthcare service provision? Malta is leading a group of 20 EU Member States in a call linking climate change and health. As the Earth’s climate continues warming, we can expect to see more extreme weather events such as heatwaves, floods, droughts, and wildfires. As we have been experiencing ourselves, an unwavering warming pattern is altering the European climate, with heat waves...

Accompanying Sammy Meilaq on the campaign to show that Malta’s neutrality is too precious to abandon in the laps of professional politicians. L-Aħħar Testment ta’ Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici – Dnubiet u Profeziji (2023), written by Sammy Meilaq, could hardly have seen the light in a more apt time than that of the latest round of mass scale slaughter of thousands of Palestinians entrapped in the largest open-air...

Pedro Marques, Vice President of the S&D Group in the European Parliament, speaks to The Journal about his views on the way forward for economic growth and social protection in the post-pandemic EU, the EPP's dangerous flirtation with the far-right ahead of next year's European elections, the implications of the EU's announced enlargement, and the importance of an unbiased EU stance on the Middle East conflict. In this post-Covid era, the European Union has no option but to adopt updated fiscal rules that are more flexible and supportive of economic growth and social protection. The 27-nation bloc simply cannot revert to its pre-Covid fiscal rules underpinning the Euro,...

“Thanks to the conservative forces in this Parliament, today we voted on a Euro 7 Report which lacked the ambition needed to limit road transport emissions, improve air quality, and safeguard the health of our citizens. Without strong Euro 7 standards, the burden will fall on European citizens and regions.” – MEP Cyrus Engerer All four Maltese Labour MEPs voted against a European Parliament draft position that, in their view, delays action on air pollution by reducing the strength of a proposal by the European Commission for new measures to cut down pollutant emissions for passenger cars,...

In these turbulent times, the European Union has remained steadfast in supporting the economies of its Member States and strengthening the supply chain, while facing the daunting challenge of ensuring energy security. All across Europe people, society, and the economy have been facing increased pressures due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine, and now the violent clashes in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine. In these...

When the EU leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, the volatile situation in the Middle East will be given top priority amid serious concern about a potential region-wide escalation. For the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine has been trumped up by the Middle East conflict on the European Council’s official agenda. When the EU leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, the volatile situation in the Middle East will be...

“Is this (European) Parliament suffering from high sensitivity to rule of law issues only when it’s about countries that are not governed by EPP?” “Is this (European) Parliament suffering from high sensitivity to rule of law issues only when it’s about countries that are not governed by EPP?” French MEP Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield (Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance) asked as she took to the podium to...

In an attempt to win back some lost credibility and appear united in the face of the still-emerging crisis, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, called for a European Council meeting via teleconference to discuss the situation. The meeting take place today, Tuesday, at 5.30pm Malta time. Following the unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel, which resulted in the death of many Israelis and the subsequent hostage-taking of around two hundred people – Israelis and foreigners – the EU, as well as individual Member States, including Malta,...

While there should be full support for the Ukrainian effort against Russian aggression, there should also be some concept about what an acceptable endpoint for the war could be from an EU perspective and how to reach it, says MEP Alfred Sant. This year’s State of the Union (SOTEU) address should have included a clear statement regarding the commitments that the EU is bound with over the war in Ukraine, Alfred Sant, Head of the Partit Laburista’s European Parliament delegation, believes. European Commission...