Honourable Prime Minister
Honourable Speaker
Honourable Ministers
Honourable Leader of the Opposition
Colleagues Presidents Emeriti
Excellencies
Distinguished Guests
This is my fifth speech on the occasion of celebrating our country becoming a Republic in 1974. It will also be my last speech on this occasion. My Presidency ends in April next year.
As has become customary, the speeches delivered on this occasion have always given a general overview of the state of our country, of what is happening around us, of what is troubling us, and above all, they have always included words of encouragement for the future of our country. As one expects, criticism, when necessary, was not lacking.
Things look somewhat different from the Office of the President of the Republic’s perspective than they perhaps do to people in the street, or to politicians while they are carrying out their partisan work.
It is regrettable that no one can know this before assuming the Office of the President, and therefore it is understandable that when it comes to what one wished, and perhaps even promised, to accomplish at the beginning of the Presidency, in time one finds that it is not so easy to accomplish after all.
This is not the only thing. There are also developments that take place during that time which no one would have predicted; developments both political and otherwise, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We had quite our share of these. They were developments that took up much of our time, much of our attention, and much of our energy. Developments that deserved our undivided attention, because their political and social impact was not insignificant, and because they needed to be resolved, one way or another, with particular expediency.
The most outstanding threat was the COVID-19 epidemic. Today I can almost say that we have nearly forgotten about it, but everyone remembers the fear we felt when the first cases began to appear, and we found ourselves looking towards a future that was indicating nothing but darkness and uncertainty.
The way we succeeded, as a country, in organising ourselves, and in cooperating with and obeying the authorities, was commendable, and in fact has been praised by many foreign authorities. It was a clear example that when we choose to unite, we are able to find the strength to do what is in our country’s best interest.
It was a clear example that we do have abilities, we do have competent and capable people, and that the Maltese people’s generosity stands out when we have to take care of each other, as our nurses and carers showed us. Together with a large number of other workers in different sectors they did more than was expected of them to care for our elderly, whose relatives were not allowed to be close to them due to the regulations that had been introduced.
I am saying all this because, unfortunately, those who are not as well-versed in Maltese society, and who get their information only from what is published by certain media outlets, would get a completely opposite impression, and would think that there is no longer anything good left in our country; that people no longer have integrity, that there are no competent people left, and that no one is trustworthy.
I am not saying all this to be controversial, but because everyone knows that reality shows otherwise, and above all because as the Head of the Maltese State I feel hurt when I see our country being smeared in this way especially in front of foreigners.
Of course not everyone is blameless. Of course there is a lot to be fixed in our country. Of course there are also many bills that need to be resolved and paid. This is why we have regulatory structures. This is why we have the Courts. This is why we have the Ombudsman. This is why we have the Auditor General and the police force. These are the tools a democratic country has at its disposal to ensure that as much as possible, laws are followed and the rule of law is upheld.
When I spoke about national unity, there were some who were very critical. It certainly did not reflect well on our country, both politically and administratively, that in order to agree on who should occupy the constitutional role of Ombudsman, we had to wait for almost a year and a half.
We do have people who are capable of occupying high positions in our country. Let us set aside our bickering and stubbornness, and pick, out of the many eligible candidates, always with our sights set on our country’s best interest, those we consider to be the most capable of doing justice to that role.
I am saying this only three and a half months away from the appointment of the next President of the Republic.
It is also cause of displeasure for me that after the great deal of work done in collecting and evaluating suggestions from the general public and constituted bodies on the changes desired in the Constitution, I was prevented from continuing the process of convening a Convention, because despite all my best efforts, there was no willingness to agree on who should lead this Convention.
It was a wonderful time when, in spite of disagreements and lengthy informed discussions, we at least managed to make important constitutional changes regarding appointments of members of the Judiciary, the separation of powers within the Office of the Attorney General, the appointment of the Police Commissioner, as well as the appointment of the President of the Republic, among other administrative changes.
The President of the Republic alone cannot do anything. Like any other official in a high role, the President depends on the cooperation of many other entities. His powers are limited, but unfortunately, even those who should know better, for their own reasons, expect the President to take actions or decisions which strictly do not fall under his remit.
In a healthy democracy, everyone should be subject to public scrutiny, which includes criticism. But the criticism should not mean mockery or ridicule. Nor should it mean allegations thrown about without a care in the world, or speculation which is allowed to fester as long as it is not libellous. It is even worse when this destructive criticism is aimed at those who, due to the nature of the Office they occupy, are duty-bound to keep silent and not to engage in public controversy.
I would like to take a moment here to urge for more education on how to use social media well, and on how to recognise fake news from real news. We have enough to worry about without having to dwell on false rumours and fake news.
This is an important aspect of the education we must provide to upcoming generations; generations that already live in the digital world; generations that will have to face a world of artificial intelligence; generations that will need to learn to use it and reap its benefits, rather than feel overwhelmed by it and become its slaves.
As with past scientific and technological developments, where there were fears that these would pose a threat to humanity, with the necessary wisdom and preparation, what were portrayed as threats turned into opportunities and today have become part of our everyday quality of life.
Here I encourage our youths to immerse themselves in their studies and let nothing hinder them from achieving their lives’ dreams. We are a smart people. We are a hard-working and capable people. Whatever we set our minds to, we achieve. There are many examples of Maltese people who have made a name for themselves around the world. Even if, perhaps, there are some who feel that our country’s small size is too limiting and decide to venture overseas, this is also a positive thing because they carry our country’s name with them. One hopes that when the need arises, we will find the help of these fellow Maltese brothers and sisters who have acquired great experience abroad.
Education is the best investment we can ever make in future generations.
The upcoming world is already one fraught with certain challenges and dangers which we have no other choice but to prepare for. The biggest challenge of all is the environmental one, and the negative effects we will face due to climate change caused by the damage we have done to the atmosphere around us, over time, through our industrial works.
This is no small challenge; it is an existential challenge. We are already seeing its effects, and we must do our utmost if we want to avoid having to bear the consequences of our actions in a few decades’ time. This is not the kind of damage that can be resolved by the actions, or lack thereof, of one country, no matter how big or small it is. Human acts have polluted the atmosphere, and every country around the globe, big or small, will suffer the consequences. We too must shoulder our responsibility, even though we are small, and try to change direction together with the rest of the world.
In a global context, given our tiny size, we have hardly polluted the atmosphere, but if we can reduce that even by a little, we would do well to do so. Along the same lines, it is crucial that we increase to the maximum extent possible the generation of energy from so-called renewable sources, such as solar and wind energy. It is a shame that our country is so small and the territory we can use is so limited. It was therefore wise to make use of the much larger areas to which our country has a right under the so-called international Law of the Sea, which gives us access to a much larger expanse of sea around us, known as the exclusive economic zone, where we can install wind turbines or solar farms, which provide us with electricity as energy.
This is just one aspect of what we can do to save the planet. Every cent invested in these measures is a cent invested in our children’s and grandchildren’s future.
This once again brings me to the need for education, this time in the environmental field, albeit against a broader education background covering all aspects of life, both physical and moral. Regarding this latter aspect, I do not mean morals in the narrow sense of any particular religion, but broad ethical rules, Civility, and a strong civic sense. I mean rules of self-discipline, and a strong sense of knowing what is right and wrong. Rules that instil in individuals a sense of duty, and moreover a sense of respect and tolerance towards those with different opinions. I have in mind an education that not only gives individuals knowledge in languages, sciences, philosophy and literature, but above all gives them direction in life, embracing values and principles that guide them throughout their lives and through the worst storms they may encounter.
This type of education has always been ideal, but in today’s world, these values, this life compass, have become much more necessary because of the great dangers, difficulties and challenges that our youths face on a daily basis.
What use is it to celebrate that our country is a Republic, and boast that we have now taken control of our own future, if we do not have people who are wise and smart enough to lead this country in the best interest of the Maltese and Gozitan people?
Above all, people whose integrity is not in any doubt.
Corruption, both proven and alleged, gnaws at the very backbone of democracy, and deters those who wish to participate in political and public life.
I am heartened to see so many youths active in political life, but I am sure we are discouraging a lot more talent because of the extremely partisan way in which we do our politics. Now that 16-year-olds have been granted the right to vote, I feel it is time to start teaching what politics is and what it means; not the partisan politics we hear about on a daily basis, but politics as art and as science, taught as a subject along with other subjects that help improve our quality of life.
I believe this would be an investment in our future. We would be investing in representatives of the people, and in public administrators who protect our country’s best interests, both locally and when they represent us in international fora abroad. Despite all of life’s glittering distractions, our youths face a not insignificant number of social problems as they go about their daily lives. We can mention ever-rising property prices, which for many of our youths mean years and years of interest and capital payments.
Unfortunately, we are also seeing more instability in relationships between couples. All this entails social, legal, and mental health consequences that such unfortunate cases bring about. I cannot help but emphasise the effect that certain situations can have on children, if the couple have any.
The frenzied rush towards higher living standards is no less a challenge, and may have negative effects on those who are unable to keep up with targets which, for better or worse, they wished to achieve.
Above all, the temptation of drugs remains always present. Despite all the controls, drugs, just like alcohol, tobacco, and gambling, are still omnipresent, and the worst thing we are seeing is that a mentality is developing that a certain quality of drug is as socially acceptable as if it were a glass of water.
Some of what I have just mentioned may be part of the reason why unfortunately we now hear so often about cases of mental health struggles, as well as of those who end their lives abruptly. This is just one of many factors that are having a negative effect on the mental health of Maltese and Gozitan people.
At the risk of sounding repetitive, I stress that we should not only educate for careers, but also educate for life; so that we are able to face whatever life throws at us; to know how to love, how to be compassionate, and how to wait.
Only in this way can we have citizens of substance, who recognise the need for honest work to achieve their goals, and with the necessary competences to occupy positions of responsibility.
I chose to give this much importance to youths, on this occasion, because they are the ones who will have to face and seek out solutions for our country’s problems. The only tool and resource our country has is human resources.
It is time to ask ourselves, responsibly: “Where is Malta heading?” Or better still: “Where will we take Malta in the future?”
I have already spoken about environmental problems and climate change. It is a pity that despite warnings from different sectors in the past few years, construction still continues to take over large parts of the limited space we have left. More controls and more enforcement of existing regulations will help save what is left.
Equally urgent is the discussion about population growth in our country, and the link this has had, and still has, with our country’s economic development. We know that 30 percent of our country’s population are so-called ‘foreigners’, some of whom have been among us for a number of years, and for whom the word ‘foreigners’ therefore hardly reflects their true status. Their arrival among us was our choice and it was needed for economic development. What does the future hold? Will we continue to increase the number of foreigners among us to further increase our gross domestic product, or will we find ways to produce products and provide services that have a higher value, and therefore increase the gross domestic product without needing to increase the number of workers?
This involves the clever use of all that advanced technology offers us, and the controlled use of artificial intelligence. This is not done at random, but as part of a plan that examines what the future can offer, and indicates what avenues we must take to make sure that our country keeps moving forward.
Whatever the plan, one should not expect foreigners among us to suddenly disappear. As long as they are here, we must acknowledge that our population is now mixed, and therefore we must educate ourselves on how to live together in a multicultural society, with all the advantages and disadvantages that such situations bring about, and that we have seen develop in many countries that are our friends and neighbours.
Countries that experience similar situations not only practise tolerance, but also carry out concrete plans to integrate foreigners into society at large. We do this not only by encouraging them to learn the language, or by giving them venues in which to practise their religion, but above all by protecting them from exploiters, from those who deceive them, from those who leech as much money as they can out of their pockets, and accommodate them in places not fit for human residency.
Integration means so much more than this. It means that while we cherish and care for our customs, culture, language and everything that makes us Maltese, we are respectful, and not only show tolerance, but also care for the needs and accept the customs of these brothers and sisters of ours who, yes, may have come to our country to earn a living, but who at the same time have provided us with services that were essential for our economy to progress. Unfortunately, this does not always apply to those who arrive in our country as irregular immigrants. This is a different story and reality. They are strictly not the problem… they are the result of the problems that exist in the countries they left behind, as well as the result of a lack of agreement among European Union countries on the responsibilities we have as a Union towards those unfortunate people who find themselves in this situation, and the difficulty that Member States find in putting into practice the usual discourse on ‘solidarity’ that all too often remains only on paper.
This is a reality that forces us to reflect seriously on the responsibilities we bear together with the rest of Europe and other Western countries, and on the investment that should have been made long ago to secure a better future on the African continent.
By integration, I mean including parts of the cultures and customs of those foreigners who have settled among us without in any way risking losing all that makes us Maltese… our identity, our culture, our customs and, above all, our language.
With regard to the latter, I note with satisfaction that from the beginning of my Presidency I spoke often about using good Maltese, and about the good use of Maltese. This campaign has started to pick up momentum slowly, and today I say with satisfaction that I feel that we have raised a certain awareness, and often and on many occasions I hear and see people encouraging others or taking measures to put this message into practice.
I have also had the experience of seeing Maltese children whose parents work in Brussels being given the faculty to study Maltese, among other languages, as part of their learning curriculum at schools in Brussels.
Our language is too precious to be neglected and to not be given the protection it deserves.
In addition to the amount of construction, and the population density, our country is also facing traffic problems, which despite the many millions spent on developing road infrastructure, unfortunately is still lacking a solution to the difficulties and delays we experience daily on our roads. The problem is the number of vehicles on our roads, which continue to increase by regular amounts every day.
There is a need for a holistic plan that includes education about our travel habits, research on other individual as well as collective modes of transport that we can develop, times for certain heavy vehicles, and possibly controls over parking times in certain localities.
Another challenge that our youths must rise to the occasion to face in order to secure a serene future for our country is upholding the rule of law. This is an obligation that stems from our country’s democratic vocation and from the commitment we have made to ourselves to comply with these obligations because this is what is expected of us by the international organisations to which we belong.
We need to ensure that we will strengthen all constitutional bodies that provide us with comfort and peace of mind, that can serve as a deterrent, and that can take all the necessary measures to serve justice on those who make mistakes or who abuse the system. We must see that justice is done wherever a crime is proven to have occurred.
As I had mentioned the case of Mrs Daphne Caruana Galizia in my first speech, in this speech too I felt that I should urge that what remains to be done in that case to close the judicial chapter should be done as soon as possible so that all those who were responsible pay for their actions.
The human chapter and the pains of relatives and family members will never be closed. The only consolation for them will be that at least justice would have been done with all those who were responsible for this heinous murder.
Our children must ensure all this while never forgetting that our country, although an island, is neither isolated nor cut off from the world around us.
Unfortunately, the reality around us is not at all pretty. If we take a look at our immediate neighbours in the Mediterranean, we see that we are surrounded by dangers, threats, and problems that we are either already experiencing today, or that have started to brew or are rearing their heads and may explode in the not-too-distant future.
We have around us circumstances which, should they escalate or spread, can have an effect not only on peace and security in our region, but even on a global level. We also have, as of a year and a half ago, a fierce war being waged in the heart of Europe, whose outcome no one knows to this day.
When it comes to Mediterranean politics, there is one major area which we can work on, and have an obligation to work on. We have a long history of involvement, and I feel that this vocation should continue to be one of our main foreign policy objectives. In light of these developments, some asked whether our country’s Neutral status still makes sense in this context. Even more so, there were also some who questioned whether this was an obstacle for us now that we are occupying a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Our country is not the first neutral country ever to be on the Security Council. Switzerland also occupies a seat at the moment, and Ireland did so a short while before us. Neutrality does not hinder the hard work that a country in that international forum can carry out, as our country is in fact doing.
I believe that the Neutrality status, when properly exercised and developed in active peacekeeping work, as enshrined in our Constitution, is a valuable tool in the hands of those who want to work to bring about justice and peace; in the hands of those who want to seek agreement, by peaceful and diplomatic means, and is very different from how some interpret it, portraying it as some political position that ties one’s hand, and forces you even to look the other way when you see evil happening around you. This neutrality status has not prevented our country from working, as it has done, and making no small contribution in the two very troubling circumstances we have experienced and continue to experience; the invasion, for no reason, of Ukraine by Russia, and the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas. Where there was a need to condemn, we condemned; where there was a need to defend, we defended; and where there was a need to impose sanctions, we imposed them; always within the parameters enshrined in our Constitution.
I therefore, in all conscience, feel that I should not allow such an occasion to pass without unreservedly condemning the killing of innocent people, irrespective of who the perpetrator is, while making my sincere plea to whoever wields the power to do so, to stop the ongoing massacre of innocent people, particularly of children.
Enough is enough.
If there has ever been proof that our country’s Neutrality is not an obstacle to our work in the international sphere, it should suffice to mention the diplomatic success achieved by Maltese diplomats at the United Nations Security Council, who managed to gain support on a Resolution that led, among other measures, to a brief pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas. On this topic, the Security Council has never been able to agree on passing a Resolution since 2016.
It is really a pity that no agreement can be reached on the cessation of hostilities.
I also mention something that happened recently, where our country was even asked to assume the responsibilities of the chairpersonship of the largest organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the OSCE, in 2024.
We do not need any further proof that neutrality does not hinder our actions.
The pity is that the world seems to think more in terms of war than in terms of peace. A very worrying factor is the manufacture, dissemination, and sale of weapons and ammunition, which are very important to the economies of countries, large and small, that manufacture arms.
It is certainly not the purpose of this speech to list all that I experienced during this Presidency: the beautiful and the ugly. There are moments which it would be better to forget, but I cannot help but note the great satisfaction that my wife Miriam and I felt when we had the unique opportunity to welcome His Holiness Pope Francis to our country.
A wonderful and rewarding occasion was the ‘Arraiolos’ conference, where I had the pleasure of hosting twelve European Presidents in our country to discuss topics of common interest. I also want to mention the wonderful experiences I had whenever I visited our fellow Maltese and Gozitan people living abroad, both immigrants and those who are staying for shorter terms to work or study.
Among these Maltese communities abroad, one can feel the attraction, love, and connection they feel with the traditions of our country.
An experience that will surely remain etched in my and my wife Miriam’s mind is that of the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation, which brought us face to face with the realities of life, with the pains, sorrows, and joys that, unfortunately, many people experience during particular episodes of their lives.
Before I conclude this speech, I want to congratulate all those who are to be decorated with honours this morning. This is the Republic of Malta’s way of thanking you for what you have done for the good of the Maltese and Gozitan people, some in one area, and some in others. This recognition is truly deserved. The Maltese and Gozitan people congratulate and thank you.
I hope to have another occasion to express my thoughts before leaving this role in three and a half months’ time, but I felt that I should not leave this occasion of celebrating the day when our country declared itself a Republic, without first thanking the entire Maltese and Gozitan population for allowing me this unique occasion in 2019, to continue to serve it for a few more years, as Head of the Maltese State.
It was an honour and a privilege, but above all a duty, for me to continue to serve our people and our dear country for another five years.
There have been difficult times in which I deeply appreciated the words of solace and encouragement, just as I have felt hurt and saddened by unjustified words of contempt and mockery.
More than anything, I have appreciated the continuous, professional, and dedicated support of the staff within my Office throughout all these years, during which they worked under difficult circumstances and who were always there to advise and assist me in my decision-making.
In particular, I would like to thank my family, in whom I have always found comfort and solace, and above all my wife Miriam, who shared this experience of service towards the Maltese and Gozitan people with me.
Viva Malta Repubblika.