MATTEO SALVINI – Malta as “piggy” in the middle – THE ‘MANI PULITI’ NGO MAFIA
Once more Italian Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Internal Italian Affairs, Matteo Salvini, has placed Malta as the “piggy” in the middle in the latest immigrant saga.
By once more doing so he has earned the irate outrage of the people of Malta and is greatly damaging Italo-Maltese relations which since World War II has forgiven and forgotten all the bomb damage that Malta suffered and which has passed on in history as the “status quo” of events in those days.
Since then, relations between the two countries have greatly flourished because we are near neighbours and Malta is inextricably linked to the Italian Peninsula whether by tradition, heritage, family descent, customs, food, music and whatever.
Sadly, since the election of a new Italian Government this closeness has been on the wane and Salvini is being seen as the prime culprit.
My great friend and former STMicroelectronics colleague Daniele Lunetti – a Sicilian who has lived in Malta for many, many years and has always been a gentlemanly employee and a person who has mingled into Maltese culture and way-of-living - yesterday disagreed with some comments I made about Salvini on my FB page.
Daniele’s contention is that Salvini is being misunderstood. His aim is to stop the ‘Mani Puliti’ NGOs who are aiding and abetting the Mafia human trafficking trade. He is angered because he believes that Malta is not playing its part in this by continuing to make its port available while Salvini has blocked their entry into Italian ports.
In addition, Malta is raking in €70 million from the EU as “aid” for these immigrants.
Daniele contends that Salvini is the only person with guts to stand up to and defy the EU.
To a certain extent I agree. HOWEVER, Malta’s case and status CANNOT be compared to Italy for various reasons.
Yes, the NGOs are a ‘Mani Puliti’ Mafia extension providing a helping hand to the Libyan criminals running the whole trade. The sale point of these criminals is that “we will tow you out a few miles and leave you and then a rescue boat will pick you up and take you to Europe. You have nothing to worry about’.
Hence the trade continues to flourish.
If the NGOs are stopped this most important of sales promotion will totally founder.
The Malta Government has made its position clear. It will honour its international obligations according to the statute – and Malta cannot afford to do otherwise Daniele.
Malta is not like Italy, as strong and as powerful. It has already suffered enormous international damage because of people like the late Daphne Caruana Galizia, Simon Busuttil, David Casa, Roberta Metsola and others, helped by people like Antonio Tajani.
Malta is small and being continually bullied and threatened. As soon as it does not honour its international obligations, the reaction would be immediate and vindictive and will surely be used by the EU ‘to teach others a lesson’ and for the EU ‘to show its strength’.
As for the €70 million over six months, this is badly needed. There are about 10,000 illegal immigrants – including women and children. Many have no qualifications or basic education and are largely unemployable. They have to be clothed, fed and socially assisted.
Why should we the Maltese have to pay for them?
Therefore, while greatly sympathising with what Salvini is trying to achieve, he cannot achieve his aims by continuing to bully Malta as if Malta and the Maltese are responsible for the whole dire situation.
This is causing great harm to the relations between two very friendly countries who should be standing together and NOT litigating between them.
ALBERT JEROME FENECH
