ELECTION SPECIAL €0.50 ELECTIONS 6 maltaISSUE 111 • MONDAY, 01 JUNE 2009 • WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MTtoday DAYS TO GO ‘Busuttil Jeffrey snubbed the PM on the secretary- slams general offer to retain his lucrative Simon MEP post’ – JPO Pullicino Orlando fi res a broadside at Busuttil over ‘bad taste’ comment on Mistra party FULL STORY PAGE 8 For more news and info log onto www.maltatoday.com.mt As from today, Saviour Balzan is blogging on the European election Newspaper post Newspaper THIS IS A PAID ADVERT 2 maltatoday election special | Monday 01 June 2009 news We will bring Europe to the centre of every village JULIA FARRUGIA FLANKED by his wife Kate, ATTARD RAY PN leader Lawrence Gonzi ad- dressed an average-sized crowd of PN supporters in one of the most nototiourly polluted towns in Malta: Fgura. PHOTOGRAPHY BY Just six days prior to E-Day, Gonzi once again launched an appeal to the thousands of vot- ers who as yet have not collected their voting documents. “It is very important. We only have five seats in the European Parliament. Each vote is worth gold. Maybe we’ll get the sixth seat, God be willing. I genuinely appeal to everyone – make the right choice. Go and vote.” Gonzi urged PN supporters to vote for each and every National- ist candidate. “I am trusting you. On 6 June go and pick your preferences, make the best choices. Don’t leave any candidate out.” Lawrence Gonzi accused the Labour Party of being irrespon-irrespon- sible for shrugging it shoulders over important issues suchuch as im- migration. “We can make mistakes.akes. And please forgive us if wee do mis- takes. But what will thehe country gain if someone simplyy rubs salt Lows into an open wound?”””hN the Na- “Today“T d wee can speakk with i h TheTh Prime P i Ministerinisterii tionalist leader asked. facts at ouourur fingertips. Five said that in ththe past Lawrence Gonzi stressedessed that yeyearsars agagoo we joinedjoined the EU. yeyearar there werewe 37 • Sorry, Gonzi, but you are not Bryan during this campaign there was We cacanan say that just with organisations thathat Adams. “Please forgive me (us)” is a cliché a stark difference betweeneen the a smsmallmall part of what applied for EUU uttered by PN leaders during the last six PL and the PN: “PL wants Highs ththehe EU provides, we fundinfunding,g, whwhichh days of every campaign. In Fgura, this state- to go to Europe. We want succeededs in send- in turn amounamount- ment lacked credibility big time. At least the to bring you Europepe • Average delivery but well focused. ing 9,300 young edto €6,300,00€6,300,000. PN leader should have made an effort to here. We want to bringng people on EU According to give a few sincere examples of what he truly Europe to the centree • “We will bring you Europe in the centre of projects.” Lawrence GGon-o believes were the mishaps. If there were of your village, in ourr your village, in the roads and right in your Gonzi said zi, the GhaGharbb any, of course... streets, in our families, homes …” ththatat MaltaMalta anandd SaSann LaLawrenzwre z in our homes. We want manamanagedged to xouncils in GGozoo • Lawrence was very smart in his long- the EU to be a tool in A good punch that lifted the spirit and morale give back a lot applied to get EU sleeved shirt, but it must have been swelter- your hands,” climaxed of the supporters. Managed to create a to the European funds to rerestoreore Gonzi at the uproar off Union, includ- the façade of their ing under the noon sun under the soaring climax in the repeated refrain heard over and temperatures of a fl oodlit tent. the present supporters. over again during this electoral campaign. ing the Maltese churches. “We will get Europe in values and the “This will improveim rove the the centre of the villageage perspectives of a Maltese touritouristicc product, in the centre of housingg es- • “Small is beautiful” – smalls country. more worworkk anand a better ecoecon-n- tates…” Well, it depends… ““SmallSmall is beautiful,” omy …” Taking advantage of the ap- GonGonzizi claimed, as the After the PN activityctivity journal- plause, the PN leader flauntedaunted his crowd lallaughedughed at the vari- ists could not posep se any question party’s track record overer the past ous connconnotationsnotations that this to PN leader aas he was wwhiskedhisked five years. phrase mighmightht evoke. in his car by papartyy officials. 10 maltatoday election special | Monday 01 June 2009 survey Educational divide marks MEP elections Simon Busuttil is ahead among all categories, but PN wins only among those with post-secondary education Anti-immigration pary Azzjo- Voting intention by education level mt survey JAMES DEBONO ni Nazzjonali is likewise also more popular among those with Post-secondary Secondary Primary WHILE voters with a post- a higher level of education. PN 36 30.9 43.6 secondary education are more Immigration is in fact the most PL 25.7 36.3 21.5 likely to vote for the Nation- important issue of the cam- AD 6.3 0.8 1.2 paign according to respondents alist Party and Alternattiva AN 1.7 0 0.6 Demokratika, those with a sec- with a secondary and post- ondary and primary education secondary education, while the Others 1.7 0.3 0 are more likely to vote for the cost of living is the top concern Not voting 6.3 7.7 8.6 Labour Party. of respondents with a primary Don’t know 22.3 24 24.5 This is the main result of a education. MaltaToday survey which pre- Predictably, concern with Top candidates among post-secondary respondents: dicts an absolute majority for bread and butter issues, such as the PL in Saturday’s vote. the cost of living and the hike Simon Busuttil 23.4 While the PN is 10 percentage in utility bills, prevail among Edward Scicluna 7.4 points ahead of the PL among those with a lower level of ed- Arnold Cassola 5.1 those with post-secondary edu- ucation while concern on the Louis Grech 2.3 environment is highest among cation, it lags 22% behind the Roberta Tedesco Triccas 1.7 PL among those with a primary those with a post secondary level of education. education. The PL is also six points ahead Simon Busuttil, Edward Sci- Top candidates among respondents with secondary education: of the PN among those with a cluna and Louis Grech emerge secondary level of education. as the most popular candidates Simon Busuttil 15.8 AD’s support is limited to re- among all categories of re- Edward Scicluna 4.1 spondents with a post-second- spondents. Louis Grech 4.1 ary level of education, among Arnold Cassola is the third Marlene Mizzi 3.8 which it gains 6.3%. most popular candidate among Vince Farrugia 2.1 But the Greens enjoy very lit- respondents with a post sec- tle support among respondents ondary education but enjoys with a secondary or primary no significant support among Top candidate among respondents with primary education level of education. other categories of voters. Simon Busuttil 10.4 Edward Scicluna 4.3 Louis Grech 3.1 David Casa 2.5 Joe Cuschieri 2.1 Most important issue of the campaign Post-secondary Secondary Primary Immigration 46.9 29.8 14.1 Environment 8 4.4 4.9 Utility Bills 2.9 3.8 9.2 Hunting 2.9 3.3 4.3 Employment 2.2 4.4 1.2 EU rugulations 2.2 0 0 Cost of Living 0 7.4 18.4 Methodology A total of 1,127 respondents were randomly selected and contacted by telephone. Of these, 720 ac- cepted to be interviewed. The results were weighed to refl ect the age/sex balance of the population as represented in the latest demographic review. The survey has a margin of error of +/-3.65. The survey was conducted between Wednesday 20 May and Wednesday 27 May. FORTUNA INTERIOR DOORS 001 FORTUNA 003 Complete with Stainless Steel Hinges, Handles, Rubber, Delivery, Installation & VAT. Fortuna 001 Newman Block, University Street, €205 (Lm88.02) Msida, MSD 1651 Fortuna 003 Tel: 2132 0433/4 Fax: 2132 0435 €245 (Lm105.20) opinions Monday 01 June 2009 | maltatoday election special 11 POINTS OF VIEW MaltaToday asks prominent personalities and opinion formers to comment on the campaign themes and main electoral issues ahead of Malta’s second- ever European election next Saturday Joseph Cassar SJ Jesuit Refugee Service When the Berlin Wall came down almost 20 years ago, that unbelievable event sparked off a new beginning for Europe, the healing of a deep wound that had scarred the lives of millions of ordinary men, women and children over several decades. Thankfully, today we live in a States. The EP should ensure different Europe, one without that responsibilities are shared internal borders. Ironically, more fairly throughout the this new Europe is increas- EU. Moreover, the EP should ingly putting in place exter- arrive at a common European nal walls of a different sort, asylum system where all per- in the form of measures and sons seeking protection will be legislation that deny access to treated according to the same refugees in need of protection. high standards, in every Mem- For many asylum seekers from ber State. At the same time, it around the world, the only way should ensure that measures to reach a place of freedom to combat illegal employment and security is by travelling do not drive migrants who for and entering in an irregular some valid reason cannot be manner.