EU Commissioners, MEPs and Party Leaders from the European Democratic Party and the Renew Parliamentary Group in the EP met in Brussels today to discuss the present international political scenario.
Arnold Cassola, Chairperson of Momentum, was one of the Speakers at the Plenary session of the Leaders’ Summit, held at the Musee de la Poste. The text of Cassola’s intervention, which centred around multilateralism and Rule of Law, is the following:
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Dear Commissioners, Leaders, colleagues, Friends,
We meet here today as Democrats and liberals in very turbulent times for our continent and around the world.
The serious escalation of events between Israel and Iran is a big threat to global stability. Netanyahu and Trump’s unilateral military actions in Iran continue to remind us of the fragility of the multilateral system.
This has distracted the world from the fate of the Israeli hostages in Gaza, from the annihilation of the population in Gaza and from the suffering of the people in the Russian war against Ukraine.
In these scenarios we have seen the complete disregard of international law. Whether through terrorism, hostage-taking, illegal settlement expansion, or disregard for international humanitarian and human rights law, these actors continue to believe that their cause justifies breaking legal norms, leading to undermining the rule of law framework that protects civilians and maintains peace.
It is also for this precise reason that we need to be consistent in our respect for the decisions taken by international institutions. The disregard by some countries of the indictment of Benjamin Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court has certainly not helped to strengthen the trust of citizens in the upholding of international law.
What we’re witnessing are not just isolated attacks but a coordinated assault on multilateral institutions and the international legal order itself.
Institutions like the International Criminal Court remain absolutely crucial. When we defend the ICC, we’re defending the principle that justice cannot be selective, based on political convenience.
The common theme here is that we have leaders that view legal norms as something that can be circumvented rather than frameworks that protect us all.
In my country, Malta, we understand this playbook. We have witnessed how corruption and clientelism systematically undermine democratic institutions and their functions.
A few months ago, our government, thanks to the lack of a strong opposition, felt emboldened to erode the citizens’ right to request magisterial inquiries, by creating bureaucratic hurdles for citizens.
At the same time our journalists and civil society continue to face intimidation through frivolous SLAPP lawsuits designed to silence scrutiny.
Our party, Momentum, has pledged to reverse these restrictions and restore the fundamental right of our citizens to seek judicial accountability.
We also seek to have stronger penalties for SLAPP lawsuits, not just in Malta but across all EU member states. The approval of the SLAPP law in the European Parliament was a step in the right direction, but now we need to increase penalties for those powerful lobbies that initiate lawsuits to intimidate journalists and civil society.
Press freedom, transparency, and accountability cannot survive in isolated pockets; they require European-wide protection.
Colleagues, I’m grateful for your welcome here today, and I believe that this is precisely why movements like our European political family exist. We demonstrate that principled politics can prevail.
Our citizens need to know that there are those like us who uphold the rule of law, defend human dignity, and maintain commitment to democratic values even in turbulent times.
