‘I read statements... and I smile’ – Lawrence Gonzi

It is easy to make comparisons between the former Nationalist administration and Muscat’s government without understanding the brutal economic realities of the time, Lawrence Gonzi has cautioned.

“My government went through terrible years because of the financial crisis. And Malta sailed through with a positive outcome. I keep reading statements and I smile. Ten years ago the whole world was a disaster and we were doing very well, thank you very much,” the former prime minister said.

Dr Gonzi, who served as prime minister between 2004 and 2013 was speaking on Times Talk to mark the 15th anniversary of Malta’s EU membership.

Read: 15 years: taking stock of EU membership

Sounding an optimistic tone about Malta's successes inside the EU bloc, Dr Gonzi nevertheless warned about “black holes” that have weighed down the country, notably issues like the environment and the lack of maturity in politics. He said the biggest disappointment of membership was the way EU leaders dealt with the issue of migration in the southern Mediterranean, despite the advice given by the EU institutions. 

Taking a snapshot of the present political situation, he said the government should heed...