Watch: Malta should discuss abortion not ridicule the issue - Prime Minister

The subject of abortion should not be ridiculed but should rather be a subject of major discussion, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Monday.

Turning the European Parliament electoral campaign into a referendum on abortion, as the leader of the opposition was doing, was a sign of panic,  Dr Muscat said.

"We are ridiculing a very serious subject about which the Maltese deserve a sober discussion," he insisted.

“The government does not have a mandate to introduce abortion. The PN leader is being irresponsible, when, as a survival strategy, he makes declarations that will come back to haunt him.”

On Sunday, the PN leader claimed that the upcoming European Parliament elections will be a referendum on abortion since every seat going to the Labour Party would be a seat in favour of abortion.

Dr Muscat said Dr Delia had seen a panic button and pressed it.

"That is a short-term and short-sighted strategy by the Opposition leader,” he added. 

It was those who had no valid argument who ended up scaremongering.

“From my end I will continue campaigning on real issues – if anything, his comments confirm that the upcoming May 25 elections are a choice between myself on one side, and Dr...