Instead of attacking journalists or downplaying the seriousness of what happened over the weekend, the Government should answer for the lack of enforcement

It is unacceptable for Minister Bedingfield to accuse a journalist of racial motivation for asking legitimate questions about enforcement, while Jason Micallef attempts to downplay the incidents by comparing them to fights during village feasts

Over the past few hours, two Labour Government figures have made extraordinary statements in relation to the shocking scenes witnessed over the weekend in connection with a three-day party event held in Malta.

The Partit Nazzjonalista considers the statements made by Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield and Jason Micallef — Robert Abela’s Special Delegate for the implementation of Labour’s electoral manifesto, Chairman of the Valletta Cultural Agency and Chairman of Ta’ Qali National Park — to be extremely serious. Both commented to the media about what took place.

When questioned by a MaltaToday journalist about the wider lack of enforcement in the country, which has become a matter of growing public concern, and specifically about the incidents that took place over the weekend, Minister Glenn Bedingfield turned his criticism on the journalist asking the questions and accused the newspaper of racial motivation. The Home Affairs Minister’s first reaction was to express concern that the festival in question was being singled out because those attending were of a “different colour” – an accusation that prompted MaltaToday to categorically reject Bedingfield’s allegation.

This is not the response one expects from the Minister responsible for enforcement in the country.

A journalist has every right – and indeed a duty – to question the Government about enforcement, public safety and the responsibility of the authorities. Responding to such a legitimate question with an insinuation of racism amounts to an unnecessary attack on the journalist rather than an answer to the issue being raised.

The issue was never the skin colour, nationality or origin of those attending. The issue is straightforward: was there adequate enforcement? Who was responsible? What went wrong? And what will be done to ensure that what happened is not repeated?

Minister Bedingfield also turned the question back on the journalist when she asked him about the sentiment being expressed by people across the country that the Government and Prime Minister Robert Abela do not appear sufficiently committed to ensuring stronger enforcement. He suggested to the journalist – after she had cited several examples of failures in enforcement – that perhaps this was merely a sentiment she herself held.

Equally concerning were comments made by Ta’ Qali National Park Chairman Jason Micallef, who attempted to downplay the seriousness of what happened by comparing the incidents at the Ta’ Qali party to situations that sometimes arise during feasts in Maltese towns and villages. Micallef argued that fights also occasionally break out during village feasts and that, in many such cases, nobody even hears about them.

It is difficult to believe that, after the disgraceful scenes witnessed over recent days, we now have a Minister attempting to discredit a journalist who was simply doing her job, while a senior Labour Party figure attempts to excuse irresponsible behaviour and breaches of public order at a party by arguing that fights also take place during village feasts.

The Partit Nazzjonalista calls on Robert Abela to distance himself from these attacks and statements and to answer the questions being asked by the public about the lack of enforcement across the country – a situation which is increasingly leading to incidents that damage Malta’s reputation, while also posing risks to public safety and causing disruption to residents in affected communities.

Rather than attempting to turn questions about enforcement into an argument about race, the public deserves a government that provides a clear explanation and full account of what preparations were made, what failed and what measures are being taken in cases such as these.

And rather than attempting to downplay what happened by drawing comparisons with village feasts, the public deserves a government that recognises that these incidents raise legitimate questions about the type of tourism Malta wants to attract, the country’s capacity to cope with events of this nature and, above all, enforcement.

Journalists should be given answers, not attacked for asking questions.

And the public should be given reassurance through serious enforcement, not excuses.

16.09.2026