Promised. Done.

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)

We started the week on a high, as Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that the Labour government had managed to secure a historic deal to reclaim back Manoel Island and Fort Tigne. We had given our word that we would return the entirety of Manoel Island and Fort Tigné to Maltese and Gozitan families, and that is exactly what we will do.

It was no mean feat. The negotiations were delicate, but our resolve to return Manoel Island and Fort Tigne to the people was stronger. Under a Nationalist Party administration in 2000, a 99-year concession was granted, under which Tigné Point and Manoel Island in their entirety were transferred to the company MIDI.

From day one we were clear that we would not entertain any requests for payments relative towards the value of the land. That was a no go for us.

The only payment that we would consider would be relative to legitimate and verified sums entered into by MIDI relative Manoel Island which would be needed to be paid back to MIDI so that each party finds itself in the legal status which it was in prior to the signing of the concession 26 years ago.

We entered negotiations with the company first seeking €78 million in reimbursement for expenses related to Manoel Island, including restoring Fort Manoel and building an electricity distribution center to name a few.

We stood firm and refused to pay more than what we believed was fair, and in the end, we succeeded. We agreed to pay just over half of the requested amount-€43 million.  This negotiated settlement will include also Fort Tigné, which will also be returned to the people.

We could have done nothing but by doing nothing we would have failed the people significantly. We could have resorted to the courts and end up entangled in cases and litigation, which, given the circumstances, would have dragged on to the detriment of the Maltese and Gozitan people.

Instead, we decided to face the challenge head-on, negotiate strongly, and come to an agreement.

The next step is to present a resolution to the relative Parliamentary Committee (NAOAC) and subsequently-after the company MIDI completes its remaining internal processes-the final contract will be signed.

In the meantime, we will ensure that the National Heritage Agency, Heritage Malta, makes the necessary preparations so that, upon the signing of the final contract, it takes possession of Manoel Island and Fort Tigné.

I would like to sincerely thank Prime Minister Robert Abela and the Cabinet of Ministers for their support and the Lands Authority for the professional and serious work it has carried out.

We gave our word, and we will keep it.

COMPETENCE MATTERS

A statement made in Parliament a few days ago by Opposition leader Alex Borg largely went unnoticed. Yet it speaks volumes about what many view as the Nationalist Party's immature approach to politics.

Borg responded to a ministerial statement by Prime Minister Robert Abela about a Russian tanker that was attacked outside Malta's search and rescue area. Both Abela and Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri clarified to Borg that the incident happened outside Malta's designated search and rescue zone.

However, Borg later posted on Facebook claiming that the attack had taken place within Malta's search and rescue area. The Prime Minister addressed this discrepancy in his parliamentary statement. In response, Borg argued that whether the attack occurred within or outside Malta's search and rescue area "didn't really matter" because the distance involved was small.

This remark highlights the superficial approach the opposition often takes to political matters. The distinction is far from trivial. An attack on a gas-carrying vessel owned by Russia and subject to European Union sanctions would have had very different implications had it occurred within Malta's search and rescue area.

Given the current geopolitical climate and the PN's superficial way of doing politics, it is reassuring that the country is being led by Robert Abela rather than Alex Borg.

What makes this episode even more concerning is that it reflects a pattern of inconsistency in Borg's political messaging. Leadership demands careful judgment and not haphazard declarations.

In moments involving sensitive geopolitical realities, there is no place for ambiguity or casual remarks.

Mużika Mużika

The much-anticipated Maltese music festival, Mużika Mużika, organized by Festivals Malta, will celebrate its sixth edition this weekend Mużika Mużika is not just a competition; it is a celebration of Maltese song and the dedication of countless individuals. 112 songs have been released since the festival's inception, creating a significant musical legacy, particularly for the Maltese language. There will be 16 finalist songs competing on both Thursday evening and the Saturday final. Last year, this festival had 320,000 viewers across the three evenings, and this year, we anticipate even more. This year's presenters are Keith Demicoli, Ira Losco, Jacqui Losco, and Jamie Cardona.

Special thanks to Festival Malta for its outstanding dedication, its Chairman, Aaron Zahra, its CEO, Frans Agius, the Muzika Muzika Chairman, Raymond Bugeja, and Artistic Director Paul Abela

Daniel Attard

Belgian prosecutors have admitted that Maltese Labour MEP Daniel Attard was wrongly identified as the recipient of allegedly suspicious bank deposits from China after confusing him with another Maltese man who shares his name. Locally, the Nationalist Party and its usual acolytes have been calling for Daniel's resignation and piled pressure on the Prime Minister to pronounce himself on this matter.

When news broke that this was a case of mistaken identity, the PN and its acolytes were nowhere to be seen or heard on this matter. As the Labour Party said, in a press statement shortly after the fact became public, it is shameful that the Nationalist Party sets itself up as judge and jury against Labour representatives to score political points, simply to tarnish people's reputations at the first opportunity it gets.

I have had firsthand experience of the PN's character assassination campaigns and several of my Labour Party colleagues, too. But truth always prevails, and we have emerged stronger - Daniel will, too.