If the barriers outside of Parliament are removed, it would not mean that the area will be left as an open plan, newly elected Speaker of the House Carmelo Abela told WhosWho.mt, stressing the need to ensure respect towards the institution.

At the beginning of this legislature, PN MP Darren Carabott brought up the security barriers outside of Parliament issue with the Speaker. The barriers have been in place ever since protests rocked the country in 2019.

Dr Carabott said that for the past years, whenever he brought up the issue the response he had always received was that they were there for security reasons. “I understand, but surely there are other methods,” the PN MP said on social media, arguing that they are both ugly, and send the wrong message.

Following his most recent request however, Dr Carabott said he was pleased to note that the Speaker would be calling meetings to see what can be done about them. Speaker Abela had told the MP that he would hold meetings to find a solution that meets the required balance, including safeguarding the security of the building, MPs, workers and others who use Parliament.

During an interview with this newsroom, the Speaker said that from an aesthetics perspective, the barriers are ugly. He said that he has begun holding discussions regards to the security side of things, but said he will also discuss with architects who were involved in the Parliament project, others from an aesthetics point of view, and is also trying to meet MPs who have spoken about the issue individually to listen to their thoughts.

But the Speaker wanted to make something clear.

“There are those who say the barriers should be removed. Ok, hopefully in the future we will be in a position to remove them, but it doesn't mean that it will be turned into an open plan where everyone can do what they want.” He said that he is not primarily talking from a security perspective, but rather from the perspective that respect for the institution would need to be ensured.

“It represents the highest institution in the country where MPs who were elected by the people do their duty, and where dignitaries, ambassadors and others from different countries hold meetings with me as well as with others. I don't imagine circumstances where the barriers are removed and everyone can walk within the precincts of Parliament, between the two buildings doing whatever they want, sitting on the floor, eating, sleeping, maybe not respectably dressed,” he said, noting the importance of respect being shown to the institution.

“It should be respected. It’s a question of respect towards the Parliamentary institution.”

Asked what he has in mind, in terms of what could replace the barriers if they are removed, the Speaker said that people, companies and entities would come with their proposals. 

“I think it would have to be something that complements the building and is aesthetically pleasing, that is not an eyesore. But it’s not up to me to say. It is the experts who have to indicate, and we also need to see whether initially, when this project had started, there were any plans for something to be done in this sense but was not done.”

He thinks that something more aesthetically pleasing than the current barriers could be done, but at the same time the building must remain protected, in the sense of it not being treated as a building of no importance or value.

“Many Maltese people travel and see Parliaments abroad, and I am sure they do not get as close to any Parliament as they can get to ours.”