European values and Malta’s approach towards irregular migration, press freedom and rule of law

Abstract

The Lisbon Treaty reaffirmed the importance of the European values and their place at the core of the European Union. These European Values are made up of several principles including human rights, solidarity, equality, and justice. With the development of the European Union and the multi challenges it has faced in the last two decades, including the 2008 Financial Crisis, the Syrian Migration Crisis and Brexit, many have argued whether there is a role for these values in the European Union and whether these values are succeeding in holding the EU and its member states together.2 Values are bound to be a source of confrontation due to the looseness of the terms and the different meanings attached to them. Malta can be an example of this.3 Malta is the smallest member state in the European Union. It joined the EU in 2004, after a political divisive referendum and an election which favoured the Nationalist Party and its vision of making Malta a member of the European Union.