The European Parliament supports interpreter training in Malta

“Maltese is the mother tongue of our nation and a vital part of our identity as Maltese people; therefore, it is our duty to defend it within Europe,” said MEP Peter Agius. 

Agius remarked that he is fully committed to this cause and that one of his very first actions as an MEP was to meet with the Director-General for Interpretation at the European Parliament. During which, mr.Agius made it absolutely clear: the Parliament must speak Maltese.

The Directorate General for interpretation, Agnieska Walter-Drop, explained that following recent issues caused by a shortage of interpreters earlier this year, significant steps have been taken. This includes the European Parliament’s recently approved special grant of €40,000 to the University of Malta to support the training of new Maltese interpreters. Additionally, specialized training programs have been established in Brussels to prepare Maltese individuals for careers in interpretation.

“These promising measures are the result of our consistent defence of the Maltese language as an official language in the EU. Now, we expect the Maltese government to fully back these efforts—not just by supporting the initiatives, but by ensuring Maltese is used both in Malta and abroad,” said MEP Peter Agius.

Peter Agius concluded that “on this European Day of Languages, we must recognize that if Europe does not speak the language of its peoples, it will have no voice”.