.png)
MEP’s declaration embarrasses Malta – PN
The Nationalist Party has hit out at a suggestion by Labour MEP Joseph Cuschieri to withhold funding to debt-ridden Greece unless they ratify the additional seats in the European Parliament granted by the Lisbon Treaty.
1 July 2011, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
“Joseph Cuschieri embarrasses Malta with declarations that are devoid of all logic and confuse two totally separate matters,” the PN said in a statement.
The party accused the MEP, who has not yet taken his place in the European Parliament as Malta’s sixth MEP, of being unable to grasp the difference between Greece’s financial troubles and his own personal interests.
“After all the extra seats were only won thanks to the work of the Nationalist government to gain EU membership, which Cuschieri and Joseph Muscat opposed.”
Malta’s sixth MEP Joseph Cuschieri has expressed disappointment at Malta’s ratification of a second bailout loan for the Greek government, without having demanded that they ratify Protocol 36 for the extra allocation of seats for MEPs.
MEPs like former Labour MP Joseph Cuschieri who were elected on the strength of the extra seats allocated by the Lisbon Treaty, have not yet taken their seat because not every EU government has ratified the protocol to effect the increase in the European Parliament’s size.
“Malta will be contributing to the second Greek bailout when Greece is one of five member states dragging their feet on ratifying protocol 36… the Maltese government must demand that Greece ratifies it immediately so that its sixth MEP can take his place in the European Parliament,” Cuschieri said.
The Labour MEP, elected in 2009, said Malta’s “generous support should be conditional for those generous enough to give us what is ours by right… after all it’s Maltese taxpayers’ cash. And in the same way, the sixth seat is a right that countries like Greece have so far denied us.”
The MEP added that while Malta is expected to help Greece, which is facing massive debts and had to vote in severe austerity measures to curtail its deficit and debt, the country had done nothing to allow Malta to have its sixth MEP inside Brussels.
“In the last two years since the election of the last legislature, Greece stalled and postponed the legislative process in its parliament to ratify the Lisbon seats. That’s why it’s wrong that Malta does not make the least pressure on Greece,” Cuschieri said.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
•
I don't think Joseph Cuschieri is being so stupid with it, if you look at what they do and how other countries also respond. For example Finland has been severely against giving extra loans to Greece as they seem to just throw it away. For example, they just recently bought TANKS with the money. We have a thing called "pikavippi" in my country that is pretty much loans for broke people who can't necessarily pay it back. The same applies to Greece. But on the whole, euro and EU is in a difficult position right now.
Just my two cents,
Julia
•
Nahseb li l-imdejjqin intom – ivvutajtu lil GonziPN u telaqulkhom ghax qed nghixu fl-izjed pajjiz intaxxat fl’Ewropa.
Int qed tidhak siehbi jew ghax int iblah jew ghax tiffanga ma’ shabek – jekk int xi wiehed minn ta’ gewwa…….
•
@King Kenny. imma x' kilba ghal poter ghandkom ma hemmx x' tghamel stenna imqar sentejn dawn malajr jghaddu, jekk ma jirnexilkhomx titilfu anke din l-elezzjoni. Bhal issa l-uniku biedem imdejjaq u Cuckieri ghax ceda l-post u baqa b'xejn. JM wara li ittradih issa missu jghamel dak li tant jiftahhar, li ghandu hafna hbieb fl-EU allura ghax ma jirrangalux jew ma jridux?
•
@ mikegold 117
Whatever Joe Cuschieri’s strengths and weaknesses, at least he had the guts to face the electorate, and he was elected.
What gives you the right the try and belittle this man – apart from your bitterness I mean?
As for the Israeli / Palestinian situation, all you Nats have done is to brown-nose the Israelis, therefore you do not have much to write home about.
You sad, sad, little man.
•
@ issa naraw
Il-kumment tieghek huwa infantili u xempju car ta laqizmu. Joseph Cuschieri gie elett bis sahha tal voti li gab mill-elettorat malti u ma ghandux ghalfejn jitkarrab lil kolonjalisti il godda taghna biex ix-xewqa tal polpu malti tigi irrispettata. Minflokk taqbez ghal dak li hu bi dritt taghna il maltin, teghda toqghod bl-ilsienek barra tilghaq lil barrani. Tal misthija.
•
Mhux sorpriza li n-nazzjonalisti jiktbu b`din it-tonalita`hawnhekk, ghax issa draw bil-gvern ta` GonziPN jwieghed kollox u ma jwettaq xejn, jew jghamel l-oppost. Jekk Malta (u nghid MALTA mhux il- PL jew GonziPN) inghatat is-sitt siggu, ghandna niehduh, u bi dritt, mhux pjacir (ha nuza espressjoni li kienu jhobbu juzawha n-nazzjonalisti meta kien jaqbel li jitkellmu hekk). Min jaf kieku rebhuh huma s-sitt siggu? Taf min jinbarazza lil-pajjizu? Min jilghaq lil barrani u ma jiggiliedx ghad-drittijiet ta`pajjizu.
Helenio Galea •
mummy please tell them to give me my seat.
•
for once I agree with the PN
•
@ vcas ahna nies kompetenti irridu bhal alex sciberras trigona forsi nghamlu xi ftit agreement mal-komunisti. Kif ghidt qabel b JM kollox jissolva ghax jekk jigri xi haga jibda jwahall f' gonzi bhal ma qed tghamlu intom VIVa l-pl
Luke Camilleri •
It's the PN that is an embarassment to the Maltese , never putting the Natiuonal Interest First!
•
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I remember correctly it was EFA who, way back, had accepted that small states have five MEPs. This he did when he was saying yes to everything in order to be accepted in the EU. If I remember correctly, Luxemburg was not very happy about it because they lost a seat.
•
Quote: "The party accused the MEP, who has not yet taken his place in the European Parliament as Malta’s sixth MEP, of being unable to grasp the difference between Greece’s financial troubles and his own personal interests." It is not his fault that Mr Cushcieri has not yet taken his place in the EP. I start wondering if this is the democracy we learned that exist in the EU. This particular candidate reflectes the will of the Maltese people who elected him. He is right to continue insisting for his (malta's) seat - the will of the Maltese people should be respected in the EU.
•
Il PN skozz nies laghqa tal barrani u inkompetenti fl-affarijiet tar-relazzjonijiet internazzjonali. Mal Maltin jaghmlu l-arja BISS! Deficjenti ghall-ahhar!!
•
Cuschieri is right. I wonder what PN would be saying if the candidate in question was one of theirs. Besides, aren't the MEPs there to represent all Malta?
•
Miskin Joseph Cuckieri baqa b'xejn. Tinkwetax la jkun hemm il-pl fil gvern kollox jirranga. Nahseb li anke l-problema bejn l-Izrael u l-Palestina jirrangaw ghax JM ghandu solluzjoni ghal kollox.
•
Nothing more than GonziPN embarrasses Malta !
•
Biex tgħti taqla'. Iz-zmien mhux fil-bogħod u l-poplu mhux se jinsa din id-darba. M'għadux beċċun.
•
@ Lancet
I didn't vote for the likes of Lawrence Gonzi and Tonio Fenech either, but I'm still stuck with them as PM and Finance Minister.
C'est la vie.
•
Apart from the suggested way would the gonziPN apologists prefer we use the veto instead?
It is a reasonable request that Cuschieri put foward, in english it is called tit for tat, but then who ever heard of the nationalists of having balls when it comes to deal with foreigners, they always were are and will be a bunch of servile twits.
•
@Astrolux boy...
"X'ghandu x'jaqsam billi intom tghidu li l-kwistjoni tal-Grecja m'ghandiex x'taqsam mas-sitt siggu? Iva veru m'ghandux x'jaqsam sa certu punt imma jekk il-Grecja hi bzonna allura ahna irridu minn ghandha dak li hu bi dritt."
iddecidi xbin...
•
Mr. Cuschieri has not been given the opportunity to show us what he is made of, as far as being an MEP goes, but for sure he cannot be any worse than that fellow Casa.
As for GonziPN accusing Cuschieri of being an embarrassment, it is rather ironic….
What I find to be most embarrassing is the fact that apart from obesity, diabetes and ICT, Malta places amongst the last 3 rankings in practically every comparison with the other EU member states.
Not much of a record for Gonzi and his PN to boast of!!
•
@ gianni,
Correction: I categorise who I voted for! defininately not for the like of populist Cuschieri!!!!!!!!
•
@ Bertu Dimech
You forgot the third category; those that bend over .....the PN government fits very neatly in that category.
•
GONEZI + PN = lick lick lick.
•
Ghan nazzjonalisti li tghid xi haga favur Malta u kontra l-EU hija xi haga kontra id-DNA taghhom. Huma kuntenti BISS jilaghqu minflokk ma jiddefendu dak li hu taghna bi dritt. L-ironija hi , li dawn l-istess PN tghidx kemm ftahru li kien irnexxielhom jgibu is-sitt siggu ghal Malta u bilkemm ma tawx l-impressjoni li carcru demmhom ma l-ewropej biex irnexxielhom jakkwistaw dan is-siggu. L-ipokrezija fl-aqwa taghha.
•
I am not a particular fan of Joseph Cuschieri - quite the opposite.
But I have to say he is 100% right on this one. We have a right to the sixth seat - whoever is elected to occupy it. And if Greece, in their own selfish interests, are blocking it, we should take this opportunity to make them see reason.
What is really embarrassing for Malta is our government's spinelessness.
•
@ Lancet
We have the MEPs we elected.
•
There are ass lickers and there are ass kickers!! Which of the two does the PN prefer to be?
•
The EU charade continues. Everybody loves the siggu and the perks. Perhaps we have two MEP's worth their salt, the other? well enogh said.
•
Intom in-Nazzjonalisti ghalhekk qed titilfu l-kredibilita ma kullhadd anke ma min jissaportjakom ghax m'intom kapaci tahtfu opportunita biex dak li bi dritt taghna ggibuh. X'ghandu x'jaqsam billi intom tghidu li l-kwistjoni tal-Grecja m'ghandiex x'taqsam mas-sitt siggu? Iva veru m'ghandux x'jaqsam sa certu punt imma jekk il-Grecja hi bzonna allura ahna irridu minn ghandha dak li hu bi dritt. U qumu minn hemm ghax tinsewx li intom qeghdin tghixu l-ahhar zminijiet tal-poter u mbaghad tigu tnewhu d-dmuh tal-kukkudrilli ghax tkunu tridu xi haga. Ara kieku is-sitt MEP inzerta Nazzjonalista kieku l-affarijet ma mxewx kif imxew sa issa imma l-MEP inzera Labour allura miskin dak irid jaqla go rasu ghas dan il-Gvern hekk jaf jaghmel lil min ikun LABOUR. Pero' l-folja se tinqaleb dalwaqt u mbaghad naraw x'jigri. Tinsewx x'jighid il-proverbju Malti KIF TAGHMEL JGHAMLULEK.
