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Cuschieri writes to Gonzi, Papandreou on ratification of sixth EP seat
The Labour MEP Joseph Cuschieri has asked Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi to raise the matter of the Protocol extending the European Parliament to the number of seats granted under the Lisbon Treaty, with the embattled prime minister of Greece.
19 July 2011, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Cuschieri, the sixth MEP to be elected in the 2009 European Parliament elections, has not yet taken his seat in Brussels because Greece, Belgium, the UK, and Romania have not ratified the protocol that increases the number of MEPs in the parliament. He has also demanded that Malta vetoes Greece’s bailout from the EU and the European Central Bank, unless it ratifies the island’s sixth seat.
“I am asking you in the name of the 19,672 voters who elected me… so that you personally raise the matter of this Protocol and Malta’s sixth seat in the European parliament with Greek prime minister George Papandreou,” Cuschieri wrote in his letter to the prime minister.
“I am also asking you that, in the national interest, you ask Malta’s permanent representative to the EU Richard Cachia Caruana to raise the matter in the European summits and Coreper meetings.”
Cuschieri said he was duty-bound in making these requests because he was democratically elected to the European Parliament and denied his right to represent voters for the past two years. He also sent a similar letter to the Greek prime minister.
“You know that the sixth seat is the Maltese and Gozitan people’s seat and not a personal issue to me, as the media is trying to portray. It is important that in this matter, we pull the same rope in the national interest.”
Cuschieri had 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. “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.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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At least you are clever enough to realize that it makes no sense asking to become an MEP when you are already there. Joseph is an MEP and so he does not need any help.
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Ok, I get the message. You have no more arguments.
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He is demanding what? He is already an MEP.
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He is no asking for help. He is demanding, by right, that Gonzi and his cronies get off their collective butt and do the job for which you, I and all the other taxpayers are paying them handsomely and for which they have just awarded themselves a raise of €500 per week.
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If he is an MEP he does not need any help to become an MEP. He IS an MEP.
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@ Giovanni DeMartino
In my opinion yes, he is an MEP - an MEP who is being denied his seat cos our government does not have the balls to fight for Malta's rights.
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Is he or is he not an MEP?
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@Giovanni DeMartino
Playing with words will not change the unpleasant facts. Which are that the Lisbon Treaty gave Malta an extra seat, three or four Member States (one of which is Greece) are denying us that right and our Government does not have the balls to fight for it.
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Lil Gahan u mhux lill-fellus tieghu: since he is an MEP already he does not need any help to become an MEP. He is already an MEP.
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@Mikegold
If you would care to rewrite your comment so I can make out what the hell you are trying to say, I promise to reply.
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@ Giovanni DeMArtini
You mean he WOULD NOT need any help IF we had a government with balls which safeguarded the national interest - not just the party interests.
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"Labour MEP Joseph Cuschieri"......If he is an MEP he does not need any help to become an ..........MEP.
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@fellus ta' Gahan, la ghal tal-pl gonzi ma hu kapaci ghal xejn, dan hu l-mumnet tal-prova li Joesph juri li jiswa ftit izjed. U Cuschieri kellu l-wicc jghid lil prim ministru tal-grecja meta ftit ilu ried li Malta tuza l-veto kontra l-Grecja, nahseb Cuckieri fellus ta' gahan ghax ceda postu u baqa b'xejn. Taste of his own medicine kif tghid websajt li xxaqleb lejn il-pl
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lil redjoey,
kumbinazzjoni jien kelli kelb jismu redjoey imma kien ferm iktar inteelligenti minn dan redjoey li cert kli gha xma lahaqx l-ghenb qed jghid li hu qares...ma tifilhux ikunu partigjani iktar. Kien ikollok ragun li kieku Cuschier kellu xi riga magika u kien ikun jaf li ser jitla wara li HADD ma kellu il-hila li jwarrab hobzu ghal gid tal-partit u hiobzu.
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Gonzi l-anqas lil ta' madwaru mhu kapaci jikkonvinci ahseb u ara lill-barranin...inkompetenti bid-degree!!
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Some comments here made by nationalist hammali only shows how jealous they feel that we got four to their two, imagine how they are going turn literally blue when comes the next election we going to double what ever they get. Keep it up Cuschieri , show these morons what a great labour man you are.
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@ RJ
Yes, truly embarrassing to have a government which is so lacking in spine and courage to fight for Malta's rights.
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@ MIkegold
It's the government which is failing in its duty to see that Malta is not cheated of its rights. But it is clearly putting party interests before the national interest - as usual for the PN.
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Vittma tal-magna li riedet lil JM lejder. Dan tal-ahhar jiftahar li ghandu hafna hbieb fl-EU mela ghax ghadu ma rrangalux dejjem jekk irridu.
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God, this is embarrassing.
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@red joey
L-ezampju li tajt ma jregiehx ghaliex Cuschieri hareg ghal-elezzjoni u gab il-voti .
Il-hniezrija hi li waqt gonzi mghedi b'kemm ser idahhal fil-but bil-paga u zidiet gie jaqa u jqum minn dak li hu taghna l-maltin.
Anke jekk hu vera Cuschieri qed iharess lejn il-finanzi li jista jikseb, xejn xejn ikun qed jghin l-ekonomija ta' Malta bil-paga tieghu.
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@lemini
Tahseb li kieku is-siit MEP kien nazzi gonzi ma kienx jithabat biex jiehu postu. Intkom skoss ipokriti, il-kredenzjali ta' Cuschieri maghandha x'taqsam xejn ma postu fil-parlament ewropew.
Jekk nigu ghal paprati David Casa huwa l-aktar wiehed li waqa wicc malta fil-PE, u jekk Cuschieri staqsa fuq il-baleni jien nistaqsi fuq klieb il-bahar, kemm inqabdu minnhom Malta u x'kulur kellhom?
Tippruvaw iddahqu u aktar turu li inthom purcinelli.
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Il Gvern qed ikaxkar saqajh u mhu se jghamel xejn ghax inkela ssocjalisti ta l-Ewropa jkollhom siggu iehor. Bhas soltu l-Prim qed juri li ma jafx jinnegozja jew qed jitmejjel bil polplu Malti lil vvota ghal Cuschieri l-istess bhal ma ghamel ghad divorzju ,ma onorax ix xewqa tal poplu Malti.
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Ghal dawk kollha li lil Joseph Cuschieri ma jahmluhx, nghidilhom li Joseph ghamel bhal Sammaritan u skond l-evangelju kull Sammaritan ha l-premju u hekk ukoll Jospeh Cuschieri ghad irid jiehu l-premju li hu bi dritt tieghu imma dan il-Gvern Nazzjonalista li qatt, qatt u qatt ma hamilna lilna l-Laburisti zgur li mhux ser jixxarrab bl-gahraq u jmur jiftah halqu favur is-sitt siggu. Ara kieku Joseph Cuschieri nzerta kien Nazzjonalist kieku iva, kieku ilna nifthu halqna u nistinkaw halli jiehu postu. Imma minn dan il-Gvern li issa nistghu nghidu li hu sfiducjat bic-carmill-poplu Malti x'tistenna? Kuragg Joseph Cuschiei ikteb mhux lil Gonzi u lil Papendreou imma lil kull Prim Ministru li pajjizu hu membru fl-Unjoni u lill-kbarat ta'l-Unjoni u ghidilhom bl-intolleranza tal-Prim Ministru ta' pajjizna li ghax inti Laburist ma jridx inissel l-ebda kelma fuq is-sitt siggu. Kompli ggieled Sur Cuschieri u fl-ahhar tiehu l-premju li jixtaqlek.
Godfrey Grech •
Kien hemm kelb li kellu ghadma f'halqu u telaqha biex imur ghal wahda akbar u baqa' b'xejn.
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@lemini
Siehbi jien lemini bhalek, u ma tantx ghandi oppinjoni gholja ta' Cuschieri, pero ma tridx tinsa li il-poplu tellghu hemm u allura jixraqlu rispett. David Casa tuba bil-pegidree u jivvotawlu n-nies ukoll. Ghalhekk dan l-argument ta' hafna deputati nazzjonalisti, li hemm bzonn salarju parlamentari gholi halli nattrattaw l-ahjar nies, hu bazwi ghax n-nies ma tivvotax skond il-bravura jew kapacita'.
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ma jiflahx iwaqqana aktar ghan-n**k ..... mur gibu diga MEP dan......jibda jaghmel l-istess domandi redikoli kif kien jaghmel fil Parlament Malti bhal xi "Kemm inqabdu baleni fl-ibhra Maltin?" etc etc
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Jekk Gonzi se jkollu l-istess effett li kellu fuq Ghaddafi (kien l-ahhar PM illi iltaqa` mieghu), ahjar ma jersaq xejn lejn il-Grecja :) Tghid se jmur jghidlu illi l-krizi li hemm fil-Grecja hija tort ta' Papandreou u s-Socjalisti kif irid ibellaha lil xi uhud hawn Malta?
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Joseph Cuschieri NEHHIJA MIN RASEK LI SER ISSIB xi GHAJNUNA BIEX TITHOL fil parlament Ewropej min Dr Lawrence Gonzi li kieku is 6 siggu intrebah mil PN kieku hemm iva kien JIFTHU HALQU imma ghalik JIDDIPACINI nghidlek FITTEX TRIEQ OHRA Jiena ma nafx kif it 3 MUSKETTIERI LABURISTI (Louis Grech, Prof Scicluna u Attard Montaldo )HADD minnhom ma ghid kelma biex INTI tithol fil parlament Ewropej Pero tinsiex xi ghid il QAWL MALTI IS SAQQ IL MIMLIJA TIGI TITNEJJEK MIL VOJTA
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Joseph Cuschieri has been prudent over the past tow years, but patience has its limits and I believe it's time to raise his voice. Being quiet will not get him anyway, and it is clear that PN government has no urge to press on this issue. The sixth seat is ours as a state and I expect Gonzi to show some 'strong hand' attitude and get this issue settled fast.
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@vox pop
I know what you mean but do realize that the sixth seat is Malta's by right and not Joseph's. It could be you, me or anybody from Joe public needing that seat but because of the incompetence and cowardice of Gonzi and his folks Malta does not have a full voice in the EU parliament.
Rayman Jumbo •
Joseph - Bisazza Street hemm mejda ghal erba jiehdu t-te' imma tlieta hemm cicci beqqi - ghalhekk ghandek siggu vojt. Il-problema hi li meta jpoggu fuqhom itiru l-irjus :))))
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@ Vox pop
The humiliation lies in not having a government which is ready to fight for Malta's interests.
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Why should Cuschieri have to write to Gonzi for him to do his duty - for which he is well-paid?
That seat is Malta's by right.
If only we had a government with something even remotely resembling a pair of balls .....
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Why do we have to be humiliated in this way? However much I sypathise with Joe Cuschieri, he is just thinking of his own intrerests and the EU perks and not that of the Maltese people. What difference is he going to make in the European Parlament to the thousands of maltese who 'have nevver had it so tough' becasue of the bad governance of the country by Gonzi PN?
