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Updated | Labour MEPs take umbrage at EP debate on golden passport
Labour MEPs demand that all Maltese MEPs form common front ‘in the national interest’
12 December 2013, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Labour delegation head Joseph Cuschieri
Maltese MEPs are divided along party lines on a forthcoming debate on the sale of Maltese citizenship, in European Parliament.
The Labour delegation has accused Nationalist MEPs of damaging the country's reputation for forcing a debate on Malta's golden passport, which will sell passports for €650,000, in the EP.
"David Casa and Roberta Metsola did not miss out on any opportunity to damage Malta in the EP," the Labour MEPs said in a statement.
The European Parliament is set to discuss European citizenship in relation to the sale of Maltese passports during the next plenary session in Strasbourg. The title of the debate, organised by multiple groups, will be 'European Citizenship for Sale' and is currently scheduled for Wednesday 15th January.
"It should have never come to this," Nationalist MEP David Casa said. "It is regrettable that the Maltese Prime Minister did not heed the advice of the Leader of the Opposition. It is shameful that this law was steam-rolled through Parliament. Had there been greater respect for the democratic process, proper dialogue and exchange of ideas this fiasco could have been avoided."
Labour have accused the Nationalist MEPs of "ferocious lobbying" to force the debate into the European Parliament plenary.
The MEPs claimed that both Labour and Nationalist members had to act as "one solid fist that puts the national interest first".
"Ever since Labour was elected, the actions of Nationalist MEPs since March has been totally different. Labour MEPs supported Tonio Borg's appointment as commissioner in the national interest. Malta should be putting forward a common front."
In a reaction, Metsola and Casa said that it was "laughable" that Nationalist MEPs were being accused of damaging the country after Edward Scicluna's "blundering performance" in an EP committe where the finance minister expressed reservations on the individual investor programme (IIP).
"We invite our Labour MEP colleagues to refresh their memories. Edward Scicluna stating that if he was an MEP he would be questioning the scheme and saying 'for goodness sake I would not expect this from Malta' is precisely what this is about. In fact, this is what MEPs are now asking.
"Labour MEPs are so blissfully unaware of what is taking place at the European Parliament that they failed to realise that a debate on Malta's cash-for-passports scheme was proposed by multiple political groups. The Socialist group, of which they form part, and which they should aspire to influence accepted the debate without objection," Casa and Metsola said.
"It is the government that will continue to cause damage to Malta as long as the scheme as steamrolled through Parliament is still part of Maltese law," the PN MEPs said.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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Nappella lil partitarji kollha laburisti biex jinghaqdu wara il mexxej u prim ministru ta malta thallux xi media u il hmeieg ta partit fallut fl opozizzjoni jinpressjonakhom u jidhku bijkhom ghall interessi taghhom .l-unika interess li ghandhom li jfixxklu il mexxej habrieki taghna ghax zarmalhom partit u jibzghu minnhu. Innutawhom xi hsara qed jghamlu dawn it TRADITURI ta malta quddiem il parlament ta EU u ma pajjizi kompetituri ta malta .DIN QATT MA TIGRI LI MEP's JAHDMU KONTRA PAJJIZHOM U JINGHAQDU MA PAJJIZI KOMPETITURI . IL PN TRADITURI TA MALTA !!!!
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The PN's MEP's attitude reminds me of the a classic example of wimping i,e. of persons lacking the confidence to defend their position in their own peer group or turf and rushing to get the support of big daddy or mama.
Let us remember the great work done by the oft much maligned former President of the commission Jacques Delors who pushed forward the concept of subsidiarity.
As he had said "National powers are the rule and the Community's the exception. In this context nothing is more fundamental than the granting of citizenship.
Subsidiarity means that this fundamental principle does not vest the EU parliament with authority to act where it has none.
The EU commission clearly understood this in statements re the Malta case, as no doubt does the council of ministers. As regards the EU parliament it is in the main a useless talking shop lacking a basic understanding of its own limited powers.
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Labour MEPs should insist in EU parliament that:
(i) This is an Individual Investment scheme not different in principle to other golden passport or visa schemes offered by other EU countries
(ii)That citizenship falls within the principle of subsidiarity and thus national sovereignty and that EU parliament has no competence to discuss it.
(iii) If by some sleight of procedural hand they try to bully us then our government has the duty to show total concern within the commission and council of ministers of the breaking of a fundamental principle.
(iv) If a debate still follows we must insist that any discussion must embrace the whole concept of the granting of citizenship in all 28 countries to non-eu persons. This would then be a most interesting debate which opens a whole can of worms given the hundred of thousands of passports being given under various pretexts. In such a debate I am sure we will have the support of various individual MEPs and groupings as well as governments putting pressure in the background.
(v) In the national interest our MEPs who are not faux pseudo nationalists must be proactive and determined and not adopt a defensive, subservient and submissive approach.
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Am reading PSI King Maker by Daniel Massa and I've learned that this is not the first time that the Nationalists speak against Malta's interests! In 1939, a certain Professor Mallia-then a professor at the local university, delivered a talk against Malta on Radio Roma, in front of Balilla-Fascist Young Brigades: the Maltese were furious! Some things-bhal riklam tal- kunserva, never change?
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I think Cuschieri should better worry about the LP MEPs showing a united front first. At a recent vote on abortion jurisdiction, 2 vote in favor, Marlene Mizzi voted against (and then blamed her fingers) and another MEP wasn't even there (not for the first time either).
Also Cuschieri does not seem to be following what's happening in Brussels because if he did he'd know that his own Finance Minister gave the EP the go-ahead to discuss when he said if he were an MEP he himself would question this Scheme. That should have put his Labour MEPs on call. These people seem to work in Cells, totally unconnected between them and the rest of the world. I'd love to see their news headlines if the Nationalist MEPs were to have a stroke of madness and line up with them against this expected debate. Dream on Cuschieri but now it's time to wake up!
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I honestly think and I am sure that most people even PL supporters think that Joseph Muscat was given some bad advice and he acted to quickly before taking this step with the Passport for Sale Scheme. Mr Joe put his foot in a pile of manure and he does not know how to pull it out without feeling embarrassed. It takes a man, a real man to admit his mistakes and this will prove if Mr Joe is a man or a mouse. Mr Joe has to think in terms of Malta and the Maltese people. Even some of his own Ministers, except for Minister Mallia and Eddy (fictional name)seem to think that this was a big mistake even though they were coerced to vote the Passport for Sale Scheme into law. Many PL supporters oppose this Scheme, because that is what it is, a Scheme, but Mr Joe did not give anybody a chance to voice their opinion and that is why he had to rush the vote. Everybody is entitled to make mistakes but it takes a real man to admit they did. I think that if Mr Joe retracts this idiotic and harmful law, the people and the whole world will forget and forgive. Is Mr Joe so stubborn that he chooses to put his ego self ahead of Malta and the Maltese people? What say you Mr Joe?
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In another comment on this subject, I used the word "traitors" in a very generic way; and it seems I was censored. I cannot understand why. Should I have been?
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LABOUR NEVER LEARNS. They should have never supported Tonio Borg's nomination. They irritated the Socialist Group then.
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If the IIP is not implemented in the end only Malta will lose out. Don't expect the PN blinkered lot to support Malta's interests in the EU parliament. All of Malta has by now learned what their intentions are. Theirs (the PN's) is all sour grapes!
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AND they should defend MALTA'S INTERESTS and the NATIONAL INTEREST and not the "NATIONAList Party's" interests , the NP who are just SPOILSPORTS just because they are not in Government ..... AND HAVE STILL TO COME TO TERMS WITH THIS REALITY !
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The PNs should be ashamed of themselves and its about time that our Prime Minister took grip of this situation and enacted the Act. I would like to be reminded when did the pee.n ever supported an elected Labour Government on national or international issues. I think the PEEn should be treated with contempt at their continuous behaviour here and overseas
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Not in a million years the Nationalist MEPs would ever put a common front with Labour MEPs. Their only interest, as it has always been, is to universally damage Malta's reputation. When was it ever in a plenary session of the EP a debate was forced in regard to similar IIP schemes by other member states. One is of the opinion that those states pushing the debate are envious because Malta's programme is more attractive and therefore they would be losing out.
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So the nazzi and their EU allies want to play rough. Government should issue charity citizenship to all illegal migrants in Malta and free onwway airline tickets to the EU country of their choice.
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How can PN MEPs support an initiative their own party (and the majority of Maltese) are totally against? The PN MEPs have principles but I guess the MLP ones don't - go ahead and try to defend the indefensible!! We are going to have a wonderful time listening to the MLP MEPs try to defend the citizenship sale scheme!
