Updated | Prime Minister blasts ‘shameful opposition tactics’

Muscat says government is ready to move forward with IIP citizenship scheme.

15 January 2014, 12:00am
by James J. Piscopo

2 min read

(Updated with PN's reaction)

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had no words to spare in condemning what he said were tactics pursued by the Opposition to attempt to bring down the Individual Investors’ Programme (IIP).

Addressing the media after a visit to St Sebastian’s primary school in Qormi, Muscat said that Opposition leader Simon Busuttil "should be ashamed" over the lobbying in the European Parliament by Nationalist MEPs against the government’s citizenship scheme.

“It is a political embarassment for the opposition, not for the government. There’s wide consensus that Busuttil’s tactics were unpopular in trying to tarnish Malta’s reputation overseas.”

Muscat said Malta was grateful to the Socialists and the Greens in removing the mention of Malta in the European Parliament’s resolution. He also thanked Labour MEP Joseph Cuschieri and Labour’s delegation for their “intelligent work.”

“There were MEPs who realised the real goal behind PN’s lobbying and were not ready to be part of this. There were MEPs who became aware that Malta’s citizenship scheme was just an issue of Malta being more competitive than other Member States. But I don’t recall any MEP working against his national interest,” Muscat said.

He said he could not agree with the work done by the Nationalist MEPs, especially David Casa who asked Barroso why the Commission remained silent.

“Months away from the EP election, Casa is simply afraid of losing his seat. He’s just doing anything for some more exposure.”

The Prime Minister remarked how the resolution itself said it was not binding, and that the government’s intention was to move forward with this programme.

“The Commission will not be happy about this since it is always seeking to have more power. But this issue is up to the respective Member State’s competence. We took note of the EP’s stand, as we have done on other issues such as abortion, but we have also made a decision.”

Reacting to the Prime Minister’s statement, the Nationalist Party said his comments were intended at "muzzling anyone who opposes the citizenship scheme... including the European Socialists,” referring to Labour's political familiy in the EP, whose members are also opposed to the IIP.

In a press statement, the Opposition said it was unacceptable that those who were voicing their concern on the IIP were “insulted and discriminated against.”

“The Prime Minister should stop bullying and harassing his critics. After all, the debate on the IIP in the foreign press and EU institutions started because of the government’s stubborn approach to go ahead with the scheme in the face of this opposition.”

More from James J. Piscopo James J. on Twitter

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Ejja PM urijom li din hi skema li ser issarraf mhux bhal dawk li dahlu f'Malta u baqaw ghawn b'xejn

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Traitors...nothing more and nothing less.The two so-called 'nationalist' MEP's should feel really ashamed of stabbing their own country in the back. It seems back-stabbing their own country has remained a hallmark of PN oppositions.Some things do really never change.

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Only the EPP members of Parliament targeted Malta and criticized and ridiculed us before the European Parliament. I felt so ashamed when one particular EPP member-I forgot his name- said:' I cannot understand how certain members of a country-(Maltese) could speak so passionately against their own country'! He was referring to Metsola and Casa! Ridt l-art tiblaghni. Shame and shame on the Simon Busutill who hatched this tirade to spite and to punish Malta because it voted Labour?

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The EU should be focusing on helping Malta with the illegal immigration problem. That is patrolling the Libyan coast and repatriating all those who have no right to be in Malta. The EU is simply trying to distract the Maltese citizens from the grave problem of illegal immigration by clingling onto the citizenship debate. The EU embraces illegal immigration and encourages would be illegal immigrants to do the crossing from Libya but lambasts the PM of Malta for pushing forward the IIP scheme which is set to increase our revenue. The EU is the most hypocrite club on earth!

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Is Simon living on planet earth; or somewhere else? How can a state- a free state -oblige and force any of its citizen to live for 5 years in one particular EU state? Dan'ahna jew m'ahniex'?

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Proset Prim Ministru hekk titlob is serjeta li ma timxix fuq dawn il kritici fasulli li qed jinqeda bijhom Simon Busuttil u Dephney Caruana Galizja

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@ Toni Borg. Talking about prostitutes, il-qahba milli jkollha ttik. Jekk inti forsi iddum ma tifhem qed nirreferi ghal PN illum.

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Shameful tactics???? Who is selling Malta as a prostitute??? and cut that crap about talent coming to Malta! If the PL wants to sell passports then they have to be tied down to residency and not just investing money which can be withdrawn after 5 years! It's obvious that the government has made a big gaffe with this one and Joseph must now rectify matter before more damage and humiliation to Malta is done!

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Mr Joe, I thought you learned your lesson when you threatened the EU with "PUSHBACK" and you know how fast you retracted that statement. You are doing the same now and that is to threaten every other EU State with infringing their security by pushing forward with this Passport for Sale Scheme. You will be giving any rogue from all over the world that can come up with 650,000 thousand euros a Precious Maltese Key to be able to infiltrate any of the EU States. They will also be able to infiltrate some of our other friendly countries that give us free movement through their country. If this whole idea was not a scam why didn't you ask for a referendum and let the Citizens of Malta decide if they are willing to sell their souls to the devil for thirty pieces of silver? If this whole idea is so honest why did you rush it without consulting your own citizens? What was the rush Mr Joe and why din't you include this Passport for Sale Scheme in your agenda before the election Mr Joe? Maybe you were afraid that it would not have faired to well with the Maltese people, right Mr Joe? Fool me once, shame on you but fool me twice, shame on me, Mr Joe. You are leaving a very bad taste in those of us Maltese Born Citizens by selling our Dignity, our Pride and Respect and our Livelihood down the toilet Mr Joe. To most of us Maltese Born Citizens those four are worth a lot more than any money you can ever collect. A lot of citizens are already regretting and ashamed for voting for you in the first place.

David Bongailas •

U hallina tweeybirdie tridx! gej bid-dinja kollha tghid fuqna! Qieghed narhom l-ahbarijiet internazzjonali jinjioraw x qieghed jigri fit-tajlandja, lvant nofsani u x'gara lil michael schumacher biex jitkellmu fuq malta. Issa mur kompli ara in-net tv u il-blog ta daphne halli tibqa mmihhok miftuh u ma tkunx brainwashed bhalna.

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@tweetybirdie u truthBtold, tkomplux tqarrqu u tigdbu ghax ma hu vera xejn li qedin tghidu intom, infatti intom in Nazzjonalisti biss hawn Malta qedin iggiebuha bi kbira kull pagna tal gazzetti taghkom u xi bloggers tan naha taghkom, infatti Il Gran Brittanja il Gvern iried jghamila qabel kulhadd kif ukoll hawn pajjizi li tiga qedin jghamluha anzi taghna marbuta b'capping kemm se jidhlu fiha, semmieli kemm dahhaltu nies b'cittadinanza kemm ilkom hemm intom b'qerq min taht u kif ukoll lil min ghamiltu cittadin Malti li kienu lesti li kull min gibtulu cittadinanza ivvota ghal partit tieghek. Jekk trid insibu min huma ha tara min sar cittadin Malti, dik l-gharukaza zgur, hemm minnom jahdmu ma iben ta li kien ras kbira taghkom, li naf li ma haqqux ikun cittadin Malti, kif ukoll naf b'ohrajn, il quddiem jinkixef kollox kemm intom dizonesti lil min dahhaltu hawn Malta, sar cittadin Malti. Imiskom tisthu. Nitlob min hawn lil Gvern jippublika fil gurnali min sar cittadin Malti mhux origina min Malta, xejn antenati dawn l-ahhar 15 il sena. Dak hu il fatt li hemm bicciet minnom kienu emigranti llegali ghamiltuhom cittadini Maltin u meta kien emigrant illegali kien jigi mghejjun mil EU issa la sar cittadin Malti jigi mghejjun mil Gvern Malti biex ghabbejtuna b'dawn l-ispejjez kolla biex iggiebu voti , dak kien Gvern vera li ma hadimx ghal Malta imma ghan Nazzjonalisti biex jibqghu jerdaw u niddejnu biex il poplu jhallas bhal ma gara fix xiri taz zejt.

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Dear Mr.Muscat,please remember that you are not in the opposition any more.No one can stop you to do the right thing for our country.

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The world is changing so fast that it brings on itself what Schumpeter has called ' perennial gale of creative destruction' that sweeps through economies as innovative insurgents take on entrenched incumbents. Malta although small and tiny is punching more than its weight and it is intelligent enough to play its moves well and before our competitors. SimonPn told us that it was only Malta that was 'playing' in this investment scheme: today we know that there is primarily the UK-Luxembourg,Austria, Portugal Hungry and possibly Croatia is also on the move. SimonPN- has failed to sense that the Malta's interests and considerations are now more urgent than ever; simply because , when the time of reckoning came-illegal immigration- Malta was left to tango on its own! One cannot have a reputation of arrogance one fay and play the meek on the other. Globilisation has spread its tentacles so wide that not even the EU can stop the ever changing scenario going through capitalism. Indeed, many are saying the EU is doomed to failure if it continues with its weak growth, high unemployment and increasing costs on its own business people. The EU should take a leaf out of this investment scheme and start thinking hard on how to incubate growth because as things stand the EU is living a 'myth' that is unsustainable and on the verge of self destruct.

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Sur Prim Ministru ghamillhom President Nazzjonalist halli jkum jiggagbinana Barra min Malta !!!!!!!!!

joseph mercieca •

My God Truth Bold? Are you the average PN supporter? Wow! I bet you swallow the Host daily. Really my friend you are showing signs of a seious mental pathology. To pack all that bile in such a few lines you must have been in a frenzy. What worries me about you is how are you going to cope when the IIP becomes mundane and you will start to benefit from the billion Euros it will leave in Malta's coffers. I suggest to give it to the poor as you are going to when in March the electricity bills will be reduced by 25%. OR ELSE TAKE THE EASY WAY OUT EMIGRATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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A lot of people in Malta seem to think that this issue of citizenship is about partisan politics. It is not. It is a sacred issue to most people that the soul/body of a nation is being put on the open market. I find this as distateful as the oldest profession of prostitution which is what Malta as a nation is doing, in the same way that a person sells his body for cash. Furthermore what right has Malta or any other nation for that matter to sell its citizenship to all and sundry and let loose these unknown people on to the rest of the EU. You can bet your dirty Euro that this is what some Chinese or other national is waiting for. Shame on Malta for even thinking about it and I wholly condemm this practice that my country of birth is unleashing on to others. Finally of course if the EU does not get it act together on this, the issue could well backfire on Malta. If others sell their citizenship in the way Malta is doing, all the EU states put together could argue that they can create two and three quarter million new EU citizens if they simply adopt the 1/2% of population that Malta has used. If this practice is adopted widely, then citizenship could be bought online or even on a stall in Bejing or Moscow. CITIZENSHIP SHOULD NEVER BE FOR SALE AT ANY PRICE. It is a birthright or acquired through committment and extended residence in your adopted country. SHAME ON MALTA FOR SELLING IT'S BODY AND SOUL.

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I always voted Labour and always Voted For Dr Busuttil as my MEP, but not any more.

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@ Micallef Huwa l-gvern Malti li qed ihammrilna wiccna quddiem id-dinja kollha, u li qed jahdem kontra l-poplu Malti! Possibbli li nies bhalek huma daqshekk 'brainwashed' li ma tarawx li id-dinja kollha qeghda tghid fuqna? Dan il-gvern huwa semplicement inkompetenti!!!

Joseph MELI •

What is truly 'shameful' is this IIP scheme per se and the fact that we need approval from the EP to implement this travesty and tarnish on our reputation (if it is actually still intact that is?).Wonder how many applications we would get for this 'back-door' passport if Malta was not a member of the EU ?

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We all know the PN's tactics to smear our country's name. Well the mud will eventually fall on them once again. Do you think that when Mr. Casa and Mrs. Metsola go around the halls of the Parliament will not be criticized about Malta's citizenship scheme , because they are Maltese themselves. How narrow minded these people can be. When fellow parliamentarians she the behaviour of PN's duo they will be utterly disgusted how fellow citizens attack their own country. Shame and shame on PN.

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@truthBtold U mhux hekk nibqghu, inbaxxu rasna ghall dak kollu li jghidulna ta l- EU, l- istess nies li fallew il kontinent. Halluna u morru orqdu. Imwerwrin ghax din l-skema ser tkun ta success u ser tkun wahda mill hafna ragunijiet ghalfejn il-PN ser jghamel snin kbar fl- oppozizzjoni. Il-policy tal pn dejjem kienet jekk ma inkunux fil gvern nghamlu hsara kemm jista ikun lill pajjiz biex nostakolaw lill gvern. Shame on you.

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Mr Piscopo, reading the title of your story shows your true colour (red). L-aqwa li taghti gost lil siehbek Balzan. Isthu jekk tafu.

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@truthBtold....... Maaaaa what hatred you've penned hereunder! Why is it that NP's spill their venom towards LP like th is? Can't you get hold of yourself and leave out hurtful words?

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Carry on Mr Prime Minister. Don't take notice of what the traitors did.; the m ajaority of the Maltese people are now in favour of the scheme. So don;t bother of what MEPA's in the EU say. We are a sovereign state and we have the right and obligation to act in the interest of our beloved country. for the vast majaority of Maltese people, David Case is a non entity.

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It seems that the PM Joseph Muscat’s bandwagon of that dreadful IIP scheme has got stuck in the mud in Strasbourg. It has become apparent that the PM believes that this scheme will earn enough money to fulfill all those election promises. But now when the PM finds this ludicrous snazzy scheme under attack by the EU parliament, he calls upon his communications office led by that genius Kurt Farrugia to muddle the waters of diplomacy, so nobody can point fingers at the PM when his administrations decisions are ridiculed and go astray in Strasbourg. Come clean with your people and truthfully tell them why incompetent Kurt Farrugia has such a hold on your schemes. Mr. Prime Minister, do you really believe that Kurt Farrugia, Glenn Bedinfield and Joseph Cuschieri have the chutzpah to understand the message that the EU is trying to relay to your administration and deliver what one would consider a political rebuttal that could convince the EU to see this scheme from your eyes? Far be it from us, natural born citizens who strongly oppose your IIP scheme for degrading our little island and now that the heat has come too close for comfort you enlist your 3 musketeers to do battles in Strasbourg, while you remain behind to ensure that none of this embarrassment sticks to your plump Teflon body. Time will expose the reason for the treason against our little island. It does not matter how thick your skull is, because when one drops his head and bullies forward without looking for a path of democratic understanding, he will eventually hit a brick wall.

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Robert Metsola u David Casa ghandhom jirrezenjaw immedjetament ! Mhux accettabbli li dawn jahdmu kontra il-poplu Malti ! SHAME ON THE PN!

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We only hear from the Honorable David Casa four or five months before EP elections. Now he saw that he could score some political brownie points by trying to shame his government. Does he think that the PN supporters see him as the superstar that his leader was supposed to be in the EP elections? Just a reminder, Mr. Casa was never in M.I.C.

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Simon : Mummy, ara Joseph kemm huwa bravu aktar minni, thallix mummy ikompli jkun bravu daqshek, tieh xebgha ghaliex l-attenzjoni irridha kollha fuqi. Joseph : Mummy labghna lobgha min joqod fuq l-isbah siggu u jien irbahltu u qed jaghmel minn kollox biex johoduli anki jigdeb u igighel li dawk it-tfal Akbar minnha biex issawtuni.