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Busuttil: Muscat must stop citizenship sale
After MEPs' vote, Opposition leader calls on Prime Minister to stop Individual Investor Programme
16 January 2014, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Simon Busuttil said the government should stop the IIP
Opposition leader Simon Busuttil has called on Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to stop the Individual Investor Programme, which will sell Maltese citizenship for €1.1 million.
Members of the European Parliament today voted overwhelmingly with 560 votes in favour and just 22 against, a resolution calling on Malta to bring its citizenship sale "in line with European values."
Busuttil gave a short, five-minute comment on a special edition of Net News where he said Muscat should stop the IIP and show that he was listening to the message sent by MEPs.
"This was a big vote of no-confidence in the citizenship scheme and Muscat. The prime minister has to stop and listen after the European Parliament, in its majority, said that the sale of citizenship was wrong."
Busuttil said European Commissioner Viviane Reding was also clear when she said the sale of citizenship was against the principles of public international law, which tag residency to the granting of citizenship.
MEPs today voted on a cross-party resolution that called on Malta to amend its citizenship-by-investment scheme, the Individual Investor Programme.
Of 626 MEPs in attendance, 560 voted in favour and only 22 voted against. 44 MEPs abstained.
The resolution, signed by all major political groups, was pushed on the EP agenda by Nationalist MEPs David Casa and Roberta Metsola.
MEPs debated the resolution yesterday in Strasbourg, delivering a tongue-lashing to Malta for selling Maltese, and consequently EU citizenship for €650,000 to non-EU nationals. The IIP also demands applicants to buy a property worth €350,000 and government stocks of €150,000.
But Malta, like any member state, retains the full right to determine its own citizenship rules. The non-binding resolution, which is likely to be adopted tomorrow, has legally no impact on the IIP.
It was European Commissioner for justice Viviane Reding who made it clear that she was the EC's most vocal critic of Malta's citizenship programme.
"National citizenship is an entry door to the EU. It is an entry door to the EU Treaty and to the rights that EU citizens enjoy.... It is legitimate to question whether EU citizenship rights should merely depend on the size of someone's wallet or bank account. Citizenship must not be up for sale."
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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Just get over it Simon. Yu are in opposition not in government and it is the government that governs not the opposition. STOP UNDERMINING MALTA AND STOP BEING A JUDAS, A FOREIGNERS LACKEY AND AR$€ LICKER. NOW GO WIPE THAT BROWN STUFF FROM YOUR FACE.
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These European MP`S comfortable in their jobs speak of European Values..sic abortion...massive number of young unemployed, and really they are worried that their country was not first.....and these European resolutions mean what....burden sharing, suggested and ignored
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These European MP`S comfortable in their jobs speak of European Values..sic abortion...massive number of young unemployed, and really they are worried that their country was not first.....and these European resolutions mean what....burden sharing, suggested and ignored
Priscilla Darmenia •
In matters like these that relate to the EU I have my doubts on the capabilities of Simon Busuttil. He was presented as an expert on EU matters before we had the referendum. He made many statements to win EFA a “yes” vote in the referendum and after we joined we found that what was stated was not correct – ask the hunters for starters. – Simon spent a number of years as a member of the European Parliament, so he should (a) as a lawyer and (b) as an MEP knows very well how the system works. He knows very well that a resolution of the European Parliament is not binding on the sovereignty of Malta, and still he proceeded through his 2 puppets to move this motion against Malta and tarnish Malta’s name in the world just to try and gain a political advantage here in Malta. Well Simon you are not capable to foresee beyond your nose as you know very well that Malta is not obliged to observe the decision taken today at the EP and still you proceeded to move this resolution in the EP. This will come to haunt you and especially haunt Casa and Mezola in the future for speaking against Malta and for voting against Malta. Your main interest was your ambition and not Malta’s interest.
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Fejn holom biha dal-Gvern dis-Citizenship Scheme? Ftit pajjizi ghandhom skemi simili (Canada, Quebec on their own, USA, UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore-jew Financial Inverster jew Global Invester, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Cyprus, Austria, Germany,Latvia,Portugal, Bulgarija, St Kitts and Nevis, Antiga, Barbuda, Domenica Republic, Granada,Panama,Uruguay, dawn il-pajjizi kollha dahhqu n-nies bihom! ) ...
http://www.second-citizenship.org/permanent-residence/investment-programs-in-comparison/
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@ malky and Never Ending Story: I cannot believe that people like you exist! L-injoranza taghkom tixghel!!!
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Muscat should RESIGN AND HANG HIS HEAD IN SHAME after having embarrassed Malta and the Maltese people with the whole world watching!!!
SHAME ON YOU MR PRIME MINISTER!!!
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Kompli kkonferma li int pupazz u laqghi tal-UE.Hekk kont u hekk bqajt bhal kumplament tal-partit li int tirraprezenta.
L-ewwel interess huwa l-gid ta' Malta u mhux dak li tghid l-UE.
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And why should he? Because you say so? Isn't it the prerogative of the country itself to decide on this matter? So why does EU interfere in this? It is illegal for the EU to interfere in this matter if according to the EU itself this is a matter of the country itself. What about the other countries who have similar schemes? It's all sour grapes Simon. Grow up and stop stamping your feet.
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Dr Busuttil u PN issa ieqfu ghax dejjaqtuna bil paroli fil vojt taghkom. Dr Muscat qied jara l interessi ta Malta u jaghmel sew li jibqa ghaddej bl iskema. Wara kollox il poplu Malti ivvota lil PL biex jiggverna u int Dr Busuttil qieghed fl oppozizzjoni. Jekk tibqa sejjer hekk hemm se tibqa ghal hafna snin. IL PL se jgib flus lejn il pajjiz. Il PN bil gvern biegh l assi tal Maltin bis soldi u Malta spiccat midjuna.
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Xmun, meta nsiru laghqa tal-barrani u nitilfu id-don li ghandna tar- raguni minhabba l-kilba li jkollna ghal poter nisimghu minnhekk. Jekk hawn xio hadd li ghandu jhammar wiccu bli gara hu INTI, Casa u Metsola, kontu l-ewwel tlett viljakki li ippruvajtu thamru wicc Malta f-fora barranija. Ma gara xejn hambaq u peclaq fil-vojt Xmun imma tibzax ghax tibqwa mfakkar fli-storja ta Malta, allavolja l-bierah bdejtu tippruvaw taraw kif tiskulpaw ruhkom imma hadd li ghandu demm Malti jigri fil vini tieghu mahu se jiomnsa ghemilkom. Partit Sahta ta Malta gejtu msejha fl-erbghinijiet tas-Seklu li ghada u PARTIT SAHTA TA MALTA ghadkom. Il-kelma bieh jew tpartit hi sinonima makhom. Infakkrtek li kien il Partit glorjuz tieghhek li rtied li Malta tigi mibdula ma l-Eritrea u tinghata lill Mussolini.Dwar Vivianne Reding din ghad trid tigi fuqkom u tghidilkom li qaraqtu biha.
Abdullah alhrbi •
Yes ,Vivianne Reding was one of the most vocal critics but really has Simon Busuttil and co digested what she is really saying? She is asking for ties and binds to issue European passports now. How will this argument work in favour of giving irregular migrants a no holds barred passport? Something is rotten in the state of Brussels.
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Dear Simon with the extra BILLION Malta will have to spend and the1800+families extra voters you sure are for the long haul in opposition,thank god.
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No Simon JM will not stop the scheme. Our PM has every right to go on with the programm. This is something that has to do with our country and not the EU. EU voted against, but it is still Malta's prerogative to pass the law or not. So Yes Mr Prim Minister go ahead with this scheme.
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NINI NINI sur Busullotti. Insejt li ghandek 9 voti inqas u tahseb li trid tiggverna bis sewwa jew bid-dnewwa. Tradimenti wiehed wara l-iehor hija il-hall mark tal-PN, hekk kienet u hekk tibqa. Tinsew meta iffalsifikajtu il-provi ta' Terinu kontra Strickland biex taghddi taghkom bl-ghajnuna tal-partner taghkom, il-Knisja, meta gejtu arrestati bhala riskju ta' tradiment ghall-pajjiz fit-tieni gwerra, meta ittradejtu lill-leader taghkom Borg Olivier fis-70ijiet u qlibtuhilu biex poggejtu lit-tfal taghkom fil-poter, meta il-prim ministru hatar lilu nniffsu President!! X' tistenna izjed minghandkom. Taghmlu kollox inkluz titradixxu lill-pajjizkom biex taghddi taghkom. Izda b' Joseph Muscat ma ghandkomx cans. Wara Mintoff, fl-ahhar ghandna leader li jieqfilkom.
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Jista' Simon jghidilna meta l-EU qabzet ghall-Malta? L-EU hija mmexxija mill-pajjizi l-kbar u dawn jigbdu biss lejn xawwathom. Fejn kienu dawn meta suppost kien hawn il-burden sharing?? U ghaliex Malta?? Meta hemm pajjizi ohra li ghandhom din l-iskema?? Sakemm il-pajjizi l-ohra jibqghu ghaddejjin biha, Malta ghandha tibqa' wkoll, m'ahna xejn inqas minn haddiehor. Almenu hekk suppost. Imma milli jidher mhux il-kaz.
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let vote for norman lowel now to distroy EU impire
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Which Parliament Malta`s or that of the EU legislates in Malta ?
Which Parliament is supreme ?
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JM was the elected Leader for the PL and as PM to govern for 5 years. He never boasted about the majority he has like some of the PN MPs. Gonzi always said that he was elected democratically and should govern for the whole 5 years 9(Gonzi had the slight majority of some 900 votes. Joseph has a majority of 36,000 votes which is equal to 1:40.
Simon, issa mur ghidt lil mummy halli ittieh qeqe li Joseph.
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EU parliament members can vote against it, because it is in their interest, and we say yes to IIP, because it is in our interest.Just keep hoping simon.
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Din hija xi haga loi tolqot lill-Pajjizna. Ghalhekk hadd m'ghandu jindahlilna. Malta hija stat sovran. Il-poplu Malti ta veru li hu kburi b'pajjizu u bis-sovranita tieghu, ghandu jistmerr lil kull min jaghmel hsara lil Malta. NHAGHMLU PROTESTA KBIRA KONTRA T-TRADITURI MALTIN.
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SIMON IS REAL JOKER NOW,LOL.
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muscat unlike simon busuttil is a leader and not a follower.
We are no puppets of the EU
