Government to hold Commission talks on sale of citizenship

Although parliament was yesterday expected to debate a motion on the EP resolution on citizenship, which the Opposition announced it would table, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat pre-empted the PN to propose the debate himself.

Taking the opposition by surprise, Muscat proposed to adjourn the House and hold a debate on the European Parliament resolution, which he insisted had singled out Malta "unjustly and disproportionately."

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil welcomed the motion, pointing out that the European Parliament resolution had been approved by 90% of MEPs. 

Last week, the European Parliament singled out Malta in condemning the Individual Investment Programme (IIP), which will sell citizenship for €650,000. The European Commission appears to be backing an effort to curtail all other efforts by member states who have set up similar citizenship schemes. As a result, the Maltese government is facing a serious threat of infringement procedures by the European Commission, over its decision to grant citizenship to applicants who pay a combined €1.15 million in a donation, property acquisition and investment.

Apart from throwing a spanner in the Opposition's works, the Prime Minister's move to propose the debate enabled him to open and close the debate.

Accusing Muscat of playing dirty, Simon Busuttil asked Muscat to at least allow the Opposition to close the debate. However, Muscat turned down the request, stressing that the House rules on the matter were clear.

9:22pm The debate is over. Although Muscat caught the opposition by surprise by propsing the debate himself, the debate confirmed that despite government’s bullishness, the EP resolution has bruised the government and in the coming weeks it will face further criticism over the scheme and the EP vote. 

9:19pm Muscat says that it the PN’s call for fair play was ironic given the speedy manner in which the resolution was discussed by the EP.

He insists that government “consulted everyone” and says that the PN’s position was not borne out of principle but because “the scheme is going to be successful it will have electoral repercussions on the opposition.”

“We will remain loyal and we will create jobs and wealth in this country,” Muscat says.

9:17pm Accusing Busuttil of “knowing it all” Muscat says that he will not be moved as long as he is convinced of his actions.

Muscat says that the presence of the PN official Karol Aquilina at the airport was a clear sign that the PN was attempting to scare off investors.

“However you will not manage to keep investment away,” Muscat says, promising that the scheme will yield €1 billion. 

9:08pm Prime Minister Joseph Muscat retorts “the opposition is not the state,” adding that the PN has no divine right to govern.

In an attempt to attack the PN argument’s, Muscat says that the PN leader was resorting to attacking a minister’s families. He says the opposition was being led by bloggers and not by the leader of the opposition.

“We will take note of the EP vote,” Muscat says, adding that the PN should also take note of the people’s verdict in last year’s election.

In reply to Busuttil’s questions over the absence of two prominent ministers in the debate, Muscat asks why didn’t opposition MPs Tonio Fenech and Francis Zammit Dimech participate in the debate, who Muscat says have direct interest in the scheme.

In a veiled attack on Viviane Reding, Muscat says that he hopes she would become the EPP leader after the next election. 

9:04pm Busuttil says that the Labour administration will continue in its attempts to deceive the people by convincing everyone that the scheme will yield €1 billion.

“This scheme will make Malta the worst in Europe. It will provoke a race to the bottom. However, the prime minister will say that he is backed by the majority of people thanks to the electoral victory, so then why did you not tell them about the scheme before the election. Isn’t that deceitful?”

He adds that Malta has become the butt of all jokes abroad, because of the harm caused by the government and not by our criticism.

“How can Labour describe itself as socialist if the only thing that matters for you  is money?...stop and think about it. Do not steam ahead with a scheme which is harming our country,” Busuttil says.

He reiterates the PN would repeal the scheme if elected in government.

“The ball is in your court, prime minister. But be sure that we will never support the scheme.” 

8:59pm “The government is not the state and the government is not the country. The government does not hold a monopoly on the national interest. Governments can sometimes act against the national interest and that is why the opposition is here, to safeguard the national interest.”

8:56pm “You are ridiculing the country’s reputation,” he repeatedly tells Muscat. The PN leader adds that the EU was concerned because Maltese citizenship equated to a European citizenship.

He defends his previous claims that the EU should not single out Hungary because it wasn’t the EU’s competence to do so, however in the case of citizenship, the EU is directly concerned.

Taking a dig at Labour’s electoral slogan, Busuttil says “Europe belongs to us too,” and warns that the opposition will not give up its struggle to block the scheme. 

8:53pm Quoting EU commissioner Viviane Reding, Busuttil says that the government failed to consult the Commission and adds that Muscat’s actions were a source of embarrassment to all Maltese citizens. 

8:47pm "Everybody except the government has described the scheme as one of sale, "PN leader Simon Busuttil says. He points out that "it's a pity" that Muscat, deputy prime minister Louis Grech and finance minister Edward Scicluna did not assist for the debate.

"Scicluna did not have the guts to participate in the debate," he says. The PN leader also says that he expected Grech, the minister responsible for European affairs, did not address the House.

Addressing the Prime Minister, Busuttil says, "Understand, once and for all, that the sale of passports is wrong." 

8:34pm Home Affairs minister Manuel Mallia says that the electoral mandate the Labour Party strengthened the government's resolve. He describes the Nationalist MEPs betrayed the national interest and fell for the trap set up by all other EU member states who were only interested in protecting their interests. "Do not embarrass Malta any further," he says. 

8:28pm "This is not a struggle against our country but it's a struggle in favour of Malta. We want to secure Malta's long term reputation and future."

De Marco adds that Muscat's claims that the scheme would herald a "generational transformation," was a "poor vision" for the country's future. He adds that Malta has a responsibility as both a sovereign state and as an EU member state.

"If the prime minister wants to stand up to be counted he needs to listen to the European Parliament's criticism," which de Marco says was Europe's highest institution which was directly elected by the European people.  

8:19pm De Marco tells government that it was not in the country's best interests to portray Malta as a bankrupt and desperate nation. He says the national interest demands the government to strengthen the country's economy and reputation.

The PN deputy leader says that citizenship should be intrinsically tied to residence "by a genuine and effective link" and argues that MEPs had voted according to Europe's best interests. 

8:16pm PN deputy leader Mario de Marco says he pities whoever is listening to the debate and is unsure whether they should "laugh or cry."

"We have not heard a word from the government benches addressing the concerns raised by the European Parliament and its condemnation of the scheme," de Marco says.

He points out that the government's claims that it listened were being exposed as false by its failure to address the EP's concerns.

8:13pm "Trashing Malta overseas is not acceptable," Mizzi says, adding he expected better from Simon Busuttil who in the past said the EP should not single out individual countries.

"It's no longer the Nationalist Party but the Nasty Party," he emphatically says, much to the opposition MP's fury.

8:08pm Energy minister Konrad Mizzi says "it's all about accelerating economic growth." He says the scheme is not about sale but about investment and the opposition was "annoyed" by the fact that the country would benefit from an additional €1 billion in funds raised by the scheme. 

8:02pm The PN deputy leader says that the government's deceitful claims that the scheme would attract investment was exposed by the Chinese millionaire who did not allow members of the media to photograph him. "If he's not even ready to be photographed, let alone how many jobs he'll create in Malta," he says.

Fenech Adami  asks "how many Libyan persons who formed part of the Gaddafi regime have shown interest in the scheme?"

7:58pm Fenech Adami adds the Labour government was isolated because it had even failed to enjoy the backing of the European Socialists.

He says Labour "humiliated" its own four MEPs who were assigned an "impossible mission" to convince the European Parliament over the government's scheme. 

7:49pm PN deputy leader for party affairs Beppe Fenech Adami says that 90% of MEPs voted for the resolution which singled out Malta's citizenship scheme which went against international law.

"I am astonished by the government's attitude. Labour still looks upon the EU as an external body. They still have not understood that when we discuss the EU we are discussing ourselves. You live in the past, you still look at the EU as an enemy." 

7:46pm As MPs from both sides of the House continue to bicker over who proposed the debate, Zammit Lewis says that the government had no qualms in holding a debate, however he expects the opposition to refrain from working against the country's interests.

"We are not isolated, we have, Malta Enterprise, the MHRA, Malta Chamber and MFSA chief Joe Bannister on our side," Zammit Lewis says, provoking a strong reaction by opposition MPs who say that government was isolated within its own political family, the European Socialists. 

7:39pm Parliamentary Secretary Edward Zammit Lewis teases the opposition benches for having been preempted by the government in tonight's discussion. Drawing jeers from a number of opposition MPs, he tells MP Claudette Buttigieg "you will have time to learn." 

7:35pm Azzopardi says Muscat was deceitful and caught out by last week's events, pointing out Muscat did not predict that he would be admonished by the EP and the European Socialists among the parties who voted for the resolution. 

7:29pm Describing the government and Prime Minister Muscat as "incompetent and arrogant," Azzopardi says no other country in the EU has a similar scheme, adding that it would be false to state otherwise. 

“No country sells its citizenship, because all other EU member states have a residency requirement for their citizenship or permanent residency schemes.” 

7:24pm Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi says the EP resolution tarnished the country's reputation and quoting MEPs who intervened in last week's debate in Strasbourg, he says the IIP was described as "immoral and obscene." 

Azzopardi also belittles claims that Nationalist MEPs orchestrated the EP's condemnation of Malta's scheme. 

7:18pm Repeating the government missive that the opposition is "scared" of the IIP's success, he asks why the European Parliament never discussed and condemned the naturalisation of thousands of persons over the last few years. 

7:17pm "The opposition is isolated because they are the only ones who continue referring to the programme as one of sale," Borg says, drawing a sigh of incredulity by PN leader Simon Busuttil and his deputy leader Mario de Marco. 

7:14pm Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg is the next MP to address the House, pointing out the irony in the opposition's arguments concerning EU funds since the previous PN administration had a terrible track record on the use of EU funds. He adds that EU treaties clearly stipulate that citizenship is a matter of national competence.

7:10pm Portelli calls on Muscat to "understand the European Parliament's message," and stresses the EP's emphasis on the mutual trust between EU member states.  She adds that Muscat is sending out a signal that he has given up on obtaining EU funds. 

7:01pm Opposition MP Marthese Portelli takes the floor, noting the Prime Minister's absence. "This goes to show how interested he is in holding this debate."

6:58pm Bonnici hints that there is a hidden agreement involving Busuttil to placate third parties which have an interest in the matter. 

6:52pm Bonnici accuses the opposition of resorting to scaremongering tactics and says that the opposition was hoping that the scheme fails.

"This is not a scheme which sells citizenship. Otherwise applicants would not be obliged to hold residency for five years or go through a strict due diligence."

He goes on to ask, "Why does the opposition leader want to block a scheme which will improve the country's standard of living?"

6:46pm As the tension eases down,  Deputy Speaker Censu Galea decides  to commence the debate immediately and allow government to open and close the debate.  Parliamentary Secretary Owen Bonnici kicks off the discussion, insisting "we always put the country's interests first," while noting that opposition leader Simon Busuttil put his party's interests before the country's interests.

Bonnici says that while Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was leading with "courage," he accuses Busuttil of "running scared of the programme's success and spurred other European countries to attack Malta and protect their interests. 

6:40pm Apart from throwing a spanner in the opposition's works, the Prime Minister's move to propose the debate will enable the government to open and close the debate. Accusing Muscat of playing dirty, Simon Busuttil asks Muscat to at least allow the opposition to close the debate. However, Muscat turns down the request, stressing that the House rules on the matter are clear. He adds that government was prepared to discuss the EP resolution over four sittings. 

6:30pm Although parliament was widely expected to debate a motion which the Opposition announced it would table tonight, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat preempted the opposition and proposed the debate himself.

Taking the opposition by surprise, Muscat proposes to adjourn the House and hold a debate tonight on the European Parliament resolution which he says singled out Malta "unjustly and disproportionately."

On hearing this, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil says "I take note and welcome the fact that the Prime Minister accepted our proposal to discuss the European Parliament resolution which was approved by 90% of MEPs." 

Last week, the European Parliament singled out Malta in condemning the Individual Investment Programme (IIP) and the European Commission appears to be backing an effort to curtail all other efforts by member states who have set up similar citizenship schemes.As a result, the Maltese government is facing a serious threat of infringement procedures by the European Commission, over its decision to grant citizenship to applicants who pay €1.15 million in a donation, property acquisition and investment under the IIP.