Greens welcome IIP amendments, slam ‘childish’ politicians

Greens welcome IIP residency requirement, condemn obstinacy that damaged Malta's reputation.

AD chairperson Arnold Cassola
AD chairperson Arnold Cassola

While lambasting the government's "obstinacy" which damaged Malta's reputation, Alternattiva Demokratika welcomed the latest amendments to the controversial citizenship scheme, the Individual Investor Programme (IIP)

"We are happy to see that residence has now become a condition before the granting of Maltese and EU citizenship.  It is good to see that such changes will eliminate any breaches of the EU treaties, in particular the article 4.3 on the principle of loyal cooperation," AD chairperson Arnold Cassola said.

However, the Greens' chairperson deplored the "childish and obstinate behaviour of our political leaders who have caused serious damage to our country's reputation during the past three months."

Cassola called for clear procedures to be put in place to ensure that people who "contribute to the country's development" and "children with no nationality, who though not rich contribute to this country's well being" are eligible to apply and be granted citizenship according to clear guidelines and beyond the home affairs minister's discretion.

"May this serve as a good lesson to Maltese politicians for the future: always put our country's interest before your egoistic political party needs."

AD also noted that before commenting further on the third version of the IIP, it will wait cautiously to peruse all technicalities of this new agreement.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced that he had reached an agreement with the European Commission over the scheme. These talks followed the outrage caused by the scheme, with the European Parliament calling for amendments to the IIP.

Muscat yesterday announced that the scheme will now include for the first time a minimum residency period requirement of 12 months. The minimum requirement of 12 months kick off from when the applicant purchases or rents a property. The previous capping of 1,800 applicants has also been scrapped, Muscat said.

Following yesterday's announcement, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said that the agreement the proved the Nationalist Party's harsh criticism right. Busuttil said the PN would give a detailed reaction to the agreement once the full details of the amended scheme were published, however he noted that there were differences between what Muscat and the commission declared in separate statements.

 

 

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Cassola is probably more mediocre than Xmun busullotti. Wow and that is something !
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“While lambasting the government's "obstinacy" which damaged Malta's reputation,”. Dr Cassola tista tghidilna fejn kont jekk hux fiod-dinja jew fil-qamar? Minn kien stinat Dr. Cassola, minn kien lest li jiltaqa, jiddiskuti u jaccetta proposti, jew minn beda bil-5 snin residenza u ghtja lill ghexieren? Minn ghamel hsara (jew ipprova jaghmel hsara) mhux minn mar gio Brussels jahdem kemm jiflah biex jimmina il-hidma tal-gvern u anke assolutament ried li isem Malta jidher fil-mozzjopni tal Parlament Europew alavolja kien hemm membri ohra tal EU li ghandhom skemi simili ghal dik li jrid (u se jattwa il gvern Malti)? Dr Cassola ma tahsibx li wara id-disfatta li hadu bil-ftehim tal gvern ma L-EU dawn iz zewg tradituri ta’ Malta jekk ghandhom naqra sens ta rispett lejhom infushom kif issa sabu ruhom iffacjati bir-rizultat finali imisshom jirrizenjaw u ma jersqux iktar lejn Malta u jmorru jinhbew. Opinjoni tieghi personaII, Jiena nahseb li l-bdil ta minn 6 xhur ghal sena sar biex l-EU issalva ftit wicca wara li kienet in bona fede emmnet il-gidfeb li inghad dwar li-skema. L.-Ahhar kelma lilhekk Dr Cassola, tirredikolax ruhek biex tipprova issalva lill minn hu minn guf ommu jahseb li hu biss ghandu id-dritt divin li jiggverna. Taf x’kienu ghamlulkom fil kwistjoni tad-dhul fl-EU kif wara li uzawkom irmewkom.
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Afraid to name Simon as beng childish Arnold? Who do you exect to govern, the Government or the Opposition?
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Cassola please spare us your comments the people of malta will never forget who the haters are and that includes you .
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Mr Cassola, what residency have to do with loyal cooperation with other EU states. Loyalty towards other EU states will be delivered if the people granted with the citizenship are people of goodwill and that have the merit for such citizenship. Do the residency clause make the security of these safer?
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Hallina, Dr. Cassola! Veru m’ghandekx xi tghid! Hlif li bhal PN ma thallix okkazzjoni tahrablek biex tghajjar b'xi haga lil dan il-Gvern! Mela mhux bilfors il-Gvern irid juri certu sodizza f’dak li jkun irid iwettaq. Xi tridu jghamel? Ihalli lil kulhadd jghamel li jrid u jghaddi minn fuqu jew! Anzi mhux veru rasu iebsa ghax kieku ried baqa ghaddej hu. Imma ha pacenzja 4 xhur shah u biddel ghal tliet darbiet l-iskema biex jghogob kemm lil Maltin u kemm lil EU u fl-istess hin ihalli l-iskema kompitenti. Issa meta ghidt il-Maltin ma kontx qieghed nirreferi ghal PN jew ghal AD ghax dawk u intkom maghhom haga wahda. Il-PN ma kienu ha jifhtemu mieghu qatt mal –gvern fuq haga li ha tiswiehom l-elezzjoni li gejja jekk tkun success. Il-kunsensus li fittxew kien biss li jew jghamel kif riedu huma jew xejn. Anzi mhux hekk biss. Jekk ma tghamilx li rridu ahna, skrapja jew nukzawk lil EU. Ghidli mela min huwa r-ras iebsa. U dan mhux il-Prim Ministru ahseb u ara li kien. Aghar minn Gonzi ha jkun jekk allahares qatt il-Maltin jergghu jghatuh il-poter. Issa li sar il-ftehim ma l-EU gejjin b’hafna skuzi li sar dak li riedu huma u mn’alla kienet l-EU t-tarka taghna. Tarax!. Bhal li kieku qatt jistghu jitwemnu hlif min dawk bhalhom li ma jahmlulx lil PL fil-Gvern.
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Mr.A,Cassola. We expected you to be more SPECIFIC to whom you are referring to when saying "childish obstinate behaviour who caused serious damage to Malta's reputation" Everyone knows that it was the PN with its expected detrimental dirty comments.