Pros and cons of EU membership in villa talk

Sixteen people, divergent views, one villa,... and a lot of talk on the EU.

This is the scenario behind a special 12-day programme produced by Where's Everybody? in the run-up to the EU referendum on March 8.

The half-hour programme, Xarabank Iva, Le, Ma Nafx, will be aired daily between February 17-28 on TVM at 7.30 p.m.

It will focus on 16 people, from youths to drydocks workers to fishermen, who were put together in a villa debate to argue the advantages and disadvantages of membership.

Some 150 people had originally applied to take part.

"The underlying message of this series is that despite their differences, despite their contrasting opinions, these people can still debate in a mature manner," Xarabank presenter Peppi Azzopardi said.

Mr Azzopardi, however, took objection to comments made by opposition leader Alfred Sant who on Sunday accused Public Broadcasting Services of brainwashing by airing Xarabank daily.

"How can Dr Sant already condemn a programme when he hasn't seen it?" Mr Azzopardi asked.

The presenter reiterated his challenge to Dr Sant to analyse any edition of Xarabank, adding that he was prepared to stop the popular programme if there was proof of imbalance.

Mr Azzopardi said the Labour Party was invited three times to hold an edition of Xarabank on the MLP's 'partnership' option.

Dr Sant himself was asked to sit on the panel seven times, and yet he had always declined the invitation.

"Dr Sant doesn't want to come on Xarabank because he knows he will would not reply to the persistent questions we would ask about partnership," Mr Azzopardi charged.