Sceptic MEPs urge 'no' vote

Five eurosceptic MEPs yesterday held a press conference to tell the Maltese why they should vote 'no' in Saturday's EU membership referendum.

The press conference was organised by the No2EU lobby group at the Corinthia San Gorg Hotel in St George's Bay.

British MEP Daniel Hannan denied claims by a British MP that he was trying to "buy a no vote" in Malta's EU referendum by raising money for the 'no' campaign.

The only reason he was helping the anti-EU lobby was because he considered himself to be a friend of Malta.

Mr Hannan said there were a lot of parallels between the referendum campaign in Malta and that in the UK - which ultimately voted yes - in the 70s.

British MEP Nigel Farage said it was evident, now more than ever, that Brussels dictated the majority of Britain's regulations, and not the British government. This was the reason behind the low turnout in the last British general election.

He said that commission officials, and especially MEPs, were overly pampered by the commission, earned approximately six times as much as the Maltese prime minister, had diplomatic immunity, and were chauffeur-driven.

Asked why he had chosen to become an MEP, Mr Farage said he did so in order to learn the truth, and in order to get his message across.

Danish MEP Peter Bonde said Malta should realise that it would have no voice in the EU institutions.

On the other hand, French MEP William Abitbol equated the enlargement process to a NATO takeover of the EU.

British MEP Jeffrey Titford said he feared the Maltese electorate had been misled by the Nationalist Party and the commission into believing the EU could kickstart the economy.

No2EU chairperson Sharon Ellul Bonici agreed and said several commission officials have paid visits to Malta during the past few years in a concerted attempt to sell the idea of the EU as heaven on earth.