Malta’s €1.1 billion EU budget deal reflected Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s negotiating skills, according to MEP Frank Engel.
Considering that Malta was expected to get “quite a bit less” of the EU budget, Dr Gonzi was the only one who negotiated “this well” and managed to double the country’s input, the European People’s Party member added.
He was speaking three days after the Prime Minister returned from Brussels with a €1.1 billion seven-year deal for Malta, despite an overall cut in the EU budget.
Speaking during a press conference at the Ħal-Far Industrial Estate, Mr Engel stressed Malta would have been swept away in a wave of currency devaluations had it not joined the EU in 2004.
He noted that, despite a Mediterranean region characterised by countries in distress, Malta did not have to adjust to any conditions imposed by others, because it had set conditions on itself to keep a solid economy.
Malta’s past, current and future figures were impressive and it would have suffered had it emulated Cyprus as “others” had suggested, in an indirect reference to an opinion piece once penned by Opposition leader Joseph Muscat. Malta had avoided this trap, and a PN government would hopefully keep moving on the same track, Mr Engel added, describing Malta as “a beacon of inspiration to us all”.
Finance Minister Tonio Fenech noted that, despite the European economic crisis, only Malta and Germany had managed to create more jobs.
Referring to the EU budget deal, Nationalist deputy leader Simon Busuttil said Malta will have received an unprecedented €2.5 billion by 2020.
Ten per cent of the €1.12 billion secured on Friday willbe allocated to Gozo, while this monetary pack includes more than €120 million for immigration, security, education and fishing.
Answering questions about leaked e-mails that cast a new light on the interest of international oil companies in the political contacts of rogue oil trader George Farrugia, Dr Busuttil said the PN did not speak about corruption cases during political activities but referred them to the police immediately.
He added that just like the Labour leader had said no one could speak on behalf of his party, with reference to a recorded conversation between GWU chief Tony Zarb and a cleaning contractor, no e-mails spoke on behalf of the Nationalist Party.