Updated - Adds government reaction

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil met the social partners this afternoon to explain the Nationalist Party’s objections to the citizenship scheme.

He described the government’s consultation as fake and quoted a Times of Malta report that the majority of MCESD representatives had not been consulted.

Dr Busuttil said that the PN’s objections were to the principle of selling citizenship, the tarnishing of the Maltese reputation abroad as well as the details of the scheme.

He said that the legal notice, published on December 24, would be challenged by the Opposition when Parliament resumed next week with the PN leader reiterating the Opposition’s intention to file a motion to repeal it.

The PN will on Thursday be meeting members of the MCESD civil society committee and the Gozo Regional Committee.

Dr Busuttil the EP debate in Strasbourg next week had a European dimension as it involved the sale of European citizenship.

On Friday the social partners will meet Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

GOVERNMENT REACTION

In a reaction, the government said it was surprised how Dr Busuttil had described the talks as fake when he had, on December 15, said that the two sides were nearing agreement in the same talks. 

Long hours of consultation had been held and the government said it had heard and understood the view of the people, who wanted an innovative programme such as this, but wanted greater transparency and a stronger link between the applicants and the country.The changes had been made with assistance from the chairman of the MFSA and constituted bodies, and the programme had been drafted in a way which would attract people with the potential to invest more than a billion euro in the country.