Three days before the European Parliament meets to discuss the cash-for-citizenship scheme, the main political leaders yesterday again crossed swords on the controversial programme.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat insisted that the outcome of Wednesday’s debate in Strasbourg would not be binding and will not stop him from going ahead with the scheme’s implementation.

Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil said the programme attacked the country’s dignity and European values.

Dr Muscat had a go at Nationalist MEPs, accusing them of using the citizenship issue to undermine the country’s reputation.

“All the Nationalist MEPs would have attained in five years is a resolution putting their home country in a bad light,” he said.

The funds (from the citizenship scheme) would be all ours. Imagine what we could do with €1 billion

Defending the scheme, he said it would rake in more than €1 billion, an amount that, although similar to EU funds, would be “all ours” as Malta will not need to pay anything back to the EU.

“The measures announced in the last Budget cost €55 million. Imagine what we could do with €1 billion,” Dr Muscat told a political meeting at the party headquarters in Ħamrun.

Speaking in Gozo, Dr Busuttil kept the PN’s momentum of criticism of the programme and referred to comments made by Hannes Swoboda, president of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, who said the scheme undermined European values.

“What do you expect? This is coming from a government that never appreciated Europe and is comparing the money that will be generated from the scheme to EU funds,” Dr Busuttil said.

He insisted the party was against the scheme on a point of principle: the Labour government was selling Maltese citizenship, which was something “that cannot be sold” and was “a great offence”.

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