The Opposition is seeking an urgent debate on the outcome of the European Parliament’s vote on the cash-for-citizenship scheme when Parliament meets tonight.
The announcement was made by Opposition leader Simon Busuttil as both he and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat made highly charged speeches to audiences fired up by the controversy.
An urgent debate on a motion can be held if both sides of the House agree to suspend the agenda but this motion would not end with a vote.
The development came as the cash-for-citizenship scheme provided the backdrop for what could easily have been the opening of the unofficial campaign for the European Parliament elections by the two major political parties.
Dr Busuttil spoke to a packed foyer at the Nationalist Party headquarters, while Dr Muscat addressed supporters at the Fgura Labour Party club.
In both cases, the number of attendees spilled out on to the street.
In rather lengthy speeches – almost reminiscent of mass meetings – which were peppered with applause and chants from their hardcore supporters, the leaders put on their boxing gloves as they sparred from a distance.
Both sides of the House must agree to suspend agenda
Dr Busuttil said the EP’s overwhelming rejection of the programme last week was “a very serious” matter as he reiterated the pledge to withdraw all citizenships obtained under the scheme if elected to government.
Dr Muscat said the issue at stake was not citizenship but an innovative way of transforming the country and accused the PN of pandering to the “conservative forces” that feared change.
The speeches came in the wake of the EP’s approval last week of a non-binding resolution asking Malta to change the citizenship scheme that was approved in Parliament last November.
Labour MEPs were among the very few, mostly right-wing extremists, who voted against the resolution, while the PN MEPs backed it.
The resolution singled out Malta, much to the government’s consternation, and also prompted the European Commission to consider opening infringement proceedings against Malta even though citizenship is considered a national matter.
Dr Muscat yesterday insisted the government was within its legal rights to proceed with the scheme and disputed the commission’s interpretation of EU treaties.
“I am confident it will be a great success,” he said.
This argument was rebuffed by Dr Busuttil, who insisted the scheme did not only concern Malta but also EU citizenship.
“Malta’s accession to the EU meant that we became part of the European family and you cannot put your family for sale,” he insisted.
While the Prime Minister spoke of the benefits society would reap from the €1 billion the scheme would bring in, Dr Busuttil described selling citizenship as “immoral”.
The leaders upped the tempo to rousing applause and chants by criticising each other: Dr Muscat accused the Opposition leader of adopting two weights and two measures when PN MEPs insisted on singling out Malta while Dr Busuttil accused the Prime Minister of hard-headedness.