Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil.

Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil said yesterday said he expected the Prime Minister not to leave this week’s European Council summit without a migrant burden-sharing scheme.

“(Prime Minister) Joseph Muscat has told the EU to wake up and smell the coffee. He has said he will get tangible action. Now we shall see what comes out of it all.

“I expect him not to leave the summit without a mandatory solidarity scheme,” Dr Busuttil said.

Such a scheme would see all member states take up a specified percentage of migrants rescued at sea, he said.

Only 11 countries have signed up for resettlement programmes, with most others remaining coy on the issue.

Speaking during an interview on the Nationalist Party’s Radio 101, Dr Busuttil said the Prime Minister had stamped his feet and one now expected to see tangible results.

The European Council meets in Brussels on Friday and will see heads from all 28 member countries discuss, among other things, ways to mitigate the Mediterranean’s migration problem.

At the end of the last summit in October, Dr Muscat said he would take all necessary action to protect Malta’s national interest if the EU did not move on the issue by December.

Earlier this month, a Mediterranean task force, set up to analyse the situation, proposed measures to stem the influx.

Suggestions included financial aid to countries of origin and increased search and rescue operations. Burden-sharing, however, did not feature.

Dr Busuttil yesterday said the PN had managed to transfer about 700 migrants “without stamping its feet”, while the government had so far managed no transfers.

“I will be the first to admit that 700 is not a lot but it is better than nothing. Dr Muscat’s approach is damaging our reputation and we are yet to see what comes out of it all,” he said.

Speaking on One Radio yesterday, Dr Muscat said that had the government not kicked up a fuss there would have been no action taken at all.

“The first indications are that this problem is finally being taken seriously. If we hadn’t stamped our feet, we would not have achieved these results,” he said.

Dr Busuttil also discussed the proposed PN executive restructuring. The party is revising its statute as part of a post-electoral restructuring process.

Ten structures are being proposed including a new platform to attract graduates, a college of candidates and a business-plus section to help entrepreneurs join.

Dr Busuttil said one of the main issues being addressed was the perception of the party being run by a clique.

To combat this, he said, the party had proposed giving all members a say in the choice of the party’s leader and two deputy leaders.

The proposals also included a revision of the way female member quotas were reached.