Opposition leader Simon Busuttil insisted once more in parliament this evening that that a simple legal notice was not enough to remove the secrecy requirement from the citizenship scheme.

On Friday, the same day as President Abela signed the law, deputy Prime Minister Louis Grech said the government would revoke the secrecy clause.

Dr Busuttil said the secrecy clause was implemented into law the moment it was signed by the President.

In a speech often marked by shouting from both sides of the House, Dr Busuttil said Malta had been ridiculed internationally, and the country had lost a lot of respect in the EU because of this scheme (officially called the Individual Investor Programme).

Dr Busuttil pointed out that while the granting of citizenship was a competence of national governments, an EU member state was not only granting citizenship to its own country, but it was granting EU citizenship. EU

He reiterated the Opposition was actively seeking consensus with the government on the matter, and hoped that the Opposition’s suggestions would be taken on board.

Turning to the budget, Dr Busuttil said that the government was quick to accuse him of not knowing how to carry out proper economic analysis, yet three days later the EU Commission came out with economic analysis identical to the Opposition’s.

NATIONAL DAYS

Dr Busuttil said the Opposition was also ready to seek on consensus on national days, and he welcomed President George Abela's proposal to have Independence Day and Republic Day as Malta's twin national days.

He said the PN also wished consensus could be reached on party financing.