Opposition leader Simon Busuttil this morning had a meeting with European Commission vice president Maroš Šefčovičmet with whom he discussed the forthcoming European Parliament elections and Malta’s citizenship programme.

Dr Busuttil said the Nationalist Party was preparing for the elections and aimed to increase its representation in the EP by gaining a third seat.

On the citizenship scheme, he said the PN noted the conclusions of the discussions between the government and the European Commission and reiterated that had the government listened from the outset, the polemic could have been avoided as the government would not have come up with a programme which it had to change three times.

The PN, Dr Busuttil said, was now waiting for the publication of a legal notice to ensure that the changes announced by the Commission were reflected in the text of the notice.

This was why the party was still reserving its position on the issue, he said.