The Nationalist Party said today that the Prime Minister’s statement this morning in his reaction to the arrival of 290 migrants smacked of populism.

"It is a cheap attempt to gain popularity and to appear decisive in blatant disregard of the suffering of those who arrived overnight.

If the Prime Minister thinks he will win support at European level by using threats, he has another thing coming. This approach goes against the basic premises on which the European Union is built and will isolate Malta from the other EU Member States," the party said.

Dr Muscat this morning phoned EU Council president Hermann Van Rompuy to give him formal notice that Malta will use its powers to demand solidarity on immigration.

See Dr Muscat's comments at http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130704/local/joseph-muscat.476553

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