Opposition leader Simon Busuttil has announced his intention to request Parliament to debate with urgency the resolution overwhelmingly approved last Thursday by the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
“I expect to find the government’s backing” as this is a very serious and urgent matter said Dr Busuttil.
Addressing a highly-charged political activity attended in large numbers at the party headquarters, Dr Busuttil reiterated that a future PN government would revoke every citizenship awarded by this scheme.
The Opposition leader reiterated that Thursday’s vote was one of no confidence in the Prime Minister and the citizenship scheme.
The resolution was not against Malta, but the scheme, said Dr Busuttil. He added that the EU was concerned as this had to do with EU citizenship as well. Summarising the text of the resolution he said that the European Parliament had formally requested the government to amend the scheme.
Dr Busuttil also cautioned that the government’s defiance to forge ahead with the scheme, has led the EU Commission to look into the possibility of opening infringement procedures against Malta.
The PN leader said that the Prime Minister had to shoulder responsibility as he did not want to listen.
Dr Busuttil said that last month’s negotiations between government and opposition, only resulted in the government raising the price tag of the Maltese passport. “You have not understood anything,” Dr Busuttil told the Prime Minister.
He said that EU citizenship could not be put up for sale as it was something precious and of sentimental value. “Some things are priceless,” he said while branding the sale of citizenship as “immoral”.
The Opposition leader said that the government was trying to “buy the people’s support” referring to a story in The Sunday Times that a former F1 Champion and wealthy foreigners were interested.
He said that Malta’s accession to the EU, meant that we became part of the European family. “You cannot put your family for sale” he said.
Dr Busuttil said if we would not show any respect to them, then we could not expect better from other member states.
The Opposition leader said that the country’s credibility and reputation had already been damaged beyond repair, after just 10 months of a Labour government.
He said that the warnings of former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi who had warned that Maltese citizens would one day be ashamed if Labour were to be in government, turned out to be prophetic.
Dr Busuttil said that the Prime Minister was conveying the message that Malta had a gaping hole in its finances, just like Alfred Sant did in 1996. He added that this was a blatant lie as the PN-led government had left the country’s finances in good shape.
The Opposition leader cautioned that if Malta was found guilty of breaching the EU Treaty, not only the scheme would have to be suspended, but the country would have gone through this controversy for nothing.
The Opposition leader said that time had shown that those voting in favour of EU accession in 2003 to safeguard against a repeat of Labour threats to democracy, had been proven right.
Dr Busuttil warned that he would not be intimidated by further threats and attacks from the government.
The Opposition leader urged the PM to “top and think” before harming the country’s reputation even more or else the PN will resist this “obscene” scheme and “join forces with the EU” to safeguard the national interest.
He said that the PN would contest the legal notice in Parliament, remarking that all MPs would have to weigh their decision well.
Dr Busuttil said that the lesson from this week’s events was that the Opposition had to be united to safeguard the country’s interests.