European Parliament resolution approved
Martin Schulz - are we going to be told whether Joseph Muscat agrees with him?
With a vote of 584 in favour and 18 against, the European Parliament has called for a no-fly zone over Libya, for “an immediate end to the brutal dictatorial regime of Colonel Gaddafi”, and called on Gaddafi “to stand down immediately to prevent further bloodshed and to allow a peaceful political transition to take place”.
The European Parliament said that any measures taken by the European Union and its member states should comply with a UN mandate and coordinated with the Arab League and the African Union.
Martin Schulz, who leads the group of socialist parties in the European Parliament (to which the Malta Labour Party belongs) said: “Gaddafi is a criminal. He is a murderer, who should be put in an international court. This man will not escape his punishment.”
Shulz sponsored Joseph Muscat’s bid to beome leader of the Malta Labour Party. He came to Malta to speak in Muscat’s favour at a public meeting during the leadership battle.
It is now time for the Labour leader to unzip his lips and tell us whether he agrees with Martin Schulz, or whether he shares John Dalli’s opinion instead – you know, the opinion the entire international press seemed to misinterpret and take out of context.
21 Comments Comment
Leave a Comment
Daphne, is there any information as to how the Maltese socialist MEPs voted?
They voted in favour
Oh, good, they hit the right button this time.
We know what Schulz is worth, of course, and his one-size-fits-all ‘Philosophy of The Collective’ is the linchpin of this collectivised Union.
But let me address the Leader of the Opposition:
Ma tahsibx li jkun ahjar li tiffoka speech utli fuq ir-rwol ta’ Malta fil-qasam umanitarju, u tispjega ghala ghandna noqghodu ‘l-boghod minn xi rwol militari li hawn min lest ireddaghlna?
Qed nistaqsi, ghax aktar serhilna mohhna l-prim ministru f’dan ir-rigward.
[Daphne – Kevin, I have come to believe that he doesn’t speak because he is incapable of formulating thoughts and stands which are appropriate to the seriousness of the crisis and its implications for Europe, for Libyans, and for Malta. We laughed when his sole reaction to the uprising in Tunisia was to say that a Labour government would have unleashed a massive marketing campaign to take its tourism, but really we should have been disturbed by his lack of insight and foresight, his inability to understand the implications of what was happening. I suppose it was entirely appropriate that, instead of speaking about Malta’s role in the crisis, he took time to inspect carnival floats. Sa hemmhekk naslu biss. Now we’ll just have to wait for his hindsight to kick in.]
Xi rwol militari ser ireddawlna Kev? U min ser ireddahulna?
U spjegalna INTI, ja gharef ta’ Salamun, ghaliex ghandna noqghodu l-boghod minn rwol militari – forsi qed tibza li xi gran nipote tieghek (ghax zgur mhux ser tkun inti, mil-pultruna komda f’Brussell) ser ilaqqat xi tingiza fil-patata.
Forsi qed tinkwieta li is-suldati taghna, Alla jilliberana, jaghmlu xi xoghol ta’ suldat?
U tabilhaqq, meta gie Martin Schultz hawn Malta u tkellem biex jghin il-Guzeppinu tieghek, ma tantx smajtek tghajjat bil-“One size fits all Philosophy” tieghu – x’kien? Jaqaw, dak iz-zmien il-‘one-size’ kien jaqbillek.
Ara xbin, ha nghidlek u nirrepeti dak li ghedt qabel…kont nammirak ghall-intellet tieghek.
Zbaljajt (jiena). Int dizappunt.
Jew jekk mhux hekk, mela allura ma tantx ghandek ghalfejn tghajjar lil DCG li titkellem b’agenda, ghax jekk l-intellett tieghek huwa integru, l-agenda tieghek akbar mit-Torri ta’ Babel.
Hasra li ddizappuntajtlek l-ammirazzjoni intelletwali, willywonka. Milli jidher jien u int konna ltqajna l-Belt waqt il-kors tad-dutrina f’San Gakbu.
Ma nafx ghala l-fhema tieghi dwar ir-rwol pacifiku ta’ Malta qed ihabbillek sufek daqstant. Izda tikkalpestanix, wonk. Jien sa zewg lezzjonijiet flaht nattendi San Gakbu. Int il-kors lestejtu sal-ahhar.
Konna nerdawh kev, kieku smajna minn martek u ma dhalniex fl-Unjoni Ewropeja.
U kieku llum mhux semplici jahsbuna satellita ta’ Gaddafi, imma verament ahna hekk.
None of the Maltese MEPs voted against the motion. So where does that leave il-partit ta’ Joseph ta’ Malta?
Wondering how the hell they’re going to wriggle out of this mess – and where they’re going to find some money to pay Jason.
Wait for his hindsight to kick in?
You may be waiting for three or four years!
But we’ve still got to wait for an approval from the UN, right? It’s Russia and China that’s the problem.
[Daphne – Sadly, yes.]
No “we” don’t have to wait for UN backing. The US (WH) and Nato have repeatedly said that they can act unilaterally.
The EU does not need UN approval either. God forbid that that had to be the case. Its actions will not be legitimised further, provided that there is clear and unequivocal support from the Arab nations.
Sorry, I should have said you may be waiting for three or four more carnivals before Joseph’s hindsight kicks in.
No, Angus, I think three or four years is the right measure. With Labour, carnival takes place more than once a year.
It’s no suprise that the no-fly zone proposal was approved by the EU before NATO. Politically, it looks great and gets massive brownie points. Militarily, it achieves nothing.
The European parliament, stuffed full of well-meaning pacifists and bureaucrats, god bless ’em, may propose anything. But whose hardware shall we use?
And even if we get UN approval, how do we go about it? We’re heading straight down the YMCA road to Graffitti land. We want to liberate a poor oppressed people but we don’t want to kill anyone in the process. Impossible.
U Kevin, Malta ilha li kellha rwol militari. Ghax anke bazi rear-of-the-rear-echelon ghandha rwol militari. Ovvjament, jien nixtieq li nidhlu ghall-affarijiet b’ruhna u gisimna, imma biex ma jkollniex rwol militari rridu nirtiraw minn kull forum internazzjonali li nappartjenu ghalih u ninghalqu f’bozza.
The obstacle is not not wanting to kill anyone in the process. The problem is an international political dilemma – interpreting foreign military action to create another Iraq for example.
Killing people is precisely the nub of the problem. I can’t help noticing that the loudest calls for a no-fly zone are coming from the Left, from the very same people who oppose the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and parade with A2 size printouts of the Afghan victims of NATO bombing raids.
I think all this bull about a no-fly zone is getting nowhere.
The rebels want it, BUT no foreign troops are to step foot on Libyan soil.
Excuse me, but what if a military aircraft flying over hostile territory gets shot down and the pilot bails out, who the hell do we send to his rescue?
I think the French are gonna surprise us all and bomb the hell out of the Colonel.
Joseph Muscat is as good to take a stand about Libya as he is able to formulate a simple question about a divorce referendum.
Haven’t you realized that Joseph Muscat will not speak out about the Libyan crisis?
It won’t get him any votes.
He is good at electioneering, not as a leader.