Some factual reporting from Malta Today (sound the alert)
Even Malta Today couldn’t put a positive spin on what happened in the European Parliament this evening.
The bloodbath of European indignation
Malta’s sale of citizenship gets a hammering from MEPs of all political hues and ideological currents inside the Strasbourg plenary
Malta was shamed inside the European Parliament as Joseph Muscat’s citizenship by investment programme – the Individual Investment Programme – was given a hammering by MEPs chiding Malta for granting EU citizenship to the rich, while being the first to demand solidarity on the influx of dispossessed asylum seekers seeking refuge into Europe.
The rhetorical bloodbath came mainly from the Nationalist Party’s political family, the European People’s Party, but also from socialists, radical left-wingers, as well as liberals and some greens and conservatives.
(…)
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http://maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/The-bloodbath-of-European-indignation-20140115
from Etienne Grech’s FB page:
Quotation from Marlene Mizzi’s (PL MEP) words:
I have just travelled home in the company of an EPP MEP.( The EPP is the political group of the 2 PN MEPs).
Conversation fell on the citizenship issue. This is what he said about the PN MEPs : “I have yet to see persons arguing against their own country with such passion. Impressive “.
Sthajt minn flokhom!
sneaking suspician there might have been some slight misunderstanding there…..
Agreed! She must have lost the real meaning! Wouldn’t be surprised either.
Skond ir-rizultat tal-votazzjoni tal-lum jidher li ghadija passata biz-zmien mhux hazin lil Marlene Mizzi (dejjem hekk hu veru dak li qalet) donnu l-MEP’s laburisti maltin qed issiru il laughing xtock tal parlament europew.
Marlene needs to understand English, especially when her leg is being pulled
On Etienne Grech’s FB page…
Quotation from Marlene Mizzi’s (PL MEP) words:
I have just travelled home in the company of an EPP MEP.( The EPP is the political group of the 2 PN MEPs).
Conversation fell on the citizenship issue. This is what he said about the PN MEPs : “I have yet to see persons arguing against their own country with such passion. Impressive “.
Sthajt minn flokhom!
Marlene Mizzi is either lying and insulting the intelligence of those who voted for her or else she cannot make the difference between arguing against one’s country and arguing against the incompetent people who run it.
How times change. I was expecting a Maltese socialist MEP to stand up and say What da heck!
I’m wondering who’s smelling whose coffee now.
The Maltese Labour MEPs did not even try to defend the scheme. It is beyond the pale. The only arguments they could muster were that the big boys were only ganging on us because we are little, and that Europeans have no right to interfere in our affairs as we are no longer a colony. Typical Mintoffjani.
How can they defend the indefensible?
An extreme right commentator on a radio station in Italy has been quoted as saying that “using some lateral thinking, applying a technique originated incidentally by another Maltese, the idea of selling passports can be exploited by the Italian government to solve the problem of illegal immigrants. The (Italian) government should sell to these unwanted immigrants a Italian but also a European passport at a nominal price of €50. Attached to the IVA (Italian version of VAT) receipt, government is to hand the immigrant a court notification that he/she has to appear in court within two days charged for illegal entry into the country which penalty would be imprisonment for ten years. Also, a complementary one way airline ticket to Malta be given free of charge! The fee for purchasing the passport would serve to pay for the airline ticket on a low-cost airline.”
Well the use of the word ‘rhetorical’ really was quite dishonest, as was the claim that most interventions were made by the EPP. In fact the most scathing one came from a member of the socialist grouping, whilst standing in front of Mizzi.
That’s Maltatoday’s qualunquismo at its worst. Oh look, a seven storey hotel in Mellieha Bay.
…aaaaand we’re back to crazy
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/blogsdetails/blogs/This-is-about-European-competition-nothing-more-nothing-less-20140115
Marlene didn’t simply look on, she looked visibly upset at what her colleague was saying, who concluded urging the commission to take immediate action and block Muscat’s scheme.
All others followed.
If I were a prospective client, I’d have second thoughts.
Not to mention bona fide investors who could have been interested in Malta before this scheme but who’ll now start looking elsewhere.
The Opposition scoring a major victory is the least of Muscat’s worries here, perhaps if Simon Busuttil promises not to gloat he’ll kill it.
Excellent. MaltaToday SLAMS Muscat’s Citizenship 4 Sale scheme.
attak iehor fahxi kontra jowzef.
Labour people should know that paranoia is the first sign of deep mental health issues.
No wonder Franco joined their ranks.
Denial.
“Chiding” – good word, Matthew. And chided we most certainly were.
This is what tunnel vision leads to, and that is being kind, as its more like having no vision at all. Labour has always been inept, and bad news for Malta. Marlene Mizzi’s facial expresion says it all. Epiphany for Malta Today.
‘I earn what the other 950+ MEPs earn ….irrespective of their performance and/or attendance’ Marlene Miizzi
Wise words for irrespective of her performance today she earns as much as the other better MEPs.
Incidentally here’s something which may save her counting.
http://europarltv.europa.eu/en/player.aspx?pid=eb87c56b-11e4-472d-957c-a29800ce968a
It is hard to imagine an MP in any parliament not knowing how many members sit in the chamber, particularly considering the fact that the counting of votes is an essential part of the work of any parliament. I bet she knows how many Gucci’s there are in Brussels and Strasbourg though.
NO, she’s probably on the look-out for a Gabriel Garko lookalike. Miskiena, she looked quite uneasy looking everywhere and playing about/fiddling with her hands. Her uneasiness was written all over her face, and it seems that everyone noticed that.
‘This’ is what the UK is offering, you Labour dimwits! The Tories would sell their mums for cash (they’re already selling schools, hospitals, have some police stations built by super markets…), but still they will ‘never’ sell citizenship.
The Guardian is a left wing paper.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/nov/06/theresa-may-great-club-uk-visa-service-launch
Well done Europe, we are against the selling of passport. The money he gets from this scheme it’s only a small fraction that will be passed to the people, the rest will be transferred to their names in Swiss banks like Mintoff did. That what socialism is.
It’s all here, l-ahwa: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ep-live/en/plenary/video?debate=1389804555025
Watch Metsola’s lips as she explains that we Maltese are actually a civilised lot.
Listen carefully to Cuschieri’s watershed speech about sovereignty, preferably in English.
Watch Dejv Jitkaza act like a true statesman, crossing swords with Cuschieri who pounced on him like a raged jaguar.
See how the noble Attard-Montalto puts everyone in place. The debate could have ended right there – for eternity.
But then hear Marlene Mizzi’s historic declaration: “Malta is no longer a colony!”
And finally don’t miss Abela Baldacchino’s point of order. She was right, the chairman apologised, she wanted to say more, more, more, but then Ana Gomes stood up and there was only thunder.
A veritable spectacle. EU democrasssy at its very best.
As the wise, old and knowledgable Lithuanian MEP Landsbergijs said, they should “kindly ask Malta to denounce such citizenship as moral mistake of anti-EU content and give money as bribe back to the clients.”
Ahleb, Guz! Hlejna hafna hin, already.
The only place for Labour’s MEP is a coup.
I meant ‘coop’ although a ‘coup’ might also be very valid.
A word of advice, Kev: stay off drugs.
Jeez. he inhaled too much dishwashing detergent again.
Kev, snus is to be administered orally, not anally.
ciccio, you gave me my first laugh of the day.
My mate Spud, back in sixth form, used to smoke cigarettes through his arse. He said it bypassed his lungs while allowing him to enjoy tobacco.
Until one day, he let one rip, singed his pubic hair, and set fire to the shell suit trousers round his ankles. We had to put it out using his Systems of Knowledge textbooks plus suggested reading.
Oh salad days.
Now what’s Plan B, Guzepp?
Iktar taxxi.
Issikkar tac-cintorin.
Someone has to pay for the ice-buns! They don’t come cheap anymore.
Can’t get over it yet; 1000 jobs in the government sector, some of whom left the private sector to get their iced bun for services rendered.
Then we have an army of heftily paid PROs, top heavy “management” structures in the army, police and Central Bank, not to mention the 23 ministries with their full compliment of offices, staff and leased cars.
These financial problems are being shouldered by this sexagenarian who was made to tell lies to his ex-colleagues at the European Parliament Financial Committee:
http://www.inewsmalta.com/UserFiles/image/edward_scicluna.jpg
To add insult to injury, while Rome is burning (“The selling of Maltese passports debate”in the EU parliament), my prime minister sends my daughter a re-Tweet:
“Nicely made video of one of my favorite places in the world: #Malta”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXbQWXSaM5w …
Is this some sick joke?
The video was produced in 2012, when we were in better times even though we had the Libyan crisis on our doorstep and a flood of immigrants coming on rickety boats.
And I don’t find anything “nice” in the sight of illegally built “boathouses” shown in the video.
Coming from my Prime Minister, I expected Malta to be Joseph Muscat’s favourite place in the whole world, not just one of many other places in the world.
“…ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES IN THE WORLD” !! (allow me two Daphne please) – the country to which he belongs, and which he now governs.
As expected, Edward Zammit Lewis re-Tweeted this also.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UbCs5y3VI0U/TbkRUe1bCLI/AAAAAAAAAkE/SOcIGbQRINk/s1600/nero+fiddles+by+leviathansmiles.jpg
Definition of good governance by Joseph Muscat : a twit, or a twat, re-Tweeting Tweets.
Is this how a country should be run?
Tweeting while Malta’s reputation is burning.
Not even TVM could put a positive spin on it. It was too big to avoid reporting and there was nothing positive to say so they ended up reporting the thrashing as it happened.
Some people are surprised that the PES (the socialists), Labour’s party, have come out against the cash-for-citizenship scheme as well. What these people fail to realise is that the Malta Labour Party is the black sheep of the family in the PES.
Socialists tend to like union initiatives, believe in the EU and support the European project. It’s in their name. Socialism is supposed to be about forming societies, bonding and helping each other out.
While the Malta Labour Party, with Alfred Sant and Joseph Muscat at the forefront, was busy campaigning against EU membership, other socialist parties all over Europe were campaigning for it.
It’s conservatives who generally tend to be sceptical of unions and communions.
This scheme hits the socialists where it really hurts. If they held back somewhat in criticising Malta, it’s only because it’s rude to thrash one’s own family member and it’s also embarrassing for oneself.
Will be worth watching TVAM tomorrow morning. Let’s see what spin Norma and Pablo manage to give it.
Well actually, true to expectations, Pablo and Norma this morning had Vella Bonnici as their guest, with no counter-part of course, and, besides the usual lies and incorrectness, gave the impression that this is a storm in the tea-cup and irrespective of what the EU will say, the government will proceed.
The government’s line of defence is based on:
(1) saying that Malta can do what it wants, and what the heck;
(2) that the scheme does not break any EU laws, ignoring Commissioner’s Viviane Reding’s clear message yesterday; and
(3) that there are many other European countries which have such schemes – which is a blatant lie, but which if repeated enough on Super One and PBS, will eventually be perceived as true.
The PN should continue informing the public of the truth, even if needs be, by means of bill-boards, to balance out the pack of misinformation coming out of the Labour Party, and its affiliates, quarters.
‘..Some people are surprised that the PES (the socialists), Labour’s party, have come out against the cash-for-citizenship scheme as well. What these people fail to realise is that the Malta Labour Party is the black sheep of the family in the PES..’
So true – Labour is an anomaly. It has nothing to do with true socialist values, let alone its claimed new-found liberalism.
Socialists do not stoke xenophobia, nor do they ameliorate the destiny of the rich at the expense of the poor. This isn’t a leftist party made of people from all walks of life, privileged included.
It’s an agglomeration of individuals intent on using politics to foment class hatred and gutter extremism to their advantage.
Labour will always remain a victim of its creator’s misgivings: insecure, rough and averse to refined, make that decent, thinking.
Perhaps the intelligentsia, if there exists one, could explain what it is they saw in Muscat that made him so attractive. It’s the real delusion and taboo, and no, this isn’t saying Labour doesn’t change, it’s about the other measures directly affecting the weakest in society.
If until a few months ago it was about people on boats, now it’s Labour tampering with pension cheques, allowances, health and education, and those previously most vocal of critics can’t remain silent.
Otherwise this country can be termed hypocritical in statute. No better than Putin’s Russia.
It felt good listening to authentic socialists speak yesterday. At least one is left to understand their values, even if these aren’t shared.
What’s certain is that those who spoke were genuine in their convictions. If only we had more of them in Malta.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Muscat’s PL is removed from the PES, because being isolated is where Labour belongs.
I have just watched the “Times Talk” debate online. Of course Owen Bonnici brought up the famous phrase “Malta l-ewwel u qabel kollox”.
How does Owen feel about quoting people whose governments violated human rights?
But this is it, Laburisti cannot come to terms with the 80’s, as much as they can’t take in being an EU member state.
They lost out on being at the receiving end sharpening their wits to get some spirit. They need an abstract or foreign power, or both.
“But this is it, Laburisti cannot come to terms with the 80s”
I’d say part of the blame is that the post-80s justice system never identified the previous violations of human rights as such.
Laburisti have no one to tell them what the old guard did was wrong apart from their victims and the Opposition, who they won’t listen to just because of their attitude makes them see them as (jealous ‘losers’).
The myth that the ‘Golden Years’ were golden and that we ‘mitna għall-barrani’ in WWII can thus be perpetuated in Malta. Compare this with the de-Nazification of Germany, for instance, to see how things should have been done.
Laburisti cannot come to terms with the 80s and they cannot fully and truly accept being an EU member state.
Their whole existence is based on two things: (a) money and (b) hatred and jealousy of those whom they see as successful. Follow these two basic assumptions and you cannot go wrong..
Dismantling the Mintoff myth sounds complicated, however, now that they’re in power and he’s the ultimate taboo, perhaps they need it more than ever.
What I mean is that when I was nine, my father would take me along to buy Il-Mument and The Sunday Times from the newsagent next to the Labour Party club, then walk home through the crowd who’d proceed to mumble insults. We’re talking 1981.
It was his way of being defiant, he received numerous transfers, but that Sunday morning ritual was the thing I rmember most.
They still don’t know whether they’d have managed to do the same if it was happening to them, keep their head high ie. The niggling feeling inside is that they didn’t, no matter what their political ideology was. I think that leaves them dubious to any spiritual capacity to deal with the state more than any moral remorse.
Being an EU citizen, in an EU member state demands a mindshift against their very core belief, that of leaving everything local and subject to an intimacy which blankets every sharp notion. Call it southern approximation, familial omerta’ or Inshallah.
Interesting times.
@ Curious
and (c) spite and vindictiveness towards anyone they think has wronged them or who has showed them up, or who can potentially do so?
As long as you give them the catch phrase, the sound bite, and the news headlines, the Laburisti are happy.
The roadmap. Policy by sound bites, catch phrases and news headlines.
The scheme relies totally on Malta’s status as an EU member and the privileges that membership brings with it. If our dear PM insists on defying the EU parliaments recommendations he risks losing these privileges.
I doubt any prospective ‘person of high calibre’ would then be interested in Maltese Citizenship, be it for the give-away price of €650 000 or free.
And Malta risks ending up with a big zilch nil!
Wake up Prime Minister and smell the stench into which you have dragged the whole of Malta – and that is not bad coffee!
The Labour MEPs are saying that the 2 PN MEPs were able to turn all MEPs against Muscat’s citizenship sale.
Have they ever wondered why 2 MEPs can be so much more influential then the 4 Labour MEPs?
Yesterday’s EP session was precisely why I voted “Yes” in the EU referendum some years ago. Yes, I do cherish freedom of movement and other privileges and obligations as an European citizen.
However I value most the fact that our legislators need to learn a thing or two from other more “democratically mature” nations.
That’s the beauty of the EU in the long run. In some important sectors – the truly supranational (as opposed to intergovernmental) – it’s composed of people who aren’t interested in being re-elected in the next five years, and thus strive for long-term objectives which nation-states become bound by. The ultimate beneficiaries are thus European citizens.
That much has become obvious in this sorry spectacle: Labour is only interested in harmful short-term gain, while the rest of the EU is interested in long-term goals of sustainable freedom of movement for its citizens.
It’s a shame the EU institutions aren’t given the actual competence to rein in short-sighted states like Muscat’s Malta.