I believe that this is where we’re heading
David Cameron said yesterday that the Conservative Party manifesto for the 2015 election will seek a mandate for renegotiation of Britain’s position in the European Union.
People will then be asked to vote in a referendum as to whether they wish to stay in the European Union (based on the outcome of the talks) or leave the EU.
The BBC reports that the referendum “is thought likely to take place during the early part of the next parliament – by the end of 2017 at the latest – if the Conservatives win the next general election”.
I believe that this is where Malta is heading, the difference being that Joseph Muscat is not a British politician operating in British democracy and so will feel no need to be explicit about it, nor will he be expected to do so or put under pressure to reveal his stance.
This business is going to be put upon us by stealth.
Muscat himself led the campaign against European Union membership for his boss Alfred Sant. He is surrounded by people who actually hate the European Union and all it stands for (and the fact that it stands in their way), people like Karmenu il-Guy Vella, Alex Sceberras Trigona, and Louis Grech who – despite taking advantage of EU membership for his own personal benefit – had no shame in saying that he voted against it.
These are people who for years did politics with Mintoff in an uncontrolled fashion. They cannot bear to be shackled by EU supervision, EU rules and laws. Their first big proposal, and this in Opposition, flies in defiance of EU legislation: a power station, LNG terminal and two massive gas storage tanks without the requisite environmental planning, public approvals stage or even transparent tendering.
Muscat has now taken to saying that he wants Malta to be “the best in Europe”. But Europe is not the European Union. We were in Europe even when we were not in the European Union.
They still haven’t understood that it’s the whole of the European Union that’s theirs, and not just Malta.
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My thoughts exactly. When he isn’t able to implement his plan he will say – look the EU is preventing us from doing this and because of the EU you cannot have lower bills.
Then he will put it to the people in a referendum as to whether they want to stay in the EU or not.
And since people in this country are so shortsighted he may actually get away for it.
When will they realize that nothing is for free?
He will need to get the money from somewhere so they will end up paying for it anyway.
Incidentally I invested in PV panels thanks to the government scheme.
Yes, an initial capital cost of eur3000 but it has already started to pay off. I received my bill today. It was Nil.
Joseph Muscat cannot better that, not even if he contorts himself into a pretzel to try and come up with some other furry rabbit out of his hat.
JosephMuscat2013 must not be allowed anywhere near our EU passport.
That makes the significance of 9 March even bigger.
“If we left the European Union, it would be a one-way ticket, not a return,” David Cameron as reported by BBC
Can some journalist get a clear statement from the PL about the relation of Malta and the EU?
I believe the next billboard should stress on the point that a vote for PL will be a vote to come out of EU.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130123/elections-news/new-pl-government-will-reassess-entire-court-system.454346
What specific post has Franco been promised?
Sadly very true.
Good job on the photo caption, by the way. It really captures how narrow-minded Labour are in an era in which globalisation should have made such thinking obsolete.
As stuck in the past (in its worst ways, of course) as they ever were.
I hope that Cameron realizes that if Britain leaves the EU he’ll be hurting both Britain and the EU.
They’ll be £8bn better off but they’ll also have very limited access to the single market.
Would he need to do a referendum in order to do this? I doubt the majority of Maltese people would vote against the EU.
If someone is living and working in an EU country, and then his country’s membership gets withdrawn, would he still be allowed to live and work there?
[Daphne – No, obviously not.]
I do not want to live in a Malta that isn’t in the EU.
The crux of the entire argument is, as you say: “This business is going to be put upon us by stealth.”
One other tell-tale sign is the fear of foreign interference (whatever than means) expressed, for example, by Astrid Vella with her reference to Piano being a foreigner.
It is as if there is/was some direct relation between being foreign and being a liar/unreliable/destroyer of national identity and heritage.
Unfortunately pulling out of the Union means that we lose so many opportunities to work and study overseas. Who cares? Definitely not the average Labourite who is content to wallow in ignorance and in the squalor of xenophobia.
This prospect makes me feel insecure and frightened. How is it possible that people do not open their eyes and see that within the European Union we are secure, but alone it is like walking in a jungle without any defence and protection?
If I were a journalist, I’d ask Muscat the following question:
At what point did you realise that joining the EU was a good idea?
Hint: Don’t say you changed your opinion upon seeing the referendum and/or election result.
If Joseph gets elected he will be the second Maltese Prime minister to work with the European Union breathing down his neck.
Up to now Gonzi was the only Prime Minister to work in this restricted EU framework.
That’s one reason why I,and many people like me voted for Malta’s entry into the European Union.
After the shouting of “taghna Lkoll” and “we believe in Joseph because Joseph believes in us”, subsides and the electoral dust settles, we will be faced with the stark reality of having a Super One hack instead of a seasoned captain on the wheel of our ship in this economic storm.
Just read this from Rai News: http://www.rainews24.rai.it/it/news.php?newsid=174084
Occupati in Italia il 61%, peggio solo di Grecia e Ungheria.
Su inattività Italia battuta solo da Malta.
That would scupper Alfred Sant’s chances of becoming an MEP and deprive Joseph Cuschieri of the fat allowances he saves by lunching on cheap pizza.
And Marlene Mizzi will be upset, won’t she?
She says she was always in favour of EU membership and would have been the first to protest against derailing the process if Sant had been elected in 2003.
Marlene Farrugia said she crossed to Labour as soon as Sant was out.
The caption on this photo says it all.
They’ve been given on a silver platter the biggest gift they could hope for (while fighting it all the way) and still they yearn for the crumbs off their masters’ table.
Some other things Cameron said about EU membership:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a683a0e8-653a-11e2-a3db-00144feab49a.html
(..)
He warned that leaving the EU would be a “one-way ticket, not a return” and that Britain needed to have a proper, reasoned debate before deciding its future.
Mr Cameron vowed to fight to keep the UK as part of the 27-nation bloc, insisting he would campaign with “all my heart and all my soul” for Britain to remain in the EU.
(..)
“Over the coming weeks, months and years, I will not rest until this debate is won – for the future of my country, for the success of the European Union and the prosperity of our peoples for generations to come,” he said.
This has been the elephant in the room for some time now – how else to make sense of declarations to the effect that PL will making short shrift of all procedures in building the power station?
What a truly frightening thought you’re expressing there, Daphne.
Daphne it is obvious to me that MLP plans to take Malta out of the EU. This is their unspoken agenda.
They will first try to change public opinion by bringing unemployment among the youth and then austerity. Once their wicked goal is achieved, they will pull us out and no referendum either, just a direct order ala Labour.
Laurent Fabius has already told Cameron what he thinks of his plan : “You cannot join a football club and then expect to play rugby. If Britain wants to leave the EU we will lay out the red carpet”.
What he will probably tell Joey is “va te faire”.
There you go again, Daphne. Two steps ahead of everyone else.
Great minds, Harry, great minds, what.
I think I’ll trouble you for that Swiss passport if I may. Do they do gay marriage over there? I promise I won’t consummate anything.
Never inquired, my friend.
You know, it’s one of those ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ countries.
Especially concerning bank accounts.
Baxxter, sorry for interfering with sensitive matters. They might not do gay marriage, but I think they can do sex changes.
Then I’ll barricade myself inside your suitcase and ask for political asylum.
They also do a very nice euthanasia, Ciccio. Got anyone in mind?
If I were a Brit I’d vote to distance myself somewhat from the EU, but being Maltese and having to put up with this sort of shady politicians who think themselves above the law, I’d vote to stay in – if only for the added supervision over our “lords and masters” that this would entail.
You could be right there, but Labour will have to go through a referendum first and while the majority may go for Labour this time round, they will not be voting for an exit from the EU.
Just my opinion of course, but almost 25 years of our universities and colleges churning thousands upon thousands of graduates with Europe at their fingertips, don’t think it will ever happen.
One should never say never but reality points the other way.
Let’s remember that these are the best days in Joseph Muscat’s political life.
The day he becomes PM it will mark the starting point of his (and sadly, Malta’s) nightmare.
PN, via Simon Busuttil has already executed Plan B and this will make the real difference should Muscat become PM.
I think they haven’t seen this page yet.
It’s dedicated to Italians who wish to settle in Malta. Apart from the usual question related to the quality of restaurants, some of the queries are very specific to what services the island offers.
From flying schools to standards required to serve behind a bar, going past financial services, licenses required to set up a kiosk, which beach offers kitesurfing, which company offers research scholarships for renewable energy technology, pharmaceuticals, recommended dentists, estate agents, where to register a boat, how much a berth costs and so on.
Their worst fear is the language barrier.
The questions are mostly from Catania, but also from Rome, Turin, Genoa and so on. They may be looking for work, setting up shop, transfer their company here, what’s certain, is that they also intend to maintain their lifestyle.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/38948558059/
I was at the airport yesterday afternoon, to pick someone coming in from Catania, half the cars in the pick up slots had Italian number plates.
Typical query,
‘Ultimamente sto valutando l’idea di trasferire la mia azienda all’estero, ma prima di approfondire le possibilità vorrei informarmi su un’aspetto per me fondamentale. Io ho tre cani che naturalmente verrebbero con me e quindi vorrei sapere com’è Malta da questo punto di vista. Intendo se ci sono regole per esempio sul numero di animali che una persona può avere (come per esempio in alcune città degli USA), se è richiesto un corso di educazione con relativo certificato (come in Svizzera), se è facile trovare una casa in affitto che accetti animali…insomma un pò di informazioni in generale sulla vita a Malta con i cani…’
This one is considering moving her company out of Italy, her main problem seems to be whether local rent laws are dog friendly, how many one is allowed to keep as pets. Sometimes these details are tipping point, the ones which determine between the US, Switzerland and Malta.
A few minutes ago, in a heated exchange during PMQ in the Commons, Ed Miliband accused the PM of taking a serious gamble with Britain’s economy.
He was referring to Cameron’s speech earlier in the day which the PM delivered in a desperate attempt to appease Tory eurosceptics and to dampen the wave of popularity currently enjoyed by UKIP.
I fully agree with Miliband on this.
At the first faintest hint of Malta dabbling with its EU membership, the economy will grind to a halt.
We will be back to the golden years of Izra u Rabbi, indhil barrani and student-haddiem in a matter of months.
Then we will not require the gas storage tanks.
We will go back to our dear lampa tal-pitlolju u l-bowzens tal-ilma.
I still miss them.
I, too, have followed PM’sQ on Sky TV this afternoon.
Cameron’s retort to Ed Miliband’s ‘warning’ was that Miliband himself was admitting Britain’s currently favourable conditions in the employment and economic field – as, according to Miliband, detachment from the EU would bring dire consequences for the British economy.
I wonder, besides, whether it is relevant to point out that since Brtiain’s accession to the EU in 1973 under the Conservative government led by Edward Heath, some Britons have always rued that step.
Whether that is a result of ‘perennial’ British aloofness from – and fear of – things European or whether the British public in general is ill-informed about the collective benefits of being part of the EU may be hard to determine.
I wonder, also, whether David Cameron considers the EU as a sort of ‘alien’ body with whom he can somehow ‘re-negotiate’ Britain’s relationship – as if Britain itself is not already a part of the EU. Labour politicians in our Island seem to have this frame of mind.
The moment Joseph takes the first steps up Castille is when investment, including foreign direct investment, will shift into reverse.
No need to ask the EU to let us out.
As deficits soar and national debt exceeds established limits even the ability to use the euro will be in doubt.
It would probably be the EU who will kick us out, that is unless people come to their senses and kick Joseph and his cronies out, first.
Why go through the nonsense when we can prevent it to begin with?
It is being predicted that Joseph will climb the steps to Castille and what you are saying is already happening and has been happening for the past year or so.
If we end up having to forfeit the Euro, then it will be up to Santa Rita tal-Impossibbli and il-Madonna tal-Grazzja together with the Redentur tal-Isla and San Gorg Preca to save Malta Taghna Lkoll.
Daphne write something about John Bencini. He confirmed that when he was hand in hand protesting against the government together with Toni Zarb, he was doing it because of his allegiance to Joseph.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-01-23/news/watch-john-bencini-openly-declares-he-switched-from-pn-to-labour-738394123/
What’s there to say about Bencini? His lack of dress sense says it all about him.
MIght be true. But there is a lot to say.
Finally he has shown his true colours. We now know why he took our union out of the CMTU and joined the Forum, why he got so close to Toni Zarb, why he joined the protests against the electricity tariffs together with Toni Zarb and Dominic Cini who earns such a high wage that surely can afford to pay the bills, & why he is now so cosy on Super One, conveniently forgetting the constant attacks on him prior to the 2003 referendum.
What a giant limp-wristed wanker. He never had a “lifelong interest in education.”
All he was interested in, like most trade unionists, was playing the hero and fantasising about barricades.
I challenge anyone to name ONE improvement in education or schooling brought about by the Malta Union of Teachers.
I’m with Thatcher on this one.
ciccio. back to his dress sense. Saw him for the first time in the pic. Reminded me of Harpo Marx. Too bad he also wasn’t a mute.
John “watch-us-strike-at-the-drop-of-a-hat” Bencini’s answer to my taking him to task for denying my children a day’s schooling which I had paid for at considerable expense was to foam at the mouth and accuse them (and me) of being ASBO candidates.
I’ll let those that know me judge for themselves.
But as for my children, (in all humility), I challenged Bencini to find one single teacher who had ever come across them and found them to be anything but a model of civility and politeness. Of course, he couldn’t.
If this natural born cowardly weasel has gravitated to Labour, I for one am not surprised.
Also he didn’t help a bit with trying to raise university lecturers’ pay a few years ago, he was the stumbling block, I guess.
When MUT was replaced by another union, things actually happened and the raise was given.
They don’t even know what’s on the placards.
Is that Franco Debono in the picture (middle to the right) on the phone ?
That section of crowd looks doctored. The one behind him doesn’t correspond to the predominant shadows.
The smiling lady next to Malta taghna lkoll is missing her left shoulder.
Le ruhi.
Kieku Franco Debono ikun naqa aktar “flash”. Voldieri jkun liebes Big Pony, big Rolex, glitzy tie u zarbun brown mas-sjut.
I do not think so. Admittedly, the poor fellow does resemble the ‘nonentity that was’ quite a bit. As we would say in Maltese, “jixbhu daqsxejn, barra minn fuqu”.
I believe you are being too hasty in your conclusions
Are you really serious? Playing the EU card yet again? And inventing stories up like this?
The EU nowadays is not the EU we voted for in 2003. Things are changing fast. The PN should rather tell us how it looks at new developments in the EU. Is it for more integration? For less? The financial tax has been approved yesterday, Malta is out of it. Apparently the PN is not so pro-integration as are, for example, Germany and France. So, really, there is now a tacit consensus between the PN and the PL about the EU in its PRESENT and FUTURE state. Just forget the PAST.
[Daphne – Just forget the past? Why the hell should I or anyone else for that matter? The past is right here in the present: the man who led the campaign against EU membership is poised to become prime minister. He nearly f**ks the country over, and the people he tried to f**k over go right ahead and reward him by putting him into government. Pajjiz tal-iskjavi. ‘Sawwatni, sawwatni’.]
Not only are we a country of Moors but of masochist Moors to boot.
Some people like masochism. The problem is that they drag others with them.
Anyone who forgets the past is condemned to repeat it.
I won’t forget. Daphne, please never forget, too. Thanks.
I can’t stand the hypocrisy of all those – Joseph Muscat, Louis Grech, Alfred Sant and many others – who worked against and even voted against Malta’s joining the EU and then pushing themselves forward to reap the benefits of EU membership. No principles at all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYZR4OL5yVI
Watch young Joseph when in power at 0:31
Watch this promise of lowering electricity bills 1:03 (I forgot that)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UitGWF-4PE
“Il-Pjan ghal bidu gdid “ read “Ir-‘roadmap’ cara”.
This was the Budget 2007 before the last elections:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGUg0vdUChg
We’ve been here already , same people and same methods . Evarist Bartolo said that in Labour “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”.
And Gahan once said that Labour is like the Three Hills tomato paste.
How true.
Watching Hillary Clinton being grilled by the Senate, and one thought came to mind.
Why can’t Labour find at least one candidate with the kind of intellect being displayed by her? Is it a breeding problem?
And she is still recovering from dural venous sinus thrombosis.
What a woman.
I have had to move away from the telly for a while to placate my better half.
Hilary is still at it and as good as new after several hours.
I am going back to watch her stupendous performance anon.
She was even more superb before the House of Representatives committee this evening.. One very tough lady.
She was very pleasant in her replies, however, the underlying implication was, ‘Pound shit Congressmen, I know where I’m at, take your shot, duck when I shoot back!’
Really hope she goes for the big prize in 2016.
The contrast with Malta Labour Party’s moteley crew is overwhelming.
This has been on my mind for quite some time now.
The EU will not stand by and watch them running up the country’s debt. It will speak up, and this will be interpreted as interference into our affairs – the whole ‘indhil barrani’ all over again. And the stage for our departure will be set.
So it will be back to the streets again.
What movement? It’s more like a malignant growth.
Yes, bowel ‘movement’. The whole tribe stinks.
No, the one in the picture is not wearing a Rolex like Franco’s.
I doubt that you’re right on this one, Daphne. God forbid that you are. And this is why I have my doubts:
1. Joseph knows that EU membership is favoured by the overwhelming majority of people. I simply can’t see him waging another NO2EU campaign – he’d have to be completely insane to try that.
2. Joseph has an interminable list of favours to pay back to the switchers who have supported him purely in order to land themselves a cushy and well-paid job – tipo Marisa. He’ll need all the sinecures around, including those in Brussels, to try and keep the mob happy.
Oh dear god, stop now, and listen in.
1. If MLP wins then EU membership will only be favoured by a MINORITY. That’s logic.
2. There are more jobs for the boys back here in Malta than Brussels. In Malta, Joseph can create posts at will. In Brussels he is limited by EU structures.
3. Our next prime minister will be the man who led the anti-EU campaign. By definition, he is not pro-European.
Daphne – how can you believe that? We’ve been down Referendum Road already and the People decided. Twice over.
Now if Muscat decides to ignore that result, and chooses to govern by dictatorship, then he will be directly answerable to the People – no ifs or buts.
Muscat, nor anyone else for that matter can ever change that Referendum result!
Muscat ignored the result. He was in Marsa with Alfred Sant declaring partnership won.
The next day they said only an election could settle the matter. To add insult to injury.
An election is a form of referendum. Joseph Muscat will say that the result of 2003 has been overturned by a more recent one.
This is exactly what has been going through my head ever since Labour unveiled there plans for a new power station.
Them stating that they will not go for a tendering process and having it up and running in 2 years clearly shows that they will be ignoring all EU procurement rules and regulations and forging ahead with their own plans.
I’m sure that this will not go down well with the EU and there will be repercussions, to which JosephMuscat.com will probably reply with a request to leave the EU.
It is not surprising really. As you have written numerous times lately, Joseph Muscat headed the ‘No2EU’ campaign and is surrounded by people who are strongly anti-EU as well. No matter how many times he states that they now embrace the membership, I believe that in truth he remains against it.
The worrying thing is that few people will realise this until it is too late and then we will have a re-run of Alfred Sant’s stint in government. Only this time it won’t be a freezing of Malta’s application for membership.
Honestly I don’t know how easy or difficult is the process of leaving the EU. What I can imagine is the devastating effect it will have on our economy. Then we will really experience some ‘freezing’.
Let us hope that all the people with some sense will do the right thing come the 9th of March.
I am one who criticised the government on various counts over the past five years, but when polling day comes and I have to make my choice, I realise that I have no choice at all but to vote for the PN. They are clearly the party with the nation’s interest at heart with a vision for the future.
And do you think that Dr.Muscat shall not try to find ANY excuse to pull out of the European Union?
One must be coherent and consistent (which he surely is not) and we should all be wary of what he and his mouthpieces DO NOT say and not just what they say.
History has a very bad habit of repeating itself and we shall ALL be on the receiving end of stupid choices made by stupid people or dangerous choices made by dangerous people who never gave a hoot and only ever looked at the long term only for their own narrow interest.
Dr.Muscat promises too much to too many people and another promise like exiting the EU (with maybe Dr.Sant paving the way at the EU parliament) would be no surprise and as Ms.DCG stated, whould be probably done pretty much by stealth and we shall be presented with a ‘fait accompli’.
And then what?
I think Cameron’s position is purely tactical to avoid losing votes to UKIP.
Eventually he’ll forget all the promises after the election.
When eventually the referendum will be held, because he promised, realpolitik will win and with Labour he will campaign for a Yes.
Catalonia and Scotland were informed that if they obtain independence from Spain and the UK respectively, they will not be considered part of the EU, and if they opt to, they need to apply for membership and go through negotiation process.
Originally both region took continued EU membership for granted, in particular Catalonia, whereas they believed that they will simply become a new EU member automatically, which will not the case. This has worried a lot of Catlonians, who are overwhelmingly in favour of the EU.
The amount of comments on this post shows where the people’s worries are.
Muscat is putting up a too-good-to-be-true act and people are losing faith in him.
The typical Maltese would ask: what’s behind all this?
Same applies to the PN: the unwritten message of the PN is that Gonzi will have Simon by his side like Eddie had Gonzi. It is clear that both tandems worked and can work.