Enough with the rubbish about Austria. Austria only does what Malta has been doing for years.
Austria does not have a citizenship sale programme. Let the Labour Party and its parrots repeat the propaganda on their own and don’t fall victim to this level of ignorance and stupidity.
Austria merely does what Malta has been doing for years: conferring citizenship on foreigners in exceptional circumstances of significant contribution to the national economy over many years. There are no fixed criteria and there is no right to ‘apply’. It is entirely up to the government’s discretion.
And that is exactly how it should be: that’s what a significant tie to the country, as Viviane Reding said, really means.
That is why some of those who set up Malta’s largest factories and industries, and who have been operating here since the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, employing thousands between them, have over the course of the years been granted Maltese citizenship and hold dual nationality.
Before they were granted that Maltese citizenship on an entirely discretionary basis, they had lived here for decades, had children here, owned and ran operations which employed armies of people and contributed massively to Malta’s exports, and made their lives here completely.
And when they got those Maltese passports, Malta wasn’t even part of the European Union and their countries were. So they can’t even be accused of the ulterior motive of using a Maltese passport for entry into the European Union.
To compare this with selling passports for hard cash is beyond outrageous. This is what Austria does – what Malta did with some of most laudable exporters, industrialists and employers. It is a tribute and an acknowledgement, and not a product bought.
The parrots are turning the whole thing on its head. Austria grants citizenship on a discretionary basis to those who have operated export businesses in the country for years, and who have contributed greatly to the economy. People do not set up an industrial operation in Austria for the purpose of perhaps obtaining an Austrian passport at the end of it. That is a ridiculous suggestion.
Can people reason logically at all? I’m beginning to despair. Imagine a scenario in which somebody devises an industrial operation, sets up in Austria, works at it for years, investing millions, and all with the single aim of maybe obtaining Austrian citizenship years down the line. For heaven’s sake, people, grow up and think straight. Malta is face-palm hell.
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And then there is the second comparison, Cyprus. The mess last year when effectively the majority of EU states turned their back or threatened to do that on Cyprus’s banks and depositors should serve as a stark warning. With a due respect to our Cypriot friends, they chose dirty Russian money over the EU and when push came to shove, the Russians left them to their own devices and the EU had to help. We are running the risk of going down that road with our tweeting statesman and his coffee habit.
Why has nobody created a more correct tabled comparison to the other schemes, to rebuff the one produced by Cuschieri and reproduced on MaltaToday?
A table which does not abstract all the evident differences under the ‘Term of Investment’ descriptor. I’ve been waiting for this comparison from the opposition, to no avail.
The Opposition couldn’t build a logical and concise argument if its life depended on it (which it does). Instead, it does platitudes.
First we had “kburi li jien Malti” (ergo? Jien minhiex, u xorta kontra.). Then we had some bumfluffery about how they “wish for consensus”, as if any consensus with the devil can be countenanced.
Then we had rather half-hearted and legalistic speeches by PN MEPs, who were published op-eds on trivialities like nude selfies in the midst of this evil of international proportions.
Boy, talk about a sense of timing. And all through the whole thing, there was none of the passion which is essential in stoking up popular support. If you want to win votes, talk from the heart, not the rule-book.
As far as I’m concerned, the leader of the Resistance is Daphne. I hope for our sake the Opposition eventually gets there.
There are such comparisons on some of the websites of firms which compete in the sector with Henley & Something. I had posted links here – but that must be a month or more ago.
Unfortunately, the more time passes, the more I see the ignorance and indolence of the Maltese people.
As opposed to carrying out their own research, they rely on the ignorance and lies of other people.
Malta start thinking with your own mind and stop following the herds.
Spot on. Another completely illogical thought doing the rounds: the MEPs from those countries that have similar schemes (Austria and Cyprus being mentioned most often) attacked the sale of citizenship because of the competition that Malta is now offering.
Rubbish. If they have similar schemes, the last thing they would do is vote in favour of a resolution which condemns such schemes, or encourage the Commission to find ways how to stop Member States from launching such schemes in the future. Why would they risk losing their golden egg?
I wonder if maybe the PN should not start organizing its own elve central, to rebut and counter the brainwashing rampant on certain comment boards.
Totally agree – the PN should have been doing this right after the election was lost to the PL.
The PN should rebut immediately any misconceptions in a concrete and clear manner that all Maltese would understand.
Having to ask questions invariably means that the message has not gone through clearly enough.
Stop acting the goody goody and show some mettle. The PL won the elections through a massive 5-year period, day in day out and even at night time of indoctrination using their media to the maximum.
A massive information campaign must be rolled out.
It’s about time that the Austrian Ambassador clarifies this point. Not that we need clarification.
However, the gullible and the Priviteras who have been blogging about the Austrian-connection for weeks, need clarification.
This includes Cross-Floors-Cyrus who tried to choke us with this falsity this morning on TVM. It seems that lying is contagious in the PL household.
Well, you lie today, you lie tomorrow and the next day and so on – finally people will start believing the lies.
Kevin Plumpton was much more prepared than Cyrus Engerer, down to the details.
Engerer merely repeated Labour’s same old tune “tal-PN qed ixewwxu barra minn Malta.”
Kevin Plumpton’s showing mettle. Can we hear more from him?
No one in Europe sells citizenship – when will people understand this.
When the Priviteras are extinct
People will understand when the matter is very clearly explained. Just elaborate on the citizenship and the difference of issuing residency permits. Most Maltese have not caught on the difference between the two.
[Daphne – That’s a tragic indictment of the level of education in this country, if people can’t distinguish between residents and citizens.]
” That’s a tragic indictment of the level of education in this country, if people can’t distinguish between residents and citizens.”
It is, it is Daphne. Why do you think the country is in such a desperate state?!
Let me expand on the notion of visa vs citizenship: so according to the PL supporters, people who travel extensively such as businessmen and artists get citizenship whenever they exit the EU? Tajba din!
I am not sure that most Maltese are not aware of the difference between citizenship and residence permits. It is the Labour Party, its leaders and its diehard supporters who distort, or pervert, their meaning to justify the IIP.
Unfortunately, by knowing the difference the public, even in its majority, cannot remove Joseph Muscat from his post once they have put him there in the first place, and I do not believe that he is honest enough to admit his mistake and do the honourable thing, – change course or resign.
There are none worse than those who have ears but refuse to hear. But then again, ears are useless unless backed up by the appropriate brain cells.
there is a this link,
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1504966_567270490033504_1721141031_n.jpg
which a lot of people are sharing, can you explain it further…..
because people are saying that the IIP by Malta is not as bad as that of cyprus……
[Daphne – It’s a piece of fiction devised by the Labour Party and distributed in Strasbourg, causing much anger among MEPs.]
Kenneth Zammit Tabona posted it on Facebook as well, asking “Why the fuss”
“it is also possible to acquire Austrian citizenship if you invest substantially in the country. Although this is an established practice, there is no Citizenship-by-Investment program as such and only very few cases are approved each year. Nevertheless, Austria can be a very attractive option for a substantial investor.”
From Henley & Partners’ website –
https://www.henleyglobal.com/citizenship/citizenship-by-investment/
[Daphne – And there you have it.]
I haven’t checked but I’m pretty sure that anyone can acquire Austrian citizenship after 10 years’ continuous residence here, providing that you are not a burden on the state (i.e. have an income or sufficient funds to maintain yourself), have no criminal convictions, knowledge of the language, political system and culture, etc.
Those that make an exceptional (positive) contribution to the country may be granted citizenship without the residence requirement – these are usually sports stars or artists, Anna Netrebko (soprano) is one (though she lives mainly in New York, apparently).
In no way is it possible to buy an Austrian passport for cash, however.
It’s not true. I quote from the above site – “You can directly qualify for citizenship and passport by investment without any residency requirements.”
[Daphne – Tim has lived in Vienna for many years, Axel. And you are quoting a consultancy site using a spiel to attract customers, not Austrian citizenship law.]
What about collecting signatures for a referendum? I believe there had been an initial impetus which was dampened by the PN themselves. Why hasn’t this been allowed to continue?
If it had we might not have had to witness this miserable spectacle and our country’s name wouldn’t have been dragged through the mud.
Forcing the government to an abrogative referendum is the only way to stop this madness.
A referendum would be madness.
If something is wrong, then it should be stopped. Right or wrong are not decided by referendum. Just like the unnecessary and stupid divorce law referendum, which was wrong because you can’t have the people voting on civil rights, if they are indeed rights in the first place.
And the referendum would be won by Labour and its supporters. Joseph Muscat’s approval ratings are at an all-time high. We’re possibly looking at a majority even larger than 36,000.
18-20k of those 36000 would happen to be Nationalists-queasily-turned-Labour, and knowing the horrible mess our salesman is doing, reason ought to have them make the right choices.
If reason exists anymore.
Well then. Stopped by whom?
And which poll shows this all-time high? I haven’t seen anything lately related to that.
Besides, you know what – I’d rather have a referendum and get the scheme passed anyway. That way when the shit hits the fan, the Maltese public will have nobody to blame but their stupid, imbecilic, immoral selves.
I’ve posted this months ago:
A referendum should not determine the fate of a country.
From Isaac Asimov (referring to the US but this is perfectly applicable to Malta).
“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’”
Joe Fenech, tell Asimov he nailed it and that it’s that blasted Peppi Azzopardi’s fault.
And for all those well-meaning citizens asking for a referendum: we already had one. It was a referendum in the institution directly representing and directly elected by the citizens of the union of nation-states whose passport we are selling. And that institution voted overwhelmingly against this madness. I’d say 89% is a pretty overwhelming result.
If it is wrong for us Maltese to sell something that belongs to all of our fellow European brothers and sisters – yes, by god, I’ll be sentimental – then it is also wrong to put the referendum question to ourselves only. Let us have a European-wide referendum. Then yes, that would be the right thing to do.
This ludicrous scheme is intrinsically bad. No referendum result will make any bit of difference to it. This thing stinks and will continue to stink even if all of the population votes for it. Only someone who is amoral and populist would think differently.
Listen, ordinarily I’d agree with Asimov in that a referendum is rarely the best choice.
But in this particular case, it seems to me that it’s the only chance there is of stopping the madness. Am I wrong? What other hope is there? It won’t be stopped in parliament, nor can it be stopped at EU level without far reaching negative consequences for all of us.
[Daphne – That’s not the point. The point is that you should not hold a referendum on something that is fundamentally wrong or fundamentally right: e.g. divorce legislation and selling EU citizenship for cash. These are not matters of opinion, like EU membership and abolishing spring hunting.]
Going for a referendum is a last ditch effort to restore sanity in an insane situation. That’s all. For all I know it may backfire badly, even though in all the polls I’ve seen about the scheme, disapproval ratings are the majority. But even if it does backfire, that would leave us in exactly the same position we are in today anyway.
Investment and commitment earn the RIGHT to apply for citizenship. There is no automatic right of acquisition by payment, whether direct or indirect.
Extract from the Austrian Nationality Act:
Federal Law concerning the Austrian Nationality Act 1985
Grant of nationality
Article 10.
(1) Except as otherwise provided for in the present federal law, nationality may be granted to an alien only if:
1. The alien has lawfully resided in the federal territory for an uninterrupted period of at least ten years, including at least five years as a settled resident;
7. The alien’s livelihood is sufficiently ensured
(3) An alien possessing foreign citizenship may not be granted nationality if he or she:
1. Fails to take the necessary steps to relinquish his or her previous nationality even though such steps are possible and reasonable for the alien, or
2. On the basis of his or her application or otherwise deliberately retains his or her
previous citizenship
(6) (Constitutional provision)
The requirements set out in subparagraphs 1 and 7 of paragraph (1) and in paragraph (3) above shall NOT apply if the Federal Government confirms that the granting of nationality is in the particular interests of the Republic by reason of the alien’s actual or expected outstanding achievements.
[Daphne – EXACTLY. No scheme. And no sale of citizenship or even citizenship by investment. The misinformation all stems from (6).]
Happy to clarify the situation, Daphne.
[Daphne – I think it’s the other way round, Gary, with me clarifying the situation for you. But it’s always best to let a man think it was his idea in the first place, so I’ll let it go.]
Also, another point to bear in mind is that Austria joined the EU in 1995 and the nationality law that allows the granting of discretionary citizenship is dated 1985.
So could say that any Austrian ‘scheme’ was squarely directed at allowing for Austrian citizenship only and not something that was put into place to enable someone to get a EU passport via the back door.
This an extract from the following link – http://www.austria-citizenship.com : “Under the citizenship-by-investment provisions, an applicant is required to engage and invest in the Austrian economy – in the form of a joint venture or a direct investment in a business creating jobs or bring in new science and research to Austria. A minimum investment of several million Euros is expected by the Govt. Passive investments such as government bonds, real estate, etc. generally do not qualify under citizenship provisions.”
A significant difference to what the Maltese government is offering.
I am not beginning to despair, I have got there already.
I just cannot keep up with all the comments on Facebook comparing Joseph Muscat’s scheme to Austria. And sometimes these comments come from people who I thought had some brains.
It is incredible how some people would repeat something without confirming its authenticity.
Residence as means to Spanish citizenship:
According to Spanish legislation any foreigner legally established as a resident in Spain, can apply for Spanish nationality.The required periods of time are different according to the nationality, or other personal circumstances.
You have been a legal resident of Spain for at least 10 years: Allowed to remain a Spanish National, even if the Law that granted him the nationality changes.It means that those who have held a Spanish Nationality for a number of years, and have used it correctly and in good faith, pursuant to a Rule inscribed in the Register, are People concerned must have maintained an active attitude in the possession and use of Spanish Nationality, meaning that they have behaved considering themselves Spanish, both benefiting of their rights and doing their duty towards the Spanish State.
You are a citizen of a Latin American country: Andorra, Portugal, the Philippines, or Equatorial Guinea, or you are of Sephardic descent, and you have been a legal resident of Spain for at least two years.
You have obtained refugee status in Spain and have been a legal resident for at least five years.
You fulfill one or more of the following conditions:
You were born in Spanish territory, you have been married to a Spanish citizen for at least one year, you were born abroad to Spanish parents and/or grandparents, you did not previously exercise your right to Spanish nationality when given the option, you are a widow or widower of a Spanish citizen provided that you were not separated upon your spouse’s death, or you were a ward of the Spanish state for at least two consecutive years.
In addition, you have been a legal resident of Spain for at least one year.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-01-21/news/dont-compare-iip-with-our-schemes-austria-cyprus-3743973376/