Defiant Muscat Is Eager To Show MEPs What A ‘Fantastic’ Country Malta Is
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said he has no qualms about an upcoming corruption and rule of law fact-finding visit to Malta by a group of MEPs, describing the visit as a chance for investigators to see with their own eyes “what a fantastic country” Malta is.
“I will speak to my friends in the European Parliament who will visit Malta with a sense of serenity,” he said at a political event in Rabat. “I invite them to come over to see what a fantastic country we are, to see all the wealth we have, to see why we are going to become the envy of the world.”
Muscat has found himself under the cosh since the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, with civil society activists urging him to sack the police commissioner and Attorney General, and the Opposition demanding the Prime Minister’s own resignation. Another protest demanding justice for Caruana Galizia’s murder will be held in Sliema this afternoon.
Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt, who chairs the ALDE group, said MEPs have decided to investigate Malta after speaking to Daphne Caruana Galizia’s three sons.
“Their account of the situation in Malta was shocking,” Verhofstadt said. “Corruption appears to be a profitable business model there.”
However, Muscat appeared fully confident in front of his supporters this morning – saying he is ready to meet up with protestors who are camping outside Castille and claiming the Nationalist Party’s aggressive strategy in the wake of Caruana Galizia’s murder will backfire spectacularly.
Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt has warned corruption is a profitable business model in Malta
“The Maltese people of goodwill are united in safeguarding Malta from damage overseas because they love this country, and the PN is making the same mistakes it had committed before the last election,” Muscat said. “Do they think Maltese people and businesses appreciate it when they see them spreading lies about Malta abroad? When people sit down for lunch with their families this afternoon and go to work tomorrow, they will realise that [the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia] isn’t the Malta they know.”
“Those who are portraying the image that the murder reflects what Malta has become are completely out of sync with the people and this strategy will backfire in their faces. We are being silently judged by people by what we say and do and by what we don’t say and do, and I am more convinced than ever that the people are united around this movement.”
“Those who are portraying the image that the murder reflects what Malta has become are completely out of sync with the people”
Joseph Muscat
Muscat warned criticism aired at Maltese institutions will only serve to damage the institutions themselves. For example, he noted Attorney General Peter Grech can only be removed if two-thirds of Parliament vote to remove him on grounds of proved misbehaviour.
“This is stated black and white in the Constitution and I would have expected far more from the PN given it is packed to the brim with lawyers,” he said. “There is no grounds for misbehaviour upon which to remove the Attorney General, and if we were to follow the Opposition’s advice then we would be discarding the rule of law entirely by subjecting it to the whims of politicians.”
In his speech, Muscat also called on the Opposition to get around the table so as to discuss Constitutional reform with the aim of strengthening the country’s institutions.
“If there’s one thing that disappoints me it’s that the debate on Constitutional reform hasn’t started yet,” he said.
Labour MEP Miriam Dalli warns PN playing a dangerous game in Europe
The event was also addressed by Labour MEP Miriam Dalli, who delivered an impassioned warning to the crowds on the tactics which the PN is employing in the European Parliament.
“They are using a tragedy to try and damage the country and are playing in the hands of MEPs who want to destroy Malta’s taxation system and stagnate our economy,” she said. “The PN MEPs either don’t realise this or simply don’t care, but why they don’t realise is they’re not just damaging Labour but the entire country and the lives of each and every one of us.”
She added it was ironic Romanian MEP Monica Macovei has called on the entire Maltese government to resign in the wake of Caruana Galizia’s herself when she herself had said, back when she was Romania’s justice minister, that journalists had no right to criticise her.
“Whenever PN MEPs propose a discussion on Malta, it’s always done to ensure maximum damage, with the aid of other MEPs who have an interest in attacking Malta’s financial institutions and economy. Some large European countries know Malta’s competitive taxation system has been approved by the European Commission, but they would rather use bullying tactics against us then lower their own taxes.”
Dalli pledged to keep on fighting in favour of Malta, along with fellow Labour MEPs Alfred Sant and Marlene Mizzi, “even if we’re the last three people standing”.
Will Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination lead to serious repercussions for Malta overseas or will this all just fade away? Tell us your views in the comments’ section
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