There is consensus that citizenship is a matter within each member state’s competence. Each country has this right. A right further strengthened by the subsidiarity principle enshrined in the European treaties. But this is not all.

The EU treaties do not only grant us rights. There are also obligations. One such obligation emanating from the treaties is the principle of sincere cooperation, also referred to as the loyalty principle. It does not make sense to ignore the impacts of a decision taken by one country especially in those areas where such a decision can lead to rights in other European Union member states.

The sale of citizenship and passports by the Maltese government runs counter to this loyalty principle. A Maltese passport grants the holder freedom of movement, rights to residence and employment across the European Union. This impacts on other member states. That’s why the loyalty and cooperation obligations arise. This was stated by ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo when addressing a press conference in Valletta this morning together with Deputy Chairperson Mario Mallia.

Mario Mallia said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought to the fore the risks of the sale of citizenship. The scheme has continued to attract persons who have been involved in tax evasion, money laundering and organized crime. A number of these have been identified and their names published after they had already purchased their new citizenship. Moreover, the scheme has encouraged land speculation where vacant buildings stand in for so-called residences for people who rarely visit Malta. The basic principle is that citizenship and the protection and privileges that come with it should not be granted on the basis of their purchasing power.

ADPD – The Green Party is the only political party in Malta that has consistently and unequivocally insisted since the scheme’s launch in 2014 that granting EU citizenship against payment or investment is unacceptable. Malta remains the only Member State to run such a scheme. The government has obstinately carried on in spite that other countries have suspended and scrapped their schemes. This has led the European Commission to take Malta to the Court of Justice – which was another blow to our country’s reputation, insisted Mallia.

Cacopardo said the fact that persons close to both the Partit Laburista and the Partit Nazzjonalista, including the current Prime Minister Robert Abela, have benefitted unashamedly from the sale of Maltese citizenship may explain why the government has been dragging its feet and continues to bring our country to disrepute worldwide.

In spite of government’s declarations that the so called ‘necessary changes’ to the 2014 original scheme were carried in 2020, it is evident that this was simply a case of window dressing. No matter how many changes are made to the passport sales scheme, this remains unacceptable in principle. As had been stated in the European Parliament report, EU citizenship is not for sale.

It is also pertinent to point out that prior to the last election Bernard Grech and the PN avoided taking a clear position. Moreover it had been stated that the money generated by such a scheme could be useful if there was transparency in the granting of passports. This only means that the PN is also willing to sell principles for cash!

The sale of citizenship scheme is intrinsically wrong and should be terminated immediately. An ADPD – The Green Party Member of Parliament would have immediately presented a motion asking for its termination. No current MP is currently willing to submit such a motion, concluded Cacopardo.

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Il-bejgħ taċ-ċittadinanza jkompli jagħmel ħsara lil pajjiżna

Naqblu li fl-UE iċ-ċittadinanza hi materja riżervata għall-istati membri. Kull pajjiż għandu dan id-dritt. Dan hu rinfurzat bil-prinċipju tas-sussidjarjetà fit-trattati Ewropej. Dan imma ma jirriflettix l-istorja kollha.
It-trattati tal-Unjoni Ewropeja ma’ jagħtuniex biss drittijiet. Hemm ukoll dmirijiet. Wieħed minnhom huwa dak magħruf bħala l-prinċipju ta’ lealtà li t-trattati Ewopej jirreferu għalih bħala obbligu ta’ kooperazzjoni (principle of sincere cooperation). Ma jagħmilx sens li kulħadd jimxi għal rasu, b’mod partikolari f’dawk l-oqsma fejn deċiżjoni fi stat tista’ toħloq drittijiet fi stati oħra fl-Unjoni Ewropea.

Il-bejgħ taċ-ċittadinanza u l-passaporti, kif qed jagħmel il-Gvern Malti jmur kontra dan il-prinċipju ta’ lealtà. Nafu li l-passaport Malti jagħti dritt ta’ moviment, dritt ta’ residenza u dritt ta’ xogħol f’kull rokna tal-Unjoni Ewropeja. Hemm impatt konsiderevoli fuq l-istati l-oħra membri tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Għalhekk hemm l-obbligu tal-lealtà u l-kooperazzjoni.  Dan qalu ċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo meta indirizza konferenza stampa l-Belt Valletta dalgħodu flimkien mad-Deputat Chairperson Mario Mallia.

Mario Mallia qal li il-gwerra tar-Russja kontra l-Ukrajna, ħarġet fil-beraħ il-perikli tal-bejgħ taċ-ċittadinanza. L-iskema kienet, u tibqa’, kalamita għal persuni involuti fl-evażjoni tat-taxxa, tal-ħasil tal-flus u tal-kriminalità organizzata. Filfatt numru minnhom inqabdu u isimhom ixxandar, iżda wara li kienu diġa xtraw iċ-ċittadinanza. Barra minn hekk, din l-iskema qed tintuża biex taġevola lill-ispekulaturi tal-art, u biex bini jitħalla vojt għax taparsi ‘residenza’ ta’ persuni li qajla jersqu lejn Malta. Dan apparti l-prinċipju bażiku li ċ-ċittadinanza u l-protezzjonijiet u l-privileġġi li din ġġib magħha m’għandhomx jingħataw fuq bażi ta’ kemm wieħed jiflaħ iħallas.

Ta’ min isemmi li aħna l-uniku partit politiku f’Malta li mill-bidu u mingħajr logħob bil-kliem sa mill-2014 sħaqna li l-bejgħ taċ-ċittadinanza bi tpartit ma ħlas jew investimenti huwa inaċċettabbli. Malta baqgħet l-uniku Stat Membru li għadu jopera skema bħal din. Il-Gvern għadu jgħaddas rasu, minkejja li pajjiżi oħra jwaqqfu l-iskemi tagħhom. Dan wassal biex il-Ħamis li għadda il-Kummissjoni Ewropea ddeċidiet li tressaq lil Malta quddiem il-Qorti tal-Ewropea tal-Ġustizzja – pass li minnu nnifsu jkompli jtappan ir-reputazzjoni ta’ pajjiżna, sostna Mallia.

Il-Perit Cacopardo qal li l-fatt li diversi persuni viċin kemm tal-Partit Laburista kif ukoll tal-Partit Nazzjonalista, inkluż il-Prim Ministru attwali Robert Abela, gawdew mill-iskema tal-mistħija tal-bejgħ taċ-ċittadinanza Maltija jista’ jispjega għaliex il-Gvern għadu qed ikaxkar saqajh u ma waqafx iħammrilna wiċċna mad-dinja kollha.

Minkejja d-dikjarazzjonijiet tal-Gvern li l-bidliet ‘meħtieġa’ fl-iskema oriġinali tal-2014 daħlu fis-seħħ fl-2020, issa huwa ċar li t-traqqiegħ tal-pannu bil-qara’ aħmar huwa biss bżar fl-għajnejn. Irrispettivament minn kemm jinbidlu r-regoli dwar l-iskema tal-bejgħ tal-passaporti, din tibqa’ mhux aċċettabbli fil-prinċipju. Kif jingħad fir-rapport tal-Parlament Ewropew iċ-ċittadinanza Ewropea mhix għall-bejgħ.

Ta’ min ifakkar ukoll li qabel l-elezzjoni Bernard Grech u l-PN ma ħadux pożizzjoni ċara. Kien ġie emfasizzat mill-PN li l-flus jistgħu jkun utli kieku l-iskemi jkunu trasparenti. Dan ifisser li l-PN ukoll dispost li jbiegħ il-prinċipji għall-flus.

L-iskema tal-bejgħ taċ-ċittadinanza hija intrinsikament  ħażina, u għalhekk għandha tispiċċa minnufih. Membru Parlamentari ta’ ADPD – The Green Party fil-Parlament kien minnufih jippreżenta mozzjoni biex l-iskema tispiċċa. Bħalissa m’hemm ħadd fil-Parlament li kapaċi jippreżenta tali mozzjoni, temm jgħid Cacopardo.