“So now we have it. We Maltese have been called ‘chicken thieves’ by no less than the Italian aide to the Chinese billionaire who allegedly came to Malta to buy our citizenship off the shelf, someone who can afford to buy anything which has a price without bothering about its real value,” PN MEP candidate Helga Ellul said in a statement.

“This comment is, of course, utterly unacceptable, though it should not come as a surprise,” she added, saying that unfortunately, by setting a price to our nationality, “we are sending a message that we’ll do anything for money.  Citizenship is not just about having a passport – it’s about a country’s reputation, the result of hard work by thousands of people along the years. It’s not about supporting the Labour or Nationalist Party - it’s about the pride of a nation.  That same pride we feel when we stick together for the same cause.”

Ms Ellul said that setting a citizenship selling price  also risks attracting customers who could not care less about Malta or the Maltese, but who are simply interested in concluding a deal. 

“It seems that for this Italian gentleman, being Maltese means being chicken thieves. He should be reminded, or rather taught, that this nation has a great history, and, although we may sometimes be divided on the political front, most of us are proud of this history, our accomplishments and achievements - proud to be Maltese.”

Ms Ellul went on to encourage the government to look for alternative sustainable sources of investment. “We cannot simply allow the rich to purchase our pride. Being Maltese has a value.  This can’t be bought,” she said.