The Malta Independent (6 April) carried a report on Monday’s (4 April) parliamentary sitting quoting the Prime Minister that “the doubts about the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) have come from mistaken interpretations, as from the very beginning the mechanism was intended to help all eurozone countries… doubts had been expressed as to whether Malta could benefit, since the mechanism can be activated in the case of a crisis which puts the eurozone in danger.”

If so, then why did Malta feel the need to join forces with Cyprus in a clear declaration in the Minutes which state that all countries, irrespective of their size, can benefit from the ESM?

I believe that Labour MEP Edward Scicluna was right when he said that the proposal by the European Council on the ESM was legally ambiguous and potentially could have restricted access of small countries to the fund.

Were it not so, the Council would not have accepted to include “a clear declaration in the Minutes which state that all countries, irrespective of their size, can benefit from the ESM.”

Thanks to Labour MEP Edward Scicluna, Malta will not be in a position of contributing to the fund but without having any guarantees to access it should a crisis were to arise.

As it turned out, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s bad mouthing of MEP Scicluna in Parliament way back last February was clearly uncalled for.

Godfrey Zammit

Msida