There was a huge abyss between the way a meeting Finance Minister Edward Scicluna had with the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee was reported by the Department of Information, and what actually happened during question-time.

On the one hand, we had the DOI reporting about the “warm welcome” Prof. Scicluna was given during the event and, on the other hand, we had video footage uploaded on the internet by Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola showing the minister in great difficulty to reply to a question on the citizenship scheme the government plans to introduce.

While the eight-minute intervention on the individual investor programme was reduced to just two paragraphs at the end of the press release, saying what we already know, the DOI release reported nothing about Prof. Scicluna’s admission that it had been a mistake to push the scheme through so hastily. Other comments made about Malta lacking people of calibre and that he did not blame MEPs who questioned the citizenship scheme were also left out.

Now, one would not expect a government propaganda machine to highlight the fact that a minister was cornered during a European Parliament meeting. But, given that the clip of the minister’s intervention was already making the rounds on the internet before the government issued its side of the story, the press statement issued by the DOI should have been used to clarify what had taken place, perhaps with a detailed explanation of what the minister intended to say.

As it happened, the DOI statement completely left out the more important points of the minister’s intervention. It was as if the government was trying to hide what had taken place when it should know better, given that today’s technology makes it so much easier for people to get to know what actually takes place. The PBS report later on was a perfect reflection of the DOI statement, and said nothing about the minister’s auto-goals. It was not a surprise.

Having said this, the government must now come forward with an explanation. Four days have passed since the finance minister’s intervention at the EP, and yet we are still waiting for some kind of clarification on the whole issue.

The government may have chosen to remain silent because of its agreement with the Opposition not to disclose developments – if there have been any – taking place on the negotiating table. But, at the same time, this same silence could mean that the government is in full agreement with what was said by Prof. Scicluna.

Or not?