Last month, a senior Labour Minister informed the European Parliament that Malta lacks people of calibre. So with the government upping the ante about the high-quality applicants it was receiving for the sale-of-passport scheme, it was understandable that the press assembled at MIA to see and stand in awe at the new talent the scheme is attracting.

Now we’ve all heard of marriages of convenience, when foreigners feign love and enter into wedlock with no other intention than getting their hands on a Maltese passport. But here there was not even an attempt to fake the remotest interest. It was also very telling that one of the heavies accompanying the arrival became very annoyed when the cameraman filming refused to sell him the footage. Yes, folks, foreigners are now expected to have their way in our country by throwing a few coppers at the peasants. Sad, isn't it?

A day at the European Parliament: 99% against Muscat’s proposal

Last week’s showdown at the European Parliament should have led the government to a radical re-think on the sale-of-passports scheme. The result of the vote is unusual. Almost 90 per cent of MEPs, from all political families (including the Socialists and Democrats), voted on a motion condemning the sale of passports, leaving Labour’s MEPs in the dubious company of the likes of Marine Le Pen and Bruno Gollnisch.

But instead, Labour decided to train its guns on the two Nationalist MEPs – accusing them of single-handedly being responsible for forcing MEPs’ hands in voting for a motion specifically mentioning Malta. The charge, of course, should not be remotely considered serious. Malta was singled out for a good reason and it’s not because we would be “undercutting” other countries’ prices, as was implied in some parts of the Maltese press.

Urban legend laid to rest: nobody else sells citizenship

The truth is – and it’s time we settled this for good – no other EU country sells its passports. Please don’t post any more links to dubious websites wanting to exploit the desperate demand for an EU passport. The places to call are Foreign Ministries – which is what serious journalists did, directing their inquiries to the ministries of Austria and Cyprus, the two countries which are often mentioned in this regard.

No, came the reply, citizenship is granted only as the result of a substantive investment. And here, “investment” is in no way a euphemism for “contribution to a national fund”, purchase of government bonds or purchase of immovable property which will not be lived in and which will only serve to raise prices further for the local population. No, what is meant by investment is money that creates jobs and that requires a minimal residence. Indeed, who would invest millions in an enterprise and want to keep it more than an arm’s length away? None of these schemes amount to a sale, as does Malta’s.

Let’s speculate then, shall we?

At the moment, there is much buzz in the social media speculating about the real, nefarious motives for the Nationalist Party’s opposition to this scheme. Presumably, we are against it because we did not get this terrific idea first – or the no-strings-attached income the government is expected to make of it.

Well, if we are in such a speculative mood, let’s call an open season, shall we? Let’s also ponder on why this legislation was tabled so early in the life of the Labour government and why it was rushed through Parliament in record time. Let’s even ponder why Labour was ready to cap the number of applicants and make it a one-off sale but not surrender a centimetre on the residence issue (which would have generated more revenue, for example, through income tax). Do you not get the feeling that, behind this scheme, there’s a foreigner who is in a big hurry to get hold of an EU passport and take up residence in an EU country that is not Malta?

A Prime Ministerial outburst in the House

Maybe there is more to Joseph Muscat’s outburst in the House of Representatives earlier this week. For sure, it should worry us all to see the Prime Minister delivering such a rabid and shrill speech, frothing at the mouth and with steam coming out of his ears. But this is not about “scaring away investors”, and the Prime Minister knows it.

A serious investor watches closely the political and business climate of the place of potential investment. He observes changes in the market and technological development. He constantly seeks to transform risks into new opportunities. If not, his investment goes bust. In this case, an applicant pays, picks a Maltese passport whose value is definite and known, and walks away: most probably for good. Goodbye, talent. It was nice to have you for less than 24 hours.