In my opinion, the Leader of the Opposition has a lot to explain after Prime Minister Joseph Muscat revealed what Dr Simon Busuttil had said during European Parliament debates in June 2011. I am sure that many of your readers may have missed what Dr Muscat said on Sunday, 19 January in Fgura, when he quoted word for word, in English, what Dr Busuttil had said. I believe it would be of great interest to your readers to see what Dr Busuttil had said in June 2011 and compare to what he is saying today about another subject, which is also the sole competence of a member state, in this case, his own country, Malta!
On 8 June 2011, while addressing the European Parliament during the debate on the Revised Hungarian Constitution, MEP Simon Busuttil said: “Madame President, this debate on the Hungarian Constitution is flawed for two main reasons. It singles out one member state out of 27, and concerns a national issue which falls within the sovereignty of member states. First of all, if we are going to discuss the content of a Constitution of one member state, we should, if anything, debate the Constitutions of each and every member state. Some of the elements that are being contested can, in fact, be found in a number of other Constitutions in other member states, and yet we are only debating the Constitution in one member state. This is wrong.”
“Secondly, one has to ask what power, what competence, do we have to bring the issue of a national Constitution in the European Parliament in the first place? Member states have a sovereign competence for establishing their own national Constitutions, and in this case, we should respect the right of the Hungarian people to determine their own Constitution adopted by the democratically-elected national parliament. The debate we are having today on the content of this Constitution should, if anything, be held amongst Hungarian people, and not in this House. Whether we like it or not, whether we disagree or agree with this national constitution, we should respect the sovereignty and the hierarchy o law, otherwise we would be setting a dangerous precedent.”
“So when we single out a member state, and when we try to act against our competence, we send the wrong signal. We would stand accused of political instrumentalisation, and we would be undermining the trust of citizens on our own Constitution. We should not go down that dangerous road,” concluded Dr Busuttil, then MEP!
I would ask readers to substitute the word “Hungary” for “Malta”. The words “Hungarian Constitution” changed to “Maltese Citizenship”. The word “Constitution” to “citizenship”. The words “Hungarian people” to “Maltese people”. And they will easily realise that what the Leader of the Opposition is saying today on the IIP, is completely the opposite of what he said on 8 June, 2011 in the European Parliament. The only big difference is that in June 2011 he was an MEP, probably without the slightest idea that he would end up as leader of the PN and Opposition leader in 2013. So he could say whatever he genuinely believed to be the right thing to say. While today, as Opposition leader, he has to keep in mind his own party’s and the Opposition’s political interest, besides his personal political career!
Which Simon Busuttil should we give credence to then? The MEP or the Leader of the Opposition?
Eddy Privitera
Mosta