Nhar il-Gimgha, 4 ta’ Marzu, 2011, Prof. Edward Scicluna kompla bis-sensiela ta’ diskussjonijiet pubblici bit-tema EJJA U STAQSI bilghan li jzomm lill-kostitwenti aggornati dwar hidmietu fil-Parlament Ewropew. Din kienet is-seba’ “Diskussjoni Pubblika” u saret fic-Centru Laburista tal-Fgura. Il-laqghat isiru kull xahar fuq bazi distrettwali.
Wara indirizz qasir minn Prof. Scicluna l-udjenza tkun mistiedna taghmel il-mistoqsijiet taghha.
Saru mistoqsijiet dwar it-twaqqif ta’ Mekkanizmu ghal Stabbilita Permanenti taz-Zona Ewro. Prof. Scicluna spjega li kif kien propost dan il-mekkanizmu, pajjiz zghir bhal Malta ma setax ikun garantit li jibbenefika minnu, peress li dan il-mekkanizmu jiskatta biss jekk id-diffikultajiet finanzjarji u ekonomici jkunu ta’ theddida ghaz-Zona Ewro bhala haga shiha.
Prof. Scicluna fisser hidmietu biex dan il-provediment jitnehha biex ikun assigurat li jekk tigi fi bzonn Malta tibbenefika minnu.
“Ghax hadt din il-pozizzjoni gejt kritikat fil-Parlament Malti mill-Prim Ministru Lawrence Gonzi ghax, skont hu, kont qed naghti l-impressjoni li Malta xi darba tista’ tigi fi krizi. Li ghamilt kien li insistejt li Malta jkollha garanzija, li hadd ma jixtieq li nigu bzonnha, imma tajjeb li tkun hemm,” qal Prof. Scicluna.
Huwa kkritika lill-Gvern Malti li ma hadimx, u mhux jahdem bizzejjed, biex pajjizna seta bbenefika aktar minn ghajnuna finanzjarja mill-Unjoni Ewropea bil-konsegwenza li dak dovut minna qeghdin inhallsuh fil-pront u dak li nistghu nibbenefikaw minnu mhux nehduh kollu.
Saru mistoqsijiet ukoll dwar is-sitwazzjoni fil-Libja u x’jistghu jkunu r-riperkussjonijiet taghha. Kien mistoqsi wkoll dwar l-ahhar impenn moghti lilu mill-Unjoni Ewropea biex mexxa Missjoni ta’ 120 osservatur ghall-Elezzjonijiet Presidenzjali u Parlamentari li sasru fl-Uganda fit-18 ta’ Frar li ghadda.
Laqghat simili bit-tema EJJA U STAQSI diga’ saru f’Ghawdex, Zurrieq, Rahal Gdid, Gzira, Rabat u Naxxar
Fgura Public Discussion
Labour MEP Prof. Edward Scicluna on Friday, March 4th, continued with his monthly Public Discussions meetings with the constituency based on Electoral Districts’ level.
The last Public Discussion, themed EJJA U STAQSI (Come and Ask), was held at the Fgura PL Centre.
Prof. Scicluna briefed the gathering about his work as an MEP and about missions entrusted to him both by the European Parliament and the European Union, the latest being leading a 120-strong observers’ group on an Observation Mission in Uganda for the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections held last February 18.
Topics brought up by the floor included the setting up of the Permanent Financial Stability Mechanism’s proposal by the EU; Malta’s European Parliament Sixth Seat; and the Libyan crisis.
Regarding the Permanent Financial Stability Mechanism issue Prof Scicluna said that the most important point is to clarify that all Member States, regardless of their size, will be covered by the stability mechanism. Under the proposal agreed by the European Council, the stability mechanism would only be “activated if indispensdable” to “safeguard the euro area as a whole”, ignoring the possibility that smaller countries such as Malta could have debt crisis in the future but not be covered because their size meant there was no danger to the stability of the euro as a whole.
Prof Scicluna said that none of us would want Malta to fall into a spiral of debt and budget deficits, but we must have a legal guarantee of assistance.
“This is what I worked for, and in return I was criticized by Prim Minister Lawrence Gonzi in Parliament because, according to him, I was giving the impression that Malta might someday be in such a situation,” said Prof. Scicluna.
Prof. Scicluna was also critical of the fact the the Maltese Government didn’t avail itself to the full from the EU funds whilst on the other hand Malta had fulfilled its financial obligation to the EU.
The Fgura EJJA U STAQSI event was the seventh of its kind. Others were held in Gozo, Zurrieq, Paola, Gzira, Rabat and Naxxar, all representing different Electoral Districts.