EPP president says ‘UK must pay BREXIT bills’
The President of the European People’s Party, Joseph Daul believes that his party has a united front with regards to its position on Brexit, which was triggered yesterday by UK Prime Minister Theresa May.
Addressing a press conference as the EPP Malta congress kicked off, Joseph Daul said that the process following Brexit should not last more than two years. He said that, for the EPP, the largest political family in the European Parliament, the priority remains to protect its citizens.
“We are committed that, during this process, we protect the rights of our citizens. The bill for the withdrawal has to be paid by the British. Similarly, in divorce, the party that decides to leave also has to pay the bills.
“EPP wants to give a better Europe for its citizens. Our objective is to state the vision where to head to in the next decade. We have to be open for those heading for deeper integration and accept the decision for those wanting to leave,” he added.
EPP Secretary General of the EPP Antonio Lopez Isturiz said that EU must do its best to defend the European dream. “We are here to debate the topics which are affecting the EU citizens - immigration, border controls, social justice, Libya and minorities in Northern Ira – and Malta is definitely the right place to do all this.”
Mr Lopez Isturiz has challenged the Socialist party in the European Parliament to organise such a massive gathering. “The socialist family is divided,” he said.
He claimed that the Maltese Prime Minister was making frantic calls to have EPP members visit him for a photo opportunity. “But this is not about photos,” he said. “I remember when Joseph Muscat was campaigning against Malta’s membership of the EU. His opinion changed now. Simon Busuttil’s decisions do not change with the wind,” he said while praising Simon Busuttil’s commitment to the EU.”
Nationalist Party leader, Simon Busuttil, who is hosting the event, said the fact that the congress was being held in Malta for the first time was a sign of trust in him and in the PN.
This congress is coming at a very interesting time, he said. “This is the last year before the general elections in Malta. This congress is also coming at an interesting time for Europe, the state of the reckoning for the UK, but also for Europe. May’s letter will imply significant changes and also needs significant reflection.”
Commenting on Brexit, Simon Busuttil said that this is the result of populism. “But populism is not limited to the UK. Populists speak about problems, but never offer solutions. Populists claim they speak on behalf of the people, we claim we provide solutions for the people.”
He said EPP is supporting his efforts in Malta and promised his commitment to deliver another EPP government.
EPP President Daul complimented the PN leader of the organisation and for leading the Nationalist Party as a great European Partner. Replying to questions by journalists, Mr Daul said that there is a situation in which countries who have expressed their desire to join the EU, are not ready to do so. “We have to be honest and avoid making the same mistake with Turkey. However, when it comes to neighbourhoods, it’s an issue of never say never. What we need to do is see which countries are really interested to live with European values.”
Earlier, while he was addressing the congress, Dr Busuttil said that the moment politicians give up their integrity, they will lose everything.
The PN, he said, brought independence nearly 53 years ago. “It is the party that always had a clear vision for the future. After independence, the PN worked for Malta to enter the EU, as had happened in the largest expansion of the EU back in 2004. That day, it was the PN that had the EU vision for Malta. Against this vision, was the PL, who is today in government. The PL did not want Malta in the EU. Today, 13years after entering the EU, more than 80% of Maltese feel that the decision to join the EU brought significant benefits for the country. We also managed to convince the PL, who today agree that Malta’s place is inside the EU.
“Four years ago, the PN was voted out of government in the last elections. Today we are on the road to re-convince the people to place their trust in this party, as the party which always had a clear vision for Malta.”
PN in a position to challenge the coming elections
“This is a hard road, as the last general election results ended in a huge loss for the PN. We were 12 percentage points behind the PL, which is a big difference. Today that difference is down to less than 3 percentage points, meaning that the PN is in a position to challenge the coming elections.”
He said that a few weeks ago, an EU Parliament delegation from the Pana committee, investigating questions related to the Panama Papers, “and after listening to the Konrad Mizzi case, the Committee led by my colleague Werner Langen, when he heard the case of the company in the secretive jurisdiction of Panama, said that this case is a textbook case of money laundering. This worries me, as my message to you and the EU is that it is not acceptable to have a secret company in Panama. For me, and the PN it is not acceptable.
“While reasoned arguments win in the European Parliament, in local politics emotion wins. Emotion is not wrong, it is the most important thing for a human being,” he said. “People who respect logic and reason must understand that they can win if there is emotion behind it. We need to understand the peoples’ emotions.
“To keep your integrity in politics, especially nationally, which is dominated through passion and political attacks is not easy. It is a challenge to keep your integrity, as you are attacked each day, but whoever is ready to give up their integrity to win politically, then their place is not in politics.
“The moment we give up our integrity we will lose everything.”
A historic day
EPP Chairman Manfred Weber said yesterday was “a historic day, as this will be the first time a member state leaves our community.”
He mentioned the problems of the Mediterranean region, such as migration and Libya. He also spoke of the economic situation and said Malta is doing well, however there are unemployment problems around the Mediterranean region.
He spoke of corruption protests in Romania, and said that this is also a problem in Malta. The only acting minister in the EU on the Panama Papers list is here in Malta. The fight against corruption is essential for us as EPP, he said.
“Dr Busuttil will face elections soon, and it is important to show support for him.”