Editorial: Scrap embarrassing golden passports

The government has again shown that it is inept in dealing with the crucial issue of restoring the country’s damaged reputation in the eyes of the international community.
The golden passports scheme is not a niche issue. It goes to the heart of European values, especially now the European Union is experiencing threats to its security.
It is no surprise that 595 MEPs last week voted in favour of a resolution to call for a ban on citizenship-by-investment schemes in the EU and calling on the European Commission to adopt legislation.

It is embarrassing for Malta that four Labour Party MEPs went against the will of the S&D group and voted against the resolution. Their stubborn denial of the damage being caused to Malta’s reputation puts in doubt their social democratic credentials.
Prime Minister Robert Abela and Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship Alex Muscat, the ardent promoters of the passport scheme, resorted to semantic arguments to justify their intransigent stance in defending it.
Muscat claimed that the scheme is in fact not a golden passport scheme.
Following its suspension for Russian and Belarusian nationals, Abela contended that this was not a U-turn but “rather...