PN’s reaction against Article 7 shows party in disarray - Muscat

The Nationalist Party’s statement against the suspension of Malta’s voting rights in the EU was testament to the state of disarray it was in as it was now contradicting the position taken by its own MEPs, the Prime Minister said on Sunday. “I was left baffled how the PN came out against calls to invoke Article 7 with guns blazing... there was no need for such extreme measures,” Joseph Muscat said. “The fact that the PN is now taking such position shows that it is not believing what it [its own MEPs] is saying, and acknowledging that this [criticism by PN MEPs] is just cheap partisan propaganda, he said. The Prime Minister made these remarks when addressing a political activity in Ħamrun. Dr Muscat was reacting to the call made a few days ago by Greens MEP Sven Giegold for the European Union to invoke Article 7 against Malta. Such a measure would result in a member state being denied certain rights such as voting, and would also affect EU funding opportunities. Mr Giegold made this call after the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption watchdog said that Malta’s criminal justice system was at risk of paralysis. In a statement issued a few days ago, the PN condemned this call, saying...