Alfred Sant accuses PN of plotting to undermine Maltese presidency of the European Council

Labour MEP says after Brincat’s floundering in EP, Nationalists ‘only interested in puerile political calculation and not country’s integrity’

Alfred Sant is claiming the Nationalist Opposition is ready to undermine the Maltese Presidency of the European Union in the same way it ensured Brincat was voted against in the European Parliament.
Alfred Sant is claiming the Nationalist Opposition is ready to undermine the Maltese Presidency of the European Union in the same way it ensured Brincat was voted against in the European Parliament.

Former Labour prime minister Alfred Sant is insisting that the Nationalist Party played a direct role in influencing European People’s Party MEPs to vote against the nomination of Leo Brincat to the European Court of Auditors.

The MEP said that he had met the head of the Nationalist delegation at the European Parliament, David Casa, whom he says told him that he expected Brincat to be considered on political and financial merits. “So much so that Mr Casa had organised meetings between Leo Brincat and various EPP MEPs,” Sant said.

Sant said that EPP members were impressed by his professional integrity in politics and finance.  “But the Brexit result eventually brought about the postponement of Brincat’s hearing after the summer recess. It was during this period that MEPs were given damaging information linking Brincat to the Panama scandal,” Sant said.

The MEP said it was clear during the first vote in the budgetary control committee that the EPP had changed their attitude towards Leo Brincat.

“Two days later, Casa confirmed this with [me] saying was because of the Panama story. He said that he had managed to get the EPP to postpone their decision till the following Monday so they could perhaps moderate their views on the matter.

“However, two days later Casa passed on the message that the PN itself had decided for its MEPs to vote against the nomination of Leo Brincat at the European Parliament. This inevitably confirmed that the EPP would vote against the Brincat nomination, forcing other political families to do the same not to be outflanked by the EPP on a matter as explosive within the European Parliament as the Panama Papers scandal.”

Brincat was turned down by over 350 MEPs, which also included socialists, liberals, communists and greens apart from the EPP’s 215 members.

Sant is claiming the Nationalist Opposition is ready to undermine the Maltese Presidency of the European Union in the same way it ensured Brincat was voted against in the European Parliament.

“The Nationalist Opposition is only interested in its puerile political calculations and does not care about the integrity of our country. Brincat’s vote reminded me when 30 years ago as President of the Labour Party I witnessed a campaign of misinformation by the Opposition at the European Council aimed at denigrating the Maltese government and Malta’s image abroad.”