For one nationalist MEP busy plagiarising journalists and EU Commission pages there’s another who is busy asking relevant questions of our representatives in the national parliament. Writing in today’s Times EPP MEP Simon Busuttil asks why Malta’s parliamentarians do not submit reactions to the proposals generated by the European Commission. Simon describes the situation as disconcerting and he is right.
The laws that will eventually get through in Bruxelles after scrutiny by the EP are more often that not rules that require implementation in Malta and once they become EU legislation there is not much national parliamentarians can do except have a righteous whinge about it all. We all know that the Maltese MP’s are very good at the charade of “My hands are tied by the EU laws and there is nothing I can do about it”. What we are also learning is that they are doing F-all about new proposed legislation. You see, it’s not just the Six Magnificent Men who represent us in the EP that do the job of scrutinising the proposed legislation (when they are not busy cutting and pasting). It’s also national parliaments that are involved in the legislative process.
It’s all well and good to criticise the detachedness one feels from the “eurocrat” stereotype that is all too often trumpeted in the media. Thanks to Simon’s whistleblowing of sorts we now know that our MP’s on both sides of the divide are not doing much to bridge that gap.
As a footnote it is important to notice that this kind of preparation applies for all institutions of government and state. Just as the Maltese parliament would need a liaison office in Brussels to monitor legislation, thus also the Courts would need a proper unit within the courts to assist judges when making preliminary references to the ECJ. Joining Europe was an (inevitable) dream. Keeping up the pace with our 26 peers is an altogether different game.
Even Simon Says So!
