Viviane Reding speaking at the European Parliament last week. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

The extraordinary attack by Viviane Reding on Malta, in her speech on citizenship, is an indication of why so many people want to reform the European Commission since some of the commissioners seem incapable of rational reasoning.

Redding says citizenship should not be for sale and according to international law (which law?) there should be a genuine link to the EU or the country concerned.

She has in the past had to apologise to France after criticising their repatriation of the Roma back to their own countries, likening it to the German deportations of World War II.

Because of EU politics and the European Court of Human Rights, the difference between asylum seekers and economic migrants has been completely blurred and now hardly exists.

Tony Blair in the UK let in three to four million migrants. The majority were economic, placing an enormous benefits burden on the country. Some of them have gone off to fight with the Jihadists in Syria and Afghanistan. This is also a problem in other European countries, which issued 780,000 passports to immigrants in 2011.

If one country, the UK, is able to admit four million of these poverty-stricken people, or 6.5 per cent of the population, what is the argument against Malta allowing 1,800 wealthy, economic migrants (0.5 per cent of the population) who will contribute to the well-being of the people of the island, by investing substantially for their citizenship and not getting it for free?

In Belgium, upwards of €300,000 gives immediate residency and free travel in the Schengen area. Citizenship can be applied for after three years, with no requirement to reside in Belgium at all.

Why is Malta castigated when the only difference between Malta and Belgium is the time taken to obtain citizenship?

Reding’s speech at the European Parliament is typical of meaningless statements that in no way describe the present reality, that is, most European countries provide residency and citizenship for wealthy investors.