(Strasbourg) “This situation cannot go on forever”. On opening the session in Strasbourg, Joseph Muscat, Malta’s Prime Minister, gave a speech to sum up the results of his six months at the helm of the Council of Europe. He addressed several issues at the European Parliament, but migration was the main focus of his speech. Muscat pointed out that “effective solidarity is required” Europe-wide, “to manage this phenomenon together”. Italy, Malta and Greece cannot be left alone, just because they are geographically most exposed to the Mediterranean Sea and the areas which the big flows come from, i.e. Africa and the Middle East. Muscat recalled that “emergency mode cannot go on forever”, an effective planned “European response”, “based on the values of Europe”, is required instead. “EU membership – the Maltese Prime Minister added – does not mean adhering to just some of our values, it means adhering to all of them, including solidarity”. This reminder is addressed to the northern and eastern countries that have not pulled their weight yet in rehoming migrants and in opening their doors to new migrants, while Italy, Greece and Malta “are on their last legs”. Muscat also insisted “on the need to regulate the efforts of the NGOs” that work to save lives in the Mediterranean Sea, “with clear, equal rules of engagement for everyone”. Lastly, a word about Brexit, “a disastrous creature, a painful divorce that millions of European citizens will have to endure. So, let’s make sure there will be no new divorces from now on”.