Alfred Sant: L-Unjoni trid tiżgura li l-intrapriżi tagħha jibqgħu kompetittivi fl-Ewropa u lil hinn

Fir-reazzjoni tiegħu għal dibattitu plenarju fil-Parlament Ewropew fi Strasburgu dwar it-tisħiħ ta’ ekonomija kompetittiva għaż-żmien li ġej, l-eks Prim Ministru Alfred Sant innota li s-sejħa għal Ewropa aktar kompetittiva hija b’riżultat tal-pandemija tal-COVID u l-gwerra fl-Ukrajna. 

L-Unjoni adottat strateġija industrijali ambizzjuża mmirata biex tiġġieled it-tisħin globali tal-klima u tikseb trasformazzjoni diġitali radikali. Madanakollu, l-investimenti kbar pubbliċi u privati meħtieġa għal din l-istrateġija waqgħu lura. Għalhekk, Sant saħaq li l-Unjoni Ewropea trid tiżgura li l-intrapriżi tagħha jibqgħu kompetittivi kemm fl-Ewropa kif ukoll barra mill-fruntieri Ewropej.

F’egħluq it-30 anniversarju mit-twaqqif tas-Suq Uniku, il-Kummissjoni Ewropea ppubblikat komunikazzjoni biex tistabbilixxi modi kif tiġi żgurata l-kompetittività fit-tul tal-Unjoni. Il-viżjoni tagħhom hija mibnija madwar disa’ linji ta’ ħidma li jsaħħu lil xulxin fid-direzzjoni li jagħtu: suq uniku li jiffunzjona; – aċċess għal kapital privat u investiment; – investiment pubbliku u infrastruttura; riċerka u innovazzjoni; – enerġija; – ekonomija li taħdem b’sistemi aktar sostenibbli; – id-diġitalizzazzjoni; – edukazzjoni u ħiliet; kummerċ u l-kisba ta’ awtonomija strateġika miftuħa.

Il-MPE Laburista Sant sostna li biex tiffaċċja l-isfida tal-kompetittività l-Unjoni trid tagħżel bejn żewġ alternattivi: mudell globali ta’ suq miftuħ u ħieles jew globalizzazzjoni kontrollata, li  tinvolvi interventi pubbliċi biex tmexxi l-investimenti u ssostni r-rankatura ekonomika. It-tieni għażla ġiet segwita waqt u wara l-Covid. Hi l-aħjar triq ‘il quddiem imma biex tkun effettiva, ma tistax titħaddem biss b’ordnijiet tal-istat minn fuq, enfasizza Sant. “It-twettiq tagħha irid jirriżulta minn esperjenza gradwali fil-protezzjoni u l-promozzjoni tal-impjiegi, kif ukoll fil-ħolqien tal-innovazzjoni”.

Sant irrimarka wkoll li għandhom jiġu stabbiliti modi ġodda ta’ kif il-fondi ta’ assistenza soċjali jintużaw b’rabta mas-swieq tax-xogħol. Dan ikun jeħtieġ ukoll reviżjoni tar-regoli tal-għajnuna mill-istat; aktar ċarezza fl-eżerċizzji mneddija biex tiġi żgurata l-awtonomija strateġika tal-Ewropa; riformi edukattivi u sforzi ġodda biex jinbnew swieq kapitali. Kollha riformi meħtieġa imma se jkun diffiċli ħafna biex jitwettqu tassew, temm jgħid.

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Alfred Sant: Union needs to ensure that its enterprises remain competitive internally and externally

In his reaction to a plenary debate at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on building the competitive economy of tomorrow, former Prime Minister Alfred Sant noted that the call for a more competitive Europe comes in the wake of the COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The Union has adopted an ambitious industrial strategy aimed at countering global climate warming and achieving a radical digital transformation. However, the huge public and private investments required for this strategy have fallen behind. So, Sant emphasized that the European Union needed to ensure that its enterprises remain competitive internally and externally.

On the 30^th anniversary of the Single Market, the European Commission published a communication to set out ways to ensure the Union’s long-term competitiveness. Their vision is built around nine mutually reinforcing axes: a functioning single market; – access to private capital and investment; – public investment and infrastructure; research and innovation; – energy; – circularity; – digitalisation; – education and skills; trade and the pursuit of an open strategic autonomy.

Labour MEP Sant argued that to face the challenge of competitiveness the Union must choose between two options: an open, free market global model or a gated globalization, revolving around public interventions to lever investments and maintain economic momentum. The latter approach adopted during and post-Covid is the best available approach but how to effectively implement it cannot be declared ex cathedra, Sant emphasized. “It must emerge as the result of incremental experience in protecting and promoting jobs, plus in generating innovation”.

Sant remarked further that innovative ways should be put in place to direct the interplay between social welfare funds and labour markets. This will also require a review of state aid rules; greater clarity in exercises launched to secure Europe’s strategic autonomy; educational reforms and new efforts to build capital markets. It is a tall order, he concluded.