It-tkabbir mgħaġġel tal-UE wassal għal diverġenzi politiċi u ekonomiċi

Alfred Sant qasam il-fehmiet tiegħu dwar l-istat attwali tal-UE waqt dibattitu fil-Parlament Ewropew fl-okkażjoni tas-70 anniversarju tad-Dikjarazzjoni ta’ Schuman.

L-Istati Membri tal-UE illum huma dejjem inqas kapaċi jaqblu dwar oqsma ta’ politika settorjali konkreti, li għalihom l-Unjoni għandha mill-inqas kompetenza parzjali. Fost dawn: l-immigrazzjoni; l-ibbaġitjar fit-tul tal-Unjoni; it-tmexxija finanzjarja taż-żona ewro; in-negozjati mar-Russja u l-Istati Uniti; l-istrateġija ta’ trażżin u rkupru fir-rigward tal-pandemija tal-koronavirus; u dalwaqt possibbilment il-kwistjoni dwar il-ftehim finali mar-Renju Unit wara l-Brexit.

Id-Dikjarazzjoni ta’ Schuman, ippreżentata mill-Ministru tal-Affarijiet Barranin Franċiż Robert Schuman f’Mejju 1950, ipproponiet il-ħolqien ta’ Komunità Ewropea tal-Faħam u l-Azzar. Din kienet l-ewwel minn serje ta’ istituzzjonijiet Ewropej supranazzjonali li fl-aħħar wasslu lejn  l-Unjoni Ewropea tal-lum.

Alfred Sant iddikjara li l-premessa ċentrali tagħha kienet li l-Ewropa tista’ tkun magħquda b’mod paċifiku billi tikkonċentra fuq miżuri konkreti pass wara pass li tippermetti konverġenza bejn l-ekonomiji nazzjonali tagħha permezz tat-twaqqif ta’ suq komuni uniku.

L-interessi nazzjonali u reġjonali jiġu kkunsidrati b’riżultat ta’ koperazzjoni f’oqsma differenti li wasslu lejn acquis Ewropew kondiviż. Għalkemm irnexxiet ħafna, din l-istrategija kienet fundamentalment rifjutata fid-disgħinijiet, wara l-waqgħa tal-Unjoni Sovjeika.

“L-approfondiment u t-tkabbir ta’malajr saru l-ordni tal-ġurnata, xi kultant b’mod eġemoniku. L-approfondiment permezz taż-żona ewro kif wkoll tax-Schengen tħalla nofsu lest ”qal Alfred Sant.

Robert Schumann ma kienx jieħu gost b’dak li ġara. Imxejna wisq ‘l bogħod mill-istrateġija li kien stabbilixxa.

 

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Fast enlargement of the EU led to political and economic divergences

Alfred Sant shared his views about the current state of the EU during a debate in the European Parliament on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration.

EU Member States find themselves increasingly unable to agree on concrete sectoral policies, for which the Union has at least partial competence. Among them: migration; long term Union budgeting; eurozone financial management; dealings with Russia and the US; a containment and recovery strategy vis-à-vis the coronavirus pandemic; and soon possibly a final solution with the UK post-Brexit.

The Schuman Declaration, presented by French foreign minister Robert Schuman in May 1950, proposed the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community. This was the first of a series of supranational European institutions that would ultimately become today’s European Union.

Alfred Sant stated that its central genial premise was that Europe could be peacefully united by concentrating on concrete step-by-step measures to enable convergence between its national economies via the establishment of a single common market.

National and regional interests would be taken into account in a detailed give-and-take, creating a shared European acquis. Though very successful, this approach was fundamentally rejigged in the 1990’s, following the collapse of the USSR.

“Rapid deepening and enlargement became the order of the day, sometimes run in a hegemonic manner. The deepening such as with the eurozone but also Schengen was left half done” Alfred Sant said.

Robert Schumann would not have been amused. We have gotten far away from the strategy he set.