Sant iwissi li r-Rapport tal-Parlament Ewropew dwar l-indħil barrani iqis wisq lid-dinja minn perspettiva Ewropea

Il-Kap tad-Delegazzjoni Maltija tal-Partit Laburista fil-Grupp tas-Soċjalisti u d-Demokratiċi tal-Parlament Ewropew Alfred Sant astjena fuq Rapport dwar indħil barrani fil-proċessi demokratiċi kollha fl-Unjoni Ewropea inkluż id-diżinformazzjoni. Huwa saħaq li r-Rapport huwa nieqes minn bilanċ storiku u jenfasizza fuq l-Ewropa filwaqt li jqis il-bqija tad-dinja biss minn perspettiva Ewropea. Dan iqajjem tħassib fost pajjiżi terzi li kienu u għadhom qed jiġu soġġetti għall-indħil tal-Punent fil-affarijiet interni tagħhom.

Alfred Sant qabel li l-indħil minn barra fl-affarijiet interni tal-istati u tal-Unjoni għandu jiġi mmonitorjat u mreġġa’ lura. Madanakollu, huwa fisser riżervi għall-approċċ li qed jiġi propost mill-Unjoni Ewropea. “L-indħil barrani fl-affarijiet interni tan-nazzjonijiet ma bediex ilbieraħ kif timplika r-riżoluzzjoni”. Ilu jsir “legalment” u “illegalment” minn żmien twil ilu mill-Istati Uniti, mill-qawwiet Ewropej u u minn dik li qabel kienet l-Unjoni Sovjetika, huwa sostna.

Indħil barrani fl-Unjoni Ewropea huwa mifhum li jfisser kull indħil illeġittimu minn poteri barranin fil-proċessi demokratiċi u politiċi tal-Unjoni u tal-Istati Membri. Fl-10 ta’ Marzu 2022, il-Parlament Ewropew stabbilixxa Kumitat Speċjali ġdid dwar l-indħil barrani fil-proċessi demokratiċi kollha fl-Unjoni Ewropea, inkluż d-diżinformazzjoni. Dan il-kumitat ingħata x-xogħol li jidentifika l-bażi legali xierqa għal kwalunkwe att legali meħtieġ u biex iħejji l-bażi għal soluzzjonijiet istituzzjonali Ewropej permanenti biex jindirizzaw l-indħil barrani malizzjuż u d-diżinformazzjoni.

Il-MPE Laburista sostna li hemm bosta modi li bihom l-indħil fil-proċessi demokratiċi jista’ jitmexxa minn barra. “Uħud ma jistgħux jiġu ġustifikati bl-ebda mod. Oħrajn jitħaddmu f’linja rqiqa bejn l-ambigwità u n-nuqqas ta’ trasparenza”. Din l-istrateġija tal-aħħar bħalissa qed tiġi applikata mill-Unjoni u l-Istati Membri b’mod pjuttost miftuħ, huwa innota. Alfred Sant saħaq li “fil-passat, gvern Laburista Malti, argumenta kontra l-indħil barrani fil-politika nazzjonali u leġiżla kontriha. Għal dan, ġie iżolat”.

Ir-Rapport ġie adottat b’469 vot favur, 71 kontra u 75 astensjoni.

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Sant warns about eurocentric emphasis in European Parliament Report on foreign interference

The head of the Maltese S&D Labour Party Delegation to the European Parliament Alfred Sant abstained on a Report on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the Union including disinformation. He stressed that the Report lacks historical balance and carries a eurocentric emphasis. This rings false in third countries which have been and are still being subjected to Western meddling in their internal affairs.

Alfred Sant agreed that outside interference in the internal affairs of nation states and the Union should be monitored and rolled back. However, he expressed reservations with the approach being proposed by the European Union. “Foreign interference in the internal affairs of nations did not start yesterday as the resolution implies”. It has been done “legally” and “illegally” since a long time ago by the US, European Powers and the former USSR, he claimed.

Foreign interference in the European Union is understood to mean any illegitimate interference by foreign powers in the democratic and political processes of the Union and Member States. On 10 March 2022, the European Parliament established a new Special Committee on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation (ING2). This committee was given the task to identify ‘the appropriate legal basis for any necessary legal acts’ and for preparing the ground for permanent European institutional solutions to address foreign malicious interference and disinformation.

The Labour MEP stated that there are many ways by which interference in democratic processes can be run from outside. “Some are clearly indefensible. Others are at the margin of being between ambiguous and less than transparent”. The latter strategy currently is being applied by the Union and Member States quite openly, he noted. Alfred Sant emphasized that “in the past, a Maltese Labour Party government, argued against foreign interference in national politics and legislated against it. For this, it was ostracized”.

The Report was adopted with 469 votes in favour, 71 against and 75 abstentions.