Former Prime Minister and Maltese MEP Alfred Sant told the European Parliament that should there be any other EU government wishing to exit, it will have learnt the lesson of not doing it the British way. Dr Sant, reacting on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, mentioned the Versailles Treaty of 1918 which tempted the losing side to seek retribution.

“On the one hand, it is clear that the Brexit deal just signed is the only one possible in the circumstances. On the other hand it is equally clear that while the EU has safeguarded all its imperatives, the UK has retreated along all lines of engagement. In part this was because for various reasons, its negotiating positions and strategies were not so coherent.”
Dr Sant said the EU should be wary of driving its negotiating advantages as of now, to the extreme. This might lead to very serious unintended and unforeseeable consequences. In any agreement, a party that goes away with the feeling it has been given a raw deal, will later be tempted or driven to exact some form of compensation or retribution.
“Witness the Versailles treaty, or the Russian position over recent years in reaction to how post-Soviet arrangements in Europe were played out.”
The Maltese MEP remarked that should there be any other EU government wishing to exit, it will have learnt the lesson of not doing it the British way under article 50 procedures. It could for instance first do its best to cause havoc from the inside in order to leverage and strengthen its position during exit negotiations.

Maltese Version – L-UE ĦADET LI RIEDET DWAR BREXIT : NOQOGĦDU ATTENTI!

Il-Kap tad-Delegazzjoni Laburista fil-Parlament Ewropew qal li min għad xi darba jiddeċiedi li joħroġ mill-UE se jkun tgħallem il-lezzjoni tal-Brexit u jieħu triq oħra flok il-metodu tal-Gvern Brittaniku. Dr Sant, waqt dibattitu dwar l-irtirar tar-Renju Unit mill-UE fil-Parlament Ewropew, semma l-eżempju tat-Trattat ta’ Versailles tal-1918 fejn in-naħa li tmur ħażin tispiċċa tpattiha lura.

“Fuq naħa, huwa ċar li l-ftehim tal-Brexit li għadu kif ġie ffirmat, huwa l-uniku wieħed possibbli taħt dawn iċ-ċirkustanzi. Min-naħa l-oħra bl-istess mod huwa ċar li waqt li l-UE ħadet ħsieb l-interessi kollha tagħha, ir-Renju Unit irtira minn kull front ta’ ingaġġ. Fost raġunijiet oħra dan ġara għax il-pożizzjonijiet ta’ negozjar u l-istrateġiji tiegħu ma kinux daqstant koerenti.”

L-MEP Malti qal li l-Unjoni Ewropea ma għandhiex timmanuvra lejn l-estrem il-vantaġġi li għandha bħala negozjatur. Dan jista’ jwassal għal konsegwenzi serji, imprevedibbli u mhux intenzjonati.

“Waqt ftehim, il-parti li titlaq bis-sentiment li ngħatat ftehim xott, aktar tard titħajjar titlob xi forma ta’ kumpens. Ħarsu lejn it-trattat ta’ Versailles tal-1918, jew il-pożizzjoni Russa tul fi snin riċenti wara l-ismantellar tal-Unjoni Sovjetika fl-Ewropa.”

Dr Sant qal li jekk ikun hemm xi gvern ieħor tal-UE li jitħajjar joħroġ mill-UE, issa tgħallem li ma għandux jimxi mal-mudell Brittaniku, taħt il-proċeduri ta’ artiklu 50. Jista’ minflok pereżempju jagħmel l-aħjar li jista’ biex iqajjem rebus minn ġewwa l-UE biex ikun jista’ jimmanuvra u jsaħħaħ il-pożizzjoni tiegħu waqt in-negozjati tal-ħruġ.

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