It’s becoming difficult to have meaningful conversations with us representatives

Former Prime Minister and Maltese MEP Alfred Sant told a group from the College of Europe in Bruges that due to the perceived or real unpredictability of US President Donald Trump’s policies the Europeans including at the European Parliament were finding it difficult to have meaningful conversations with US representatives who could speak authoritatively about medium and long term perspectives. Dr Sant said that while to the Obama Administration EU-US Relations were based on the idea that the interests of the two sides converged especially on economic and defence policies, as of the Trump Presidency this could no longer be the case.

The Maltese MEP spoke about his experience in the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with the United States, highlighting the new challenges brought by the Trump administration.
The Maltese MEP participated in an exchange of views with students and future young EU professionals from the College of Europe in Bruges. The College of Europe is an independent university institute of postgraduate European studies founded in 1949. It was in the occasion of the Maltese-Arab national week, a themed week where each region of Europe its turn presents its culture and traditions.
Dr Sant as well as MEPs Marlene Mizzi and Francis Zammit Dimech were participating in the event, each of them explaining their work and discussing about their respective delegations.
The meeting ended with an exchange of views with the students.

Maltese Version – L-EWROPEJ QED ISIBUHA DIFFIĊLI JIDDJALOGAW DWAR PERSPETTIVI FUTURI MAL-AMERIKANI

Il-Kap tad-Delegazzjoni Maltija Laburista tal-Parlament Ewropew Dr Alfred Sant qal lil grupp studenti mill-Kulleġġ tal-Ewropa fi Bruges li minħabba l-imprevedibbilita`, perċepita jew reali, tal-politika tal-President Donald Trump, l-Ewropej – inkluż dawk fil-Parlament Ewropew – qed isibuha aktar diffiċli biex ikollhom djalogu ma’ rappreżentanti tal-Istati Uniti li jistgħu jitkellmu b’mod awtoritevoli dwar perspettivi futuri tal-Istati Uniti.

Dr Sant qal li waqt li taħt l-amministrazzjoni ta’ Obama ir-relazzjonijiet tal-UE u l-Istati Uniti kienu bbażati fuq l-idea li l-interessi tat-tnejn kienu qrib xulxin, speċjalment l-interessi ekonomiċi u dawk tad-difiża, taħt il-Presidenza ta’ Trump dan ma baqax il-każ.

L-Ewroparlamentari tkellem dwar l-esperjenza tiegħu bħala parti mid-Delegazzjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew għar-relazzjonijiet bejn l-Istati Uniti u l-UE u semma l-isfidi ġodda li ġabet magħha l-amministrazzjoni ta’ Trump.

Dr Sant ħa sehem fi skambju ta’ ideat ma’ studenti u professjonisti żgħażagħ futuri mill-Kulleġġ tal-Ewropa fi Bruges. Il-Kulleġġ tal-Ewropa huwa istitut universitarju indipendenti għall-istudji Ewropej fil-livell ‘postgraduate’ mniedi fl-1949. L-okkażjoni immarkat il-ġimgħa nazzjonali Maltija-Għarbija, fejn kull reġjun fl-Ewropa ippreżenta l-kultura u t-tradizzjonijiet tiegħu.

Dr Sant, kif ukoll MEP Marlene Mizzi u MEP Francis Zammit Dimech ipparteċipaw f’din l-okkażjoni, fejn spjegaw il-ħidma fid-delegazzjonijiet rispettivi tagħhom.
Il-laqgħa ntemmet bi skambju ta’ ideat mal-istudenti.