Malta needs the best European solutions that suit it best

Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant said that the challenge now is to understand what the realities are and to push for the best European solutions that would also be best for Malta. From our perspective, these would have to include first and foremost, an economic policy in the euro zone that allows small states enough flexibility to generate investment and jobs. Unfortunately the tendency has been for one size fits all policies to be adopted. That this happens is routinely denied; but when it does not take place frontally, a sideways creep in that direction is always on. This can be seen in the application of state aid policies, the budgetary constraints under eurozone rules, the banking union and now, the growing push for convergence in taxation.
Dr. Sant was addressing a large audience at Il Cortile Farmhouse Naxxar in a conference entitled ‘What Malta expects from Europe’ organised by the S&D Group. Dr. Sant said that during the past year, Europe has been facing a series of crises: the problems with Russia over Ukraine; the stagnation that has persisted in European economies; the eurozone crisis over Greece; the immigration waves coming first from Africa, then from Syria; the terrorist menace. In all this, the EU has been having to react to events and was not in control of the agenda. Many have been questioning the policies that were implemented in Europe over the years, claiming they have been a disaster. Extreme right parties are on the ascendant. Others however insist that what we need is more Europe, a continent that can respond to problems on a wide front.
Given this background, realistically what expectations should the Maltese people have about Europe? Many of our coutrymen were led to believe that joining the EU would automatically provide us with the best options for the future. It is no longer worthwhile to question whether this was the only and best way forward; it was not.
Secondly, it is in Malta’s interest for the EU to overcome the problem of widespread youth unemployment. If this persists, it will have wide ranging spill over effects, that could affect us adversely both economically and socially.
Thirdly, we need to see a functioning digital policy applying all over Europe from which our entrepreneurs and young people can benefit. At the moment as Maltese, we still are hazy about what in practice would be the best formulation for such a policy.
Fourthly, it would be also in Malta’s interests for the EU to adopt a firm and coherent policy on immigration and the granting of asylum. Open door approaches are not viable; but this should not mean either, the adoption of illiberal policies. A new balance has got to be found, and the burdens this will bring in its wake need to be fairly distributed among member states.
In fifth place, before further efforts are carried out to introduce “more” Europe, a coolheaded assessment should be made of the state of Europe as of now. Otherwise the risks of an implosion of the Union will increase in the future – which would not be in Malta’s interests. Such an assessment however should not be left uniquely in the hands of politicians and experts, almost born and now bred in Brussels, who have come to have a vested interest in “more” Europe.

Maltese Version – MALTA TEĦTIEĠ L-AQWA SOLUZZJONIJIET LI JAQBLU GĦAĊ-ĊIRKOSTANZI TAGĦHA

Il-Kap tad-delegazzjoni Maltija Alfred Sant qal li l-ikbar sfida issa hija li nifhmu x’ihuma r-realtajiet u naħdmu favur l-aħjar soluzzjonijiet għall-Ewropa u anki għal Malta. Mill-perspettiva Maltija, l-aħjar soluzzjonijiet għandhom jinkludu qabel kollox politika ekonomika fiż-żona ewro li tħalli biżżejjed flessibilita` lil stati membri ċkejkna biex jiġġeneraw l-investiment u l-impjiegi. Sfortunatament, it-tendenza s’issa kienet ta’ politika ‘one-size-fits all’. L-Unjoni dejjem tiċħad li twettaq politika ta’ dan it-tip; imma jekk din il-politika ma tgħaddix mill-bieb, dejjem narawha dieħla mqar mit-tieqa. Politika ‘one-size-fits all’ tidher fl-applikazzjoni tar-regoli tal-għajnuna tal-istat, kontrolli fil-baġits bir-regoli taż-żona ewro, l-unjoni bankarja u issa, il-ġibda lejn il-konverġenza fit-taxxi.
Dr Sant kien qed jindirizza udjenza kbira f’Il Cortile Farmhouse Naxxar f’konferenza bl-isem ta’ ‘X’qed jistennew il-Maltin mill-Ewropa’ organizzata mill-grupp tas-Soċjalisti u Demokratiċi (S&D). Dr Sant qal li matul din is-sena, l-Ewropa ffaċċat għadd ta’ kriżijiet: il-problemi mar-Russja dwar l-Ukraina; staġnar kontinwu fl-ekonomiji Ewropej; il-kriżi taż-żona ewro minħabba l-Greċja; il-mewġ ta’ immigranti li l-ewwel bdew ġejjin mill-Afrika, imbagħad bdew ġejjin mis-Sirja; it-theddida tat-terroriżmu. F’dan kollu, l-Unjoni Ewropea setgħet biss tirreaġixxi għal dak li qed iseħħ u ma kinitx fil-pożizzjoni li tiddeċiedi hi. Ħafna jemmnu li l-politika fl-Ewropa matul is-snin kienet diżastruża. Il-partiti tal-lemin estrem qed jikbru. Madanakollu, ħafna jinsistu li hemm bżonn ta’ aktar Ewropa, kontinent li jista’ jirrispondi għall-problemi fuq livell mifrux.
F’din ix-xena, x’qed jistenna verament il-poplu Malti mill-Ewropa? Ħafna Maltin waslu biex emmnu li sħubija mal-UE kienet tfisser awtomatikament l-aħjar għażla għall-futur ta’ pajjiżna. Ma għadux lok li nistaqsu kinitx l-aħjar u l-unika għażla għall-futur ta’ pajjiżna; ma kinitx.
Huwa fl-interess ta’ Malta li l-Unjoni Ewropea tegħleb il-problema mifruxa tal-qgħad fost iż-żgħażagħ. Jekk se tkompli tippersisti, l-effetti ta’ din il-problema nistgħu nħossuhom aħna wkoll kemm ekonomikament u kemm soċjalment.
Punt ieħor huwa li hemm bżonn politika diġitali li taħdem u li tkun mifruxa fl-Ewropa kollha għall-benefiċċju tal-intraprendituri u ż-żgħażagħ tagħna. Għal issa, bħala Maltin, għadna mhux ċari dwar kif l-aħjar tkun politika f’dan il-qasam.
Fl-aħħar, ikun fl-interess ta’ Malta jekk l-UE tadotta politika koerenti dwar l-immigrazzjoni u l-ażil. Il-ftuħ tal-bibien mhix politika vijabbli; imma dan ma jfissirx politika illiberali. Jeħtieġ li jinstab bilanċ, u t-toqol li dan il-bilanċ iġib miegħu, jrid ikun mqassam b’mod ġust bejn l-Istati Membri. Qabel aktar ħidma favur ‘aktar’ Ewropa, jeħtieġ li jsir analiżi ċara dwar l-istat li fih qiegħda l-Ewropa. Inkella r-riskju li fil-futur l-Unjoni tisfaxxa internament jiżdied – u dan ma jkunx fl-interess ta’ Malta. Dan it-tip ta’ assessjar ma għandux jitħalla biss f’idejn il-politiċi u l-esperti, li twieldu u għexu fi Brussell u li għandhom interess personali lejn ‘aktar’ Ewropa, emfasizza Alfred Sant.