The time has come for a strategic review of the European Project

Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant told the European Parliament in Strasbourg that the signs are showing that the time has come for a strategic review of the European project. ‘We need a strategic reflection regarding the assumptions, not the values, the models not the methods, of the European project. Among others, the reach and soft power of the Union; a new design for political coherence in Europe; immigration policies; the effects of globalisation; the mix of state and private sector; not least in the areas of job creation.’
Dr. Sant made this intervention at the European Parliament in Strasbourg during the Plenary debate ‘Review of the Luxembourg Presidency’ which focused on Luxembourg’s role as it occupied the rotating six month Council presidency. Dr. Sant said that the results of national elections over the past six months show that European peoples may have realized the need for this strategic review. Clearly, when you operate in fire fighting mode, as Europe has been doing over the past months, there is no time to undertake strategic reviews. Yet the signs are that the time has also come for such reviews.
Dr. Sant said that in the second half of 2015, the Luxembourg Presidency and the European Commission showed great determination in trying to steer the Union outside the crisis that broke in rapid order. However, from the smoothing over of the most recent Greek crisis to the refugee crisis, everything was done in fire fighting mode. Events, not the Union were in charge. Unfortunately events may have shown that the assumptions and models we follow no longer fit the realities. They refer to economic and social realities of the past, said Dr. Sant.
Participating in the debate were also Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and EP President Martin Schultz. Main issues the Luxembourg presidency had to deal with were the migration crisis, the failure of EU secret services to cooperate in tackling terrorism and tax rulings.

You may follow Dr. Sant’s intervention on link below:

Maltese Version – WASAL IŻ-ŻMIEN TA’ ANALIŻI STRATEĠIKA TAL-PROĠETT EWROPEW

Il-Kap tad-delegazzjoni Maltija Laburista fil-Parlament Ewropew qal fi Strasburgu li s-sinjali juru li wasal iż-żmien li ssir analiżi strateġika tal-proġett Ewropew. ‘Hemm bżonn ta’ riflessjoni strateġika dwar is-suppożizzjonijiiet mhux il-valuri, il-mudelli mhux il-metodi, tal-proġett Ewropew. Fost oħrajn dwar is-‘soft power’ tal-Unjoni Ewropea; disinn ġdid ta’ politika li tgħaqqad l-Ewropa; politika dwar l-immigrazzjoni; l-effetti tal-globalizzazzjoni, it-taħlit bejn is-settur privat u dak pubbliku; u mhux inqas l-oqsma tal-ħolqien tax-xogħol.’
Dr Sant tkellem waqt id-dibattitu ‘Analiżi tal-Presidenza tal-Lussemburgu’ li ffokat fuq ir-rwol tal-Lussemburgu tal-presidenza Ewropea. Dr Sant qal li r-riżultati tal-elezzjonijiet nazzjonali ta’ dawn l-aħħar sitt xhur juru li l-popli Ewropej indunaw li hemm il-ħtieġa ta’ analiżi strateġika. Meta topera taħt pressjoni, kif għamlet l-Ewropa f’dawn l-aħħar xhur, m’hemmx żmien biex tagħmel analiżi strateġika. Imma s-sinjali juru li wasal iż-żmien għal analiżi ta’ dan it-tip.
Dr Sant qal li fit-tieni parti tal-2015, il-Presidenza tal-Lussemburgu u l-Kummissjoni Ewropea wrew determinazzjoni kbira biex joħorġu lill-Unjoni ’l barra mill-kriżijiet li nħolqu, waħda wara l-oħra. Imma mill-kriżi tal-Greċja għal dik tar-refuġjati, kollox seħħ taħt pressjoni. L-avvenimenti bdew jikkmandaw u mhux l-UE. Sfortunatament l-avvenimenti li seħħew forsi qed juru li s-suppożizzjonijiet u l-mudelli li nimxu fuqhom, ma għadhomx jaqblu mar-realtajiet tal-lum. Jirreferu għal realtajiet ekonomiċi u soċjali tal-passat, qal Dr Sant.
Fid-dibattitu ħadu sehem ukoll il-Prim Ministru tal-Lussemburgu Xavier Bettel, il-President tal-Kummissjoni Jean-Claude Juncker u l-President tal-Parlament Ewropew Martin Schultz. Il-kwistjonijiet ewlenin tal-presidenza tal-Lussemburgu kienu l-kriżi tal-immigrazzjoni, il-falliment tas-servizzi tal-ispjunaġġ tal-UE biex jikkooperaw ħalli jingħeleb it-terroriżmu u l-evażjoni tat-taxxa.