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Pro-EU position is not well
enough understood
by Ivan Brincat
Amid claims of indoctrination by the Opposition, there is a
growing concern that the pro-EU position is not being understood.
These claims have been surfacing in various fora and various
sectors have told the government to start its EU campaign as
soon as possible rather than wait for the negotiations to be
concluded.
But senior government sources insist the campaign to explain
the advantages of EU membership will start when the negotiations
are finalised and Malta’s position becomes clear.
The government is arguing that it is not in a position to state
what the implications of membership could be in various fields
since negotiations on the chapters of the Acquis are still ongoing
and the final outcome is not yet known.
However, Moody’s Investor
Service, in a report on Malta last week was very clear. It said
the pro-EU position is not well enough understood, due to the
lack of concerted effort to explain the benefits such as faster
growth and enhanced macroeconomic stability that would result
from trade integration.
By contrast, Moody’s said the MLP-led anti-EU views have
been more effectively presented through the media. The anti-EU
camp has led the public to believe that the tough economic adjustments
are needed only to meet EU membership specifications, and therefore
scepticism about joining has increased.
Moody’s said the controversy needs to be fully resolved
as soon as possible in order to remove the uncertainty surrounding
Malta’s EU status and thereby improve the investment environment.
The sentiment of uncertainty in Malta was also spelt out in
a survey on European Union enlargement in The Economist last
week. The influential magazine said enlargement will not end
with the announcement of the lucky winners and their entry dates.
“It will still have to be ratified by the parliaments of
all existing members as well as by those of all the new members.
Most of the new members will also hold referendums. The outcome
is not a foregone conclusion; indeed, there is potential for
considerable trouble.”
Take the applicant countries first, The Economist said. “Some
referendums could easily go wrong. Current opinion polls in
Malta, for example, suggest that the little island may reject
EU membership even if offered it. This may not have much geopolitical
effect, but not being good enough for Malta might deal a blow
to the EU’s self esteem.”
Political analysts have told The Malta Business Weekly that
a referendum could be lost for the wrong reasons, that is, because
of issues which are totally unrelated to whether membership
of the EU is beneficial for Malta or not. The current economic
situation in the country should not be blamed on decisions that
have to be taken before Malta joins the EU.
Moody’s said it believed that the domestic political schism
regarding the EU is a major worry for Malta’s economic
prospects. “In 1998, the EU welcomed Malta’s renewed
bid for membership, but another withdrawal would likely be more
devastating for Malta’s medium-term chances to join. The
EU has been quite firm in stating that Malta asked to join the
EU, not the other way round, implying that the European Commission
would not respond favourably if the application was again terminated
and later attempted to be reinstated.”
However, the current division between the two parties on the
issue, as well as the failure of the IVA movement to bring out
into the open people who might have different political opinions
but are in favour of membership, is leading some people to call
for the setting up of another movement in favour of EU membership
which would “embrace” and “include” people
not perceived to be close to the Nationalist Party.
Last week, Arnold Cassola, secretary general of the European
Greens’ party in an article in The Malta Independent called
on parliamentarians to have the courage to speak against their
leaders’ ways. “Now is the moment of action for the
MPs on both sides who dissent on conflictual politics and agree
on working tog-ether as regards foreign policy and economic
matters,” Dr Cassola said.
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