31 May - 6 June 2001

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.

ibrincat@independent.com.mt