Maltese MEPs are most concerned about economic growth, the way financial markets will develop and the agenda of Malta’s EU Presidency following the UK referendum which will see Britain leave the EU.

After being contacted by this newsroom, PN MEPs Roberta Metsola and Therese Comodini Cachia and Labour Party MPs Alfred Sant,Miriam Dalli and Marlene Mizzi gave their outlook on what to expect after the BREXIT vote. 

Roberta Metsola

“This what democracy is all about. But make no mistake: out is out. Anyone who thinks you can take all the benefits of the EU without the costs or responsibilities does not know what they are talking about,” Dr Metsola said.

“We are the first generation of politicians who do not know war in Europe. We do not remember how bad it can be and why a united Europe is so essential. Not that this result will in any way precipitate war of course, but it is good to keep reminding people why we have an EU in the first-place.

“We need to reassure the markets, but we also need to ensure that all the Maltese and other EU citizens currently in the UK and all British subjects living in Malta and around Europe have legal clarity on their future. We need to ensure that businesses have certainty and that all the directly affected jobs tied to the UK and those tied to the EU are safeguarded. These are our most pressing concerns, but I must underline that nothing will change overnight and there will be clarity quickly.”

Therese Comodini Cachia

“The EU should have heeded strong voices calling for a better communication channel and understanding between its representatives and the European citizens. The EU should strongly address this. The EU should also determine a better and more effective way of addressing euro-sceptism,” said Dr Comodini Cachia when asked what the EU could have done to mitigate the situation.

“It is interesting to see what the UK politicians should have done to avoid now having a divided population. 48% of voters wanted to stay in the EU and this shows how divided the voters are. A few weeks of campaigning in favour of the EU membership could not bring down years of voices questioning that membership. This is a wakeup call for all Member States - do not take the EU for granted and do not shove onto it the tough political decisions that need to be made in one's own country. This is detrimental to the country itself as the EU will remain strong. 

“It will overshadow the priorities of the Maltese government for this presidency but how much this will be the case depends on how well the government is prepared to take on the Presidency. 

Marlene Mizzi

“I would also call for a more united union between the 27 Member States as this is in our best interest. It will also be important for Malta to ensure that the process of exit and renegotiation of bilateral agreements is not harmful to the EU.  

“This is a historic day, but not in a good sense. It will be remembered forever. The decision of the majority of the British citizens will affect those British people who voted to remain and want to be part of the European project, as well as European citizens who live, study and work in the UK. 

“The British referendum is a wake-up call telling us that we need to start reflecting in a wider scope on the future of our Union. We need to rethink and reshape Europe by reacting to citizens’ main concerns and problems. There are pros and cons of membership, but evidently in the case of Britain, the politicians, failed to project the benefits of membership, while the Brexit exponents were more persuasive in projecting the disadvantages. This is a lesson which should not go unheeded.”

Alfred Sant

“Obviously they're going to have a profound impact on the UK but just as importantly on the EU. The latter has been set up on an irreversible model of "ever closer union". The latter was breached when David Cameron was given an opt out for Britain on this commitment earlier this year. More seriously, the "irreversibility" is now no longer out of bounds since the UK will exit and others might be tempted to try as well.”

“I'm not so impressed by the doom and gloom scenarios that are being touted. Malta will be centre stage at the most crucial time when the negotiations of Brexit will be taking off. It's going to be a very arduous and complicated process. The problem is that it could likely derail the priorities set by the Malta government for its term. Preventing this from happening will be a big challenge, especially if at the same time one reaction from the EU will be to start some new process of union building tending towards the creation of new institutional mechanisms that will make sense to no one except the Brussels elites. 

What I'll be doing in the S&D parliamentary group is the following: make the point that on the EU side in negotiations with the Briitsh there should be a calm and dispassionate approach, based on mutual interests, and not on securing a pound of flesh for the eU; that positions be framed not from the perspective of how to keep European institutions strong and the European "ideal" intact, but from the perspective of what is in the best interests of the families of EU and UK working and middle classes.

 

Miriam Dalli

"Following the counting and seeing the final results was a surreal experience. I knew it could happen but was hoping it would not. The EU as a whole and all its institutions, that is, the Commission, Parliament and the Member States themselves needs to do some serious soul-searching and look at this result as the wake up call they so much require to connect to people in the cities, in the small villages and in the farthest ends of the EU. The EU needs to put forward the policies that will make a positive difference in the citizens’ lives, policies will make a positive difference for their families, for the most vulnerable, for big businesses, SMEs and small businesses alike.

"The EU needs to engage with people and make sure that it addresses the disenchantment that does exist. I do not think that this will be the end of the EU, it will be the end of the EU as we know it now but the beginning of a new EU which everyone needs to properly work on to make it a proper success. The same applies to Malta.

"I believe that we need to take the proper decisions to make sure that we protect our citizens and make opportunities out of the challenges ahead. Negotiations for UK’s exit from the EU will be happening also during the Maltese Presidency and for sure the Presidency needs to be prepared for this eventuality. All in all, this is not the time to rush into hasty decisions, but we need to take time to analyse the situation and work to take the best decisions forward both on an EU level and on a Maltese level. Let’s take this opportunity to make the utmost out of it.”

David Casa

What is your reaction on Brexit results?

I am extremely disappointed and saddened by the result.

What do you think the EU should have done so as not to end up in this situation?

This result is a consequence of various factors not least the personal ambitions of certain UK politicians and the misinformation campaign that dominated the discourse from the leave campaign. But the fact that the EU seems to be out of sync with what the concerns of its citizens must also not be overlooked. Populist parties with Eurosceptic leanings have been gaining support in member states for some time. Just recently the far-right candidate was only narrowly defeated in Austria’s Presidential elections. We have to listen to what citizens are saying on certain issues such as migration which seems to have played a significant factor leading to this UK referendum result. If mainstream parties fail to responsibly address these concerns the electorate will turn to the fringes of the political spectrum with disastrous consequences. 

What is Malta’s situation now?

Immediate changes shall be limited. Article 50 must be triggered which will then allow for two years for the exit to be negotiated between the EU and UK. Till then the four freedoms of movement are expected to remain firmly in place. There could potentially be an impact on the business of financial services firms as the markets take a hit in reaction to the news.

How will this impact Maltese Presidency in 6months time?

It is too early to say with precision. But it is clear that this is a very trying time for the European Union. There were calls following the UK vote for referenda in France and the Netherlands. Strong unifying leadership by the member state that holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU will be more important than ever. 

In this context which issues should the Maltese government put forward during next week summit?

Every effort must be made to stabilise the financial markets – that must be the first priority that needs to be emphasised.

 

Scotland voted to remain part of the EU. Scotland's First Minister has declared this morning that she will do whatever is possible to keep Scotland in the EU. We do not know how this ambition will develop but we should support Scotland in this ambition