History was made in Malta this year. The smallest EU member state with approximately 420,000 inhabitants achieved what the Labour Party way back in 2003 falsely predicted could never happen. Thanks to the forward-looking political vision of the Partit Nazzjonalista (PN), Malta assumed the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union this month. I am proud to be Nationalist and contributed, with many others, to help convince the majority of the Maltese to vote in the March 2003 referendum in favour of EU membership for a better future for our children, our country and us.
This Presidency intensifies my pride as our country can demonstrate the progress Malta has made since its membership in May 2004. For this achievement, Malta should be indebted to the incessant hard work of two former PN Prime Ministers - Eddie Fenech Adami, before membership, and Lawrence Gonzi in the nine years after. Fenech Adami together with his formidable team of negotiators obtained the best deal possible for Malta from Europe whilst Gonzi consolidated and bettered what had been achieved prior to membership.
PN's road to the EU Presidency
After 22 months of a lame Labour administration led by Alfred Sant and after the PN won the 1998 election, Malta's membership application which had been suspended by Sant's Labour government was reactivated. Negotiations were finalised at the Copenhagen summit in December 2002 and Malta was invited to join the EU in 2004. In January 2003, the Nationalist government announced a referendum to be held on 8 March. In the run up to the referendum, polls showed voters were evenly divided over EU membership. The PN had a hard nut to crack.
The Nationalist government argued that Malta would receive millions in EU funds. It emphasised that Malta needed the EU in order to cope with globalisation and accused the Labour Opposition of scaremongering. The PN was facing the Labour Party and the General Workers' Union which were against membership and propagating what was termed as "the Partnership", comparing it to "Switzerland in the Mediterranean".
The majority vote (53.6%) in favour of membership in the March 2003 referendum was not enough. The day after the results were official, Prime Minister Fenech Adami announced an election for 12 April. This was necessary to ascertain that the favourable result obtained be confirmed through a PN electoral victory authorising the newly elected PN government to sign the Accession Treaty four days after the election thus confirming EU membership on 1 May 2004.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the election of April 2003 was the most important since Independence. It was not a normal one where voters were asked to choose between the political parties' electoral manifestos. It was an election where the Maltese were requested to respect and confirm their sovereign will as expressed a few weeks earlier in the referendum.
Unfortunately, the Labour Party and its then leader, Alfred Sant, did not concede defeat after the referendum and rejected the people's verdict. Labour insisted that what they termed as "the Partnership" had won. Therefore, when the referendum results were known, Labour Party supporters were on the roads celebrating. This strengthened the PN's determination for a confirmation at an immediate election to safeguard democracy in Malta and to guarantee EU membership on 1 May 2004.
In the April election, the Maltese confirmed their referendum verdict and mandated the newly elected PN government to sign the Accession Treaty in Athens four days later. I am proud and honoured to have been present in Athens to witness this historic achievement. According to Labour, had Labour won the election, Labour would not have signed the Treaty. It was through the PN's political vision that Malta joined the EU on 1 May 2004 and took its rightful place to achieve a better future for our nation. The PN, as always, was on the right side of history.
PL on the wrong side of history
Before the referendum, Labour made disparaging remarks about high EU officials and there were incidents where EU flags were burnt. Labour put up billboards all over Malta trying to ridicule Prime Minister Fenech Adami and the PN. Joseph Muscat now pompously heads the EU Presidency, not thanks to him. Way He had militated strongly in the PL insisting for a vote against membership. With Alfred Sant, Muscat vociferously campaigned voters to shoulder responsibility during the referendum and directed them to vote "NO", abstain or invalidate their vote. Muscat repeated that the referendum would not bind. Hence the PN's courageous decision for an immediate election.
Labour was on a scaremongering campaign falsely predicting, among other things, that a vote for EU membership would mean heavy dismissals of Maltese workers, EU workers would take the place of Maltese ones and tourism would take a downward turn. Labour maintained that should Malta join the EU, only about Lm1.2 million in EU funds would be received. For Labour, Malta being a small Nation could never assume the EU Presidency. Happenings prove how wrong the Labour of Sant and Muscat was!
"Membership, the best decision" - Muscat
Since membership, almost 13 years ago, Labour has thrown out its false pre-EU membership policy and accepts PN's visionary one that membership is fruitful. That membership brings sacking and that tourism will take a downturn is now history for Labour. Labour boasts and prides itself on having almost full employment. Also recently, Malta International Airport forecast 5.2 million passengers for 2017. The Maltese are witnessing billions of euro funds flowing into Malta as against the approximately Lm1.2 million mentioned by Labour. Furthermore, during the first six months of 2017 Malta is holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU - something Labour erroneously predicted could never happen.
Since membership, even Joseph Muscat (now Prime Minister and leading the EU Presidency) appears to have changed his anti-EU position. In 2009, Muscat, who was one of the masterminds against membership, declared: "I believe in Europe with all my strength." After Brexit, Muscat insisted that Malta's decision to join the EU had been the best one and that "this government will never hold a referendum on EU membership. I will not allow my country to commit suicide. If anything of the sort happens and Malta exits the EU, it is tantamount to suicide." What a contradiction to Muscat's pre-2003 scaremongering! Hopefully, Muscat means what he says.
Proud of the EU Presidency
Were it not for the determination and forward-looking political vision of the PN which was always on the right side of history, Malta would not be holding this EU Presidency. As a nation, we should pride ourselves and should not leave a stone unturned to exhibit the progress and achievements made since membership. We are on an equal footing with European giants enjoying equal rights and voting powers.
Regretfully, during this major historic event, with the eyes of Europe focused on us, our country's name is tarnished with the Panama Papers scandal and the involvement of Minister Konrad Mizzi (the only EU member state Minister mentioned) and Joseph Muscat's Chief of Staff. Topping this, a mystery still shrouds the ownership of a third secret company, Egrant Inc. opened together with one for Mizzi and another for Muscat's Chief of Staff.
The government's credibility is at stake especially with our European partners. After Muscat removed Konrad Mizzi from Energy Minister in the wake of the Panama Papers revelations, he has now nominated him to lead the Energy Ministers' meetings during this Presidency. Conveniently and for reasons known to him, Muscat - like two of the three mystic apes - apparently hears no evil and sees no evil in this.