Former Labour leader and ardent EU-sceptic Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici delivered an emotional speech at the party’s general conference yesterday, in which he told delegates that voting for the EU Constitutional Treaty was equivalent to conspiring with the PN.

The Nationalists had sold the country to foreigners and, in full respect of democracy, Labour had accepted this; however, voting in favour of the EU Constitutional Treaty would be equal to confirming the same document against which Labour spoke before the last election. “How can Labour accept that a foreign Constitution prevails over the Maltese one, the same Constitution (the Maltese) Labour worked so hard to establish,” he said.

His words were acknowledged with sparse and often lukewarm rounds of applause, in sharp contrast to the standing ovations given to former MLP deputy leader George Vella, who presented the case for the party’s executive and parliamentary group’s motion.

These two were the only ones to speak on the EU Constitutional question, as it was already past 9pm when the debate started. Before that, the general conference discussed and approved almost unanimously – apart from two abstentions – the party’s plan for socio-economic regeneration. The consensus on this document was so obvious that the conference made an impromptu change to the schedule and voted yesterday by a show of hands rather than at the end of the debate, today or tomorrow, by secret ballot.

Contrary to the largely legal arguments that Dr Mifsud Bonnici presented in the run-up to this conference, the arguments he made yesterday were mostly political and ideological. He started by saying that the first reason why the party should not ratify the Constitutional Treaty stemmed from the first clause of the motion the delegates had just approved, which stated that the MLP will work to create jobs and safeguard the welfare state. The third part of the Constitutional Treaty undermines the concept of the welfare state, he said.

“If we want to implement what we have just approved (the plan for socio-economic regeneration) then we must not accept what others want us to accept. The EU Constitution does not let us implement our ideals,” he reiterated.

Quoting UK Labour leader Tony Blair during a recent speech he delivered in Brussels, Dr Mifsud Bonnici questioned what EU social model is it that leaves 20 million of its people unemployed. The decision before the Conference was not whether to accept the ratification of the Constitutional Treaty, as the current servile government has already declared that it would; the decision is whether Labour is ready to go along with this. “We had to accept the EU because we believe in democracy but we don’t have to be their accomplices,” he reiterated.

Dr Vella countered Dr Mifsud Bonnici’s arguments very pragmatically. Apart from the legal arguments, the crux of the matter was the message the party would be sending with a “no” vote. “What would the red light, coming from a party which opposed the EU, mean, now that we are members? It would foster uncertainty and workers will stand to lose from such uncertainty, he pointed out.

At various times during his speech, Dr Mifsud Bonnici insisted that he had no intention of splitting the party. Dr Vella took the cue and insisted that Dr Mifsud Bonnici’s efforts should be respected, adding that he felt uncomfortable challenging a man to whom he was greatly indebted.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici made it a point to stress that he had taken the position against the Constitutional Treaty a year ago, when the party had not yet pronounced itself, making the point that his position is driven by nothing other than criticism of the Constitutional Treaty. Furthermore, he insisted, although if it were up to him, the party would vote “no”, he is simply saying that the party should not vote in favour.

Dr Vella revealed the reply Jo Lienen, a Party of European Socialists MEP, received from the European Parliament’s legal services office in which it was confirmed that the declarations of neutrality and Gozo’s regional status will not be affected by the coming into force of the EU Constitutional Treaty. Dr Mifsud Bonnici, asked by The Malta Independent about the outcome he expected, had confidently predicted the opposite response.

Dr Vella made the final appeal to delegates, telling them that the party’s ideas, including the document approved yesterday, would only become a reality if Labour is elected to government. Since the party accepted the will of the people regarding the EU it had won three consecutive elections.