The ratification of the European Constitution will be up for discussion in Parliament as from this evening.

The government wanted the issue to be tackled earlier on this year, but then allowed the opposition time to discuss it within the Malta Labour Party structures. The government realised that the MLP was inclined to take a positive stand on the ratification if given enough time, and Malta stood to gain if it provided a common, strong position in favour.

Malta was perceived as being a divided country on European Union matters when, for many years, the Nationalist Party and the MLP took very different views on membership. The PN wanted Malta to join the EU while the MLP believed in the partnership option. The topic became the main issue in the country’s politics for many years, and perhaps also unfortunately, and indirectly, contributed to neglect in other spheres of national interest.

The Nationalist position eventually won – through a referendum that was quickly followed by a general election in March and April 2003 – and Malta joined the EU on 1 May 2004.

Since then, the MLP has taken a different stand on the EU, insisting that a decision had been taken and that Malta must move on. The MLP, while still believing that the partnership option would have benefited Malta more, has accepted the people’s decision and has pledged to work to gain the best of the advantages of membership and mitigate the disadvantages.

It was in this light that the government accepted, earlier this year, to give the MLP the chance to discuss the EU Constitution internally, considering that it was likely that the MLP would not have taken a negative position on the ratification. In fact, last Saturday the MLP extraordinary general conference overwhelmingly supported the motion presented by the party leadership and executive.

But things change fast in politics and, while Malta gave itself time in order to come up with a strong stand in favour of the European Constitution in a bid for the country to be seen as united on this front, this more or less backfired following the recent results of the referenda in France and Holland.

Both countries said “no” to the ratification of the European Constitution, leading many to call for a stop to the ratification process elsewhere and others to say that the Constitution is dead.

It is rather ironic that the two main political parties in Malta have finally come to share the same position on an EU issue – with Labour, however, saying that it will be voting “yes” with reservations – when the EU is in its worst crisis. Not only have the French and Dutch thrown its future in jeopardy with their negative vote, but last month’s summit in Brussels also exposed other differences on the budget for 2007-2013.

This has, in effect, reduced the significance of the European Constitution and has led to doubts as to whether it will eventually be put in effect, considering that all member states need to ratify it. What happened in France and Holland also strengthened the “no” supporters in Malta, although, in our case, it is apparent that these form a small minority.

On the one hand, it is good to note that the European Union chapter has finally come to a close in Malta, following the decision taken by the MLP last Saturday. It means that the MLP, albeit with reservations, will be endorsing the European Constitution very much in the same way that the government will be doing. As it is, the Maltese Parliament will be ratifying the Constitution as one block, putting past differences on European matters behind.

On the other hand, however, the future of the European Constitution itself is very much in the balance