Tomorrow, a spotlight will be cast on the European legacy of former President and Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami, as he is bestowed with the prestigious Robert Schuman Medal. At a public ceremony at the capital’s Upper Barrakka Gardens, the President of the European People’s Party will personally present Dr Fenech Adami with the award.
The Robert Schuman Medal dates back to 1986, when it was first introduced by the European People’s Party (EPP), the largest political group in the European Parliament. It is awarded on an annual basis and pays tribute to public personalities who have made a remarkable contribution towards European integration as well as to the promotion of peace and human values, through their public action and commitment.
Dr Fenech Adami will thus be joining the ranks of the high-profile laureates who have previously been honoured with the award. These include the current President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, the German chancellors Helmut Kohl and Angela Merkel as well as the late President Emeritus Guido de Marco, to name but a few. While it may seem that the medal is awarded primarily to political personalities, it actually reaches far beyond the political sphere, with Pope John Paul II receiving it in 2004.
A few words should also be said about Schuman himself, who gave this award its name. Robert Schuman was, in fact, one of those personalities who embodied the values that this medal acclaims. Commonly dubbed one of the ‘Founding Fathers’ of European unity, he was the mastermind behind the famous Schuman Plan. This plan laid the foundation for a supranational European community that gradually developed into the Union that we enjoy today.
Just as Robert Schuman had a vision for Europe, Dr Fenech Adami had a vision for Malta. In a far-sighted and forward-thinking manner, he envisioned the great potential that EU membership held for the Maltese Islands. And while Malta’s path towards the European Union was certainly an uphill journey, Dr Fenech Adami never lost sight of the goals ahead.
As the longest serving Prime Minister since Malta’s independence in 1964, he laid the cornerstone for Maltese integration into the European Union on 16 July, 1990, when Malta presented its application for membership in the European community. And even though the years to come were riddled with challenges, they bore evidence of his unwavering commitment to the European project. When the Labour Party pushed for “partnership”, he recognised the strength that lies in being a full member of the European family. When Labour decided to put a halt to the accession process, he re-launched it when he returned to power in 1998.
Dr Fenech Adami led Malta through the lengthy accession negotiations that came to an end in December 2002. By then, the journey towards Europe had almost been concluded. Just a few months later, he set the final seal on the country’s membership in the European community by signing the Accession Treaty on 16 April, 2003.
In the largest enlargement round in the history of the European Union, Malta eventually joined the community on 1 May, 2004, along with nine other nations. A couple of weeks ago, the country celebrated its eighth anniversary as an EU member state and one cannot deny that these past eight years vindicate Dr Fenech Adami’s vision. Malta’s membership in the European Union has created a win-win situation – whilst every single member adds to the strength of the community, the community in turn raises the profile of individual member states. This can offer particular benefits for countries like Malta, as Dr Fenech Adami pointed out in his address to the European Parliament in 2006. He highlighted the fact that the EU fosters the influence and identity of smaller states and that it “opens up to them the wide horizons of the rest of Europe and the world”.
In the same address, the then President of Malta also emphasised the importance of winning the confidence of the people. When he receives his award tomorrow, Maltese citizens may be reminded of the 2003 referendum in which Maltese citizens demonstrated their own confidence in the European Union, allowing a great vision to become reality.
For those who wish to attend the award ceremony in person, reservations can be made through AZAD on 2122-8585. The ceremony will start at 6.30pm and will be followed by a gala dinner at Casino Maltese
David Casa is a Nationalist MEP