Whether Maltese politicians like it or not, this UK exit vote will have repercussions on Malta but, unlike what is being claimed, the most painful consequences are not going to be economic but political.

It is clear that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is anticipating all this as he has already calculated that holding a referendum on whether Malta should remain in the EU or not would be political suicide. I can perfectly understand his reasoning. According to surveys, Malta appears to be a safe country for the EU, as the majority of the Maltese, in theory, are in favour of remaining in the Union. Judging from the position of the two main political parties, it should not be a problem for a remain vote to win in Malta.

But it is clear that the Prime Minister is not prepared to take the risk.The truth is that despite all political rhetoric, there is a serious chance that voters might not follow their parties’ guidelines and would use such a referendum to send a cold message to the two main political leaders that they - the voters - are dissatisfied with the system. If this were to happen, it would be a most serious blow to our main parties. Normally, in our politics, only one party is the loser. The other is the winner. If the Maltese were to vote to leave the Union, both parties would end up the losers. In Malta’s political history, this has never happened. Therefore, the use of the word “suicide” is appropriate.

Despite Muscat’s change of heart, there is a serious risk that a substantial number of Labour voters would defy their Leader’s stand on the EU and go for a Mexit. Should a referendum be held now, this would be an occasion for all those who are against Muscat, and his style of politics and governance, to show their frustration. But this feeling is not only confined to Labour. I am sure that there are Nationalists today who are more than ready to vote for Mexit because they too, have no more confidence in their party. They too would see this as an occasion to express their political frustration. Like the UK, our vote could turn into a protest vote.

This vote in the UK has shown that the periphery has a say and things are not only decided by city bureaucrats. Europe is experiencing the phenomenon where the periphery or the province is winning over the city. And the irony of it all is that demographers are envisaging more people flocking to the cities from the countryside!

It is the people in the cities, in particular those earning exorbitant salaries,w ho stand to lose most from a BREXIT. This is why people in the periphery – those living in the countryside - voted to leave the Union. They are the most hard hit by Brussels, in particular after the same European Union abandoned Romano Prodi’s concept of a social Europe to embrace a neoliberal model. This is also one of the reasons why the extreme right is rising in Europe. Modern politicians are repeating past mistakes. They tend to forget those living in the periphery. But everyone has a vote.  

There are past historical models that can explain all this. At least, the province is making itself heard once again. Politicians should stop snubbing the lower strata of society, that self-appointed elitists snub as ignorant and uneducated.

Who would blame those living on the margin of poverty if they start to revolt against this system? They have nothing to lose with a MEXIT. Perhaps, they will gain because recession will work in their favour.

I have met both angry Labourites and angry Nationalists who are today against the EU. I have met “barklori” (oarsmen) in Senglea furious against Transport Malta for denying them the right to ferry toSliema while big businesses can operate in our harbours with impunity. Thus, local seamen are feeling that they are being treated like second-class citizens in their own country. They are right and are blaming this on Europe.

I have met a Labourite from Marsaxlokk who was jubilant with the Brexit result. I am here referring to the man, who painted his boat black in protest against the Labour Government. He accuses Labour of denying him permission to ferry tourists to and from Marsaxlokk to Delimara. It seems that the authorities quoted EU regulations to deny him such a permit. Can he be blamed for taking an anti-EU stand?

I have experienced local bureaucrats torpedo good EU projects, simply because the projects were clean and honest without any inflated figures. Who could blamethe rest of us human mortals for seizing such an opportunity to send a message to Brussels?The truth is that those who have worked and supported these divisive systems are normally the individuals that a Government chose to send to Brussels because it knows that they are going to be the most obedient servants.

A loud and clear message has been sent to the EU:  the so-called uneducated are not to be ignored. But for those who think that the non-educated are to be blamed for this Brexitresult, asis being dished out by the mainstream media, most of those who voted for a Brexit were indeed educated. Lest we forget, even the low paid earners have the right to vote. Today, these people are reverting to those parties who support a nationalist agenda, as these parties are being perceived as the only political structures capable of defending their rights. 

In the past, nationalism developed in the main European cities. Today, Nationalism is starting to mean the opposite of cosmopolitanism. But if Europe or in our case, our main political parties think that they can defy this form of nationalism by stating that it is all populism, they are mistaken. An even bigger mistake would be made where they to start discouraging referenda on the principle that they purport amoral propositions.This happens when people start to argue that referenda should not be held on fundamental issues because leaving the decisions to the people would be suicidal for the country. This would mean the end of democracy.

In fact, these arguments are heightening the profound crisis that this referendum has positioned the UK,together with the rest of the European Union. As always happens, when there is a loss, someone needs to be blamed for it but this should never be made at the expense of the people’s sovereign vote. When this happens, it will only add more fuel to the causeof those who are today purporting an agenda of extreme Nationalism.