It has been such a long and winding road to Brexit but, incredibly, the barricades are still up. With now exactly only a month left to go before the United Kingdom bids farewell to its European allies, there really is nowhere to look except into reality’s very eyes.

To say it hasn’t been a bed of roses is an understatement, but each and every EU member state now has little time left to cement all that has been prepared for the inevitable finale. A final countdown indeed. That at this moment in time there still is the opaque likelihood of a hard Brexit and a “no deal” situation creating a vast and relative vacuum for all sides involved in this historic, albeit sad, chapter of European politics, is a highly serious matter.

It is the kind of scenario I needed to strictly keep in mind when I addressed the public discussion, organised last week by the Office of the European Parliament in Malta, with the pretty capacious theme of “Brexit and Us”. I am sure the same sense of caution and level-headedness permeated the interesting and most often frank interventions made by other speakers during the discussion, including HE Stuart Gill, the British High Commissioner on the Island.

When things take a turn to the unforeseen or the unpredictable, there is bound to be doubt, and the Brexit saga has been such a high diplomatic and political drama that it has unfortunately morphed into a black hole, threatening to swallow up all that had been achieved in 46 years of UK membership of the EU. A climate of uncertainty has enveloped the latter stage of the UK-EU Brexit negotiations, culminating in what has become a nightmare for the unprepared and the ever-present doubter.

Saying Britain is on a collision course is a statement of truth, but it is only part of the resulting ripple effect it can have on the rest of the European Union, not least our small island-state that has for centuries enjoyed, and still enjoys, a special relationship with the UK and its people. Theresa May’s decision to further postpone the parliamentary vote on the Brexit deal in the hope of seeking last-minute changes that would ascertain its approval by a majority of MPs has its merits in the eyes of those of us who admire tenacity and determination, but we all know the point of no return may have already been reached.

With the UK bowing out on March 29, it is really a question of how and when the negative impact of a “no deal” end of the story could be mitigated on the part of both the European Union and the United Kingdom. There is a lot to be lost, and hardly anything to be gained by either side, which is why this arduous epilogue is viewed as a sad and morose twist when there were other, more positive avenues to be taken on the way to finally settling what could be a benign divorce.

People’s concern over the impact of a “no deal” Brexit could hardly be avoided during our discussion. There is such a strong and durable bond between Malta and the UK that one is wisely expected to not only prepare for the bearing that this unhappy process will have on people and businesses, but to also find ways and means on how to best cushion the effect and provide outlets to what hopefully can be a return to normalisation, to a state of affairs that would offer more opportunities, more cooperation and more motivation. People in Malta and the UK who do business on a regular basis need to feel the certainty of new or revamped arrangements, while people travelling, working and studying in both countries also need the reassurance that a new package of agreed conditions and provisions can proffer.

Safeguarding the benefits of thousands of Brits living and working in Malta and the large number of Maltese citizens living, working and studying in the UK has been the topmost prerequisite of all our bilateral dealings, which is why I had no qualms in showing my belief that Malta will retain its very good relations with the UK and that existing agreements between the two countries, so historically attached, will continue to apply.

In Malta’s case, there is no reason why we should avoid accepting one other bitter truth – the UK’s departure from the EU will mean Malta loses a reliable “comrade in arms” within Brussels when it comes to certain sensitive issues, particularly in tax and financial matters. British influence gave us clout, British clout offered us influence.

During the same discussion, I took the opportunity of expounding my work on the first Brexit-linked report approved by the European Parliament as part of the contingency measures proposed by the Commission, which addressed a major issue – the problems for car manufacturers after the UK leaves the Union. Its purpose is to create a mechanism that minimises the impact that the UK exit might have on the important automotive industry, and gives an element of continuity in the trade of cars, their components and vehicles in general.

No less important in this legislation is the need to ensure that consumers are protected and safety standards are maintained. No joy ride, given the circumstances both political and economic, but a must in the multi-tasking challenge that Brexit has been and continues to be as we hope for the proverbial silver lining.

Looking reality in the eyes is one sure way of getting the best out of a situation that, initially, promised only foreboding and apprehension.

Having said so, I, a convinced (and foolishly still hopeful) Remainer, bow to the “vox populi, vox dei” principle and respect all too well the fact that the British people have spoken and chosen their fate.  And, whatever this fate throws their way, I wish the British people well. 

Marlene Mizzi is a Labour Party Member of European Parliament