The Undecides

The Malta Independent

The Undecideds

Finally the debate about Malta`s bid for EU membership has started to deepen. And in so doing the number of persons who are having doubts about the best way forward is increasing.

In a debate between the leaders of the two political schools last Saturday the Labour leader revealed that those against membership are now 42% and those undecided are now 18% up from 8% in a previous poll. The PN` leader disputed that their survey finds those opposing EU membership at only 25% but did not dispute the 18% undecideds.

So the undecideds are at least 18% and growing. And so should it be.

My views on the matter are known.` I hold little sympathy with those who argue against membership pretending that we can keep our economy protected from the globalisation process which is changing the way the world does business.

Our challenge is not to join or stay out of the EU. Our challenge is to survive and thrive` in a world ferociously competitive. Our challenge is to` open up our economy and cut the waste without creating social upheavals.` Our challenge is to persuade one and all that we have to stop pretending` we can keep the present wasteful status quo without suffering the unsavoury consequences of an economic crash.

Rather than on whether or not we join the EU this depends upon our ability to discipline ourselves without needing an external agent to impose it on us. If the answer is that we need EU membership to do what we have to do then this is poor judgement of our political leaders who 35 years` after independence and 21 years after closure of the military base are finding that they have led the country to a` state where it has to reverse, or risk reversing,` such glorified events.

In reality the undecideds should form the majority of the Maltese electorate. How can one conclusively decide about something which is still in the works`

I could understand the no vote as it is often synonymous to the undecided vote on the pretext of when in doubt don`t.

But those who have decided in favour of joining the EU when they` do not as yet know Malta`s` rights` in the decision making process (something the EU itself is still pondering about) cannot also be proud of our statehood and freedom from military bases.

Today they would be holidaying for the wrong reason.