Mr Ver Heugen - Mind your Language

The Malta Independent



This evening you make a re-appearance amongst us in the seemingly endless procession of EU dignitaries who invariably warn us not to miss the next enlargement.

We do of course appreciate that your job demands that you execute the enlargement of 10 countries, Malta included, on the basis of the Nice treaty. It will not look good on you and on the Commission, if Malta opts out. `Malta`s inclusion is very much in the interest of the present members of the EU, particularly the big countries. Their voting weight will dominate EU decisions and will force small countries like us to follow their wishes even where we consider it not in our interest to do so.

`your official documents you never even attempt to make the case that membership is in Malta`s interest` In fact in your official documents you never even attempt to make the case that membership is in Malta`s interest. You only make an analysis of the extent that Malta has in actual fact deformed itself out of its natural shape to fit the EU one size fits all model, transition periods apart.

It is only in verbal pronouncements that you have a habit to overstep your official role and tell us that EU membership suits us. Till some time back you used to fan our hopes that generous funding would more than make up for the pain of adjustment to the acquis.` This has now been abandoned as the generosity of current EU members to take on their brothers from the east and the south seems to have dwindled.` The Financial Times editorially commented that whereas applicant countries have made substantial adjustment to join, existing members refuse to make the necessary adjustment for enlarging the Union. Indeed this is so. Current beneficiaries of EU farm folly continue to resist its change that would permit a much more generous deal for new members.

`So now the case for membership is no longer on how beneficial and fitting it is, but is shifting on there being no real alternative ` So now the case for membership is no longer on how beneficial and fitting it is, but is shifting on there being no real alternative.` We are told to stop thinking on exploring other alternatives and just assume that we have to accept what`s on offer, irrespective whether it is good or bad, as the only realistic way forward. We are told that we just have to make the most of it.

You yourself some time ago said that without membership Malta would be a meaningless island between Europe and Africa losing out on the globalisation process.

I would respectfully ask you to mind your language.` Or else please explain why on this meaningless island between Europe and Africa we host a dozen embassies all spending their governments` funds that cannot be justified by the miniscule volume of international trade we generate. `Please mind your language and stick your case to the official position as resulting from official documents`

The basic credentials for EU membership is upholding democratic values.` Democracy demands that people are given a fair chance to be informed on all alternatives before making their choice. The fact that Malta is the only applicant country where there is a sharp division at the political level about the membership project, should, in the name of democracy, make you take a very reserved position in pouring your wisdom upon us rather than allow us to decide on our own.` Just like the door to door salesperson you can never be impartial about the wares you are trying to sell us.

Please mind your language and stick your case to the official position as resulting from official documents. Undocumented promises of future funding and soft promises of future investments these days impress no one. And as to there being no alternative this is beyond your brief as Enlargement Commissioner. But that does not mean that alternatives do not exist. The same reason which keeps a dozen fully fledged embassies working amongst us will help us exploit alternatives that you prefer to keep out of our view.

Alfred Mifsud