Small wonder
The Mediterranean island nation of Malta made history last month when it became the first European Union candidate country to say "yes" to joining united Europe.
But Malta's EU accession efforts have long been riddled with political squabbles and disagreements. It first filed an accession application in 1990, but six years later when the anti-EU Labor Party came into power, it was suspended. After another political reshuffle, the negotiations resumed in 1998. Currently, the attitude towards the EU forms the main point of disagreement between the Labor Party and the ruling pro-EU Nationalist Party.
In last week's general elections, the results of which were still unknown at press time, the two parties and their two opposite stances on the EU clashed. An air of drama was added to the duel as the Labor Party promised that, if victorious, it would annul the results of the EU accession referendum in March. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Eddie French Adami is expected to visit Athens to sign the EU membership treaty together with the other candidate countries.
Though it is generally believed that holding the general elections before such an event could help to swing more votes to the nationalists, the Labor Party claims the "yes" vote in the referendum "did not record an absolute majority of those on the electoral role." In response, the prime minister said that if the next government were to refuse to sign the membership treaty in Athens, the integration efforts would become null and void.
And although bilateral relations between Poland and Malta do not go far beyond tourism, the small country's referendum experience and its ensuing political debate are something we can learn from before our own referendum vote.
The arguments of the Maltese euroskeptics were much the same as the ones we currently hear in our country, including fears about local entrepreneurs, fishermen and farmers losing their livelihoods as well as the predominant fear of the country giving up its decision-making independence. Many Maltese believe that joining the EU will lead to price increases. The government fought a difficult battle in Brussels against the introduction of VAT on food products and pharmaceuticals. As a result, the rate will be imposed in 2010.
In order to prevent an influx of immigrants into one of the wealthiest candidate countries following the accession, the Maltese government had also negotiated a transition period whereby seven years following EU accession, the employment of foreigners on the island would be limited. Although it also succeeded in negotiating permanent limitations on the purchase of holiday homes by foreign nationals, it is likely that more people will leave the island now than move there to retire, according to Ronald Gallimore, EU ambassador to Malta.
Godfrey Baldacchino, a professor at Malta University, said recently that the voter composition for the EU referendum in March was largely based on age. The young and the elderly voters cast "yes" votes because they perceived EU accession as guarantees of employment and security, respectively, while middle-aged voters were most afraid of changes in their current status.
But the overall success of the accession referendum in what is often described as the most Catholic country in Europe shows that even the most extreme EU critics there perceive integration as a wise alternative to political and economic isolation.
