Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544378
9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 ARPIL 2026 OPINION ONE of the members of my group is the Italian MEP Letizia Moratti. Her father was among the leaders of the Catholic par- tisans against the Nazi dictator- ship. Her family example shows that many Christian Democrats paid for their adherence to prin- ciples with imprisonment, tor- ture, or even death. We Christian Democrats stand by our heritage and legacy; we stand in the front line in the fight against all forms of extremism. That is precisely why such forces have had—and continue to have—no influence whatsoever on our legislation or personnel decisions in the Euro- pean Parliament. Four years ago, I was the first party chairman to define criteria for a firewall, or cordon sanitaire: Pro–rule of law, pro-Ukraine, pro-Europe. The European Peo- ple's Party will never enter in- to partnerships that call these principles into question. We in the EPP stand at the spearhead against right-wing autocrats. In Hungary, in a week's time, we want to sweep Viktor Or- bán out of government—some- thing my friend Donald Tusk already achieved around three years ago in Poland against PiS. Unfortunately, in many of these countries, Social Democrats and Greens play no political role an- ymore. It is because of the EPP that enemies of democracy have no chance to undermine the Eu- ropean way of life. In exactly two votes in this leg- islative period—the joint attempt to block the Mercosur trade agreement with the Greens, and the non-extension of the fight against child pornography with the Socialists—the 15 votes of Alternative for Germany were relevant. We do not need any tutoring in the fight against radi- calism. And it would be helpful if Socialists and Greens on the left were similarly to fight left-wing radicalism. Voters' mandate is central For us, the firewall is a political mandate, but it is not a bunker to shield ourselves from unwelcome election results. If democratic parties—above all Emmanuel Macron's liberals or Europe- an Socialists—are losing entire groups of voters, the answer can- not be to carry on as before. For the left, the firewall means con- tinuing their misguided policies. For us in the EPP, the voters' mandate is always central; we are determined to deliver. The left wants to use the firewall to taboo topics that concern people, such as illegal migration. We will not accept that. In democracies, the arena of decision-making is the ballot box. We must tackle the roots of disillusionment with democra- cy. As with a forest fire, there can be very different triggers, but the reasons why the fire spreads across the board are the same. Whether the sparks are struck by the migration crisis, neglect- ed banlieues, or the fears of de- cline among the middle class, the problem behind the pressure on our democracy across Europe is its uprooting. For a long time, parties, trade unions, and also church mass organisations gave people powerful voices. These have been hollowed out in recent decades. Instead, a neoliberal and technocratic approach to politics has dominated. Ideas have been replaced by numbers. But democracies are never legit- imised by numbers alone. They rest on ideas. Ideas bind people together, resolve conflicts, create shared visions, identities, and a sense of belonging. Ideas can be- come roots. Creativity is the glue of every democracy. And today, centre-right politics must represent its own distinct style of politics: Listening, taking concerns seriously, but also ex- plaining, tying together different ends and developing from them a political offer that unites and endures. We must rediscover the common good. Myths, democracy and the EU We must not only acknowl- edge people's fears, but actively include them in shaping solu- tions. That distinguishes us from the populists, but also from the philistines of democracy, who believe they only have to lecture the people. Neither has answers for the future. But how can we be successful and underpin our relevance? The answer is short: Solve problems and present vi- sions for the future. That begins with exposing the myths of the nationalists. The nation-state is no longer the sole, decisive refuge of democracy to- day. Just as the ancient Atheni- ans could never have imagined a democratic polity of more than 40,000 people, we should not fall for the illusion that democracy only works in a national context. Democracy must be strength- ened where problems can truly be solved. Economic strength can only be achieved at the Euro- pean level—through a strong EU single market, consistent deregu- lation, and modern trade agree- ments. The digital world and the protection of our children can only be shaped with a strong Eu- rope. For three years now, the EU has shown with the Migration Pact that we are putting an end to smuggling networks. Nation-states are losing their capacity to act. A look at Par- is, Madrid, and, to some extent, Berlin shows that many democ- racies are trapped in paralysis. All the more reason for Europe to deliver. That is the real trans- formation in our democracy. The EU has long ceased to be an elite project; it is a decisive arena for democratic action. If we called an EU Commis- sioner a minister and an EU reg- ulation a law, people would truly understand what is happening in Brussels. People sense the impor- tance of European processes, yet many politicians, journalists, and lobbyists behave as if everything were decided in national capitals. When the Return Directive was adopted, hardly anyone in Ger- many paid attention, but debates about 'firewalls' dragged on for weeks. We need to move away from party tactics and focus on substance. European democracy is possible in the European Par- liament—very real, and, in my view, something quite remark- able—but we also have to live it. And yes, we must deliver now. But we cannot simply ignore the far right; we must actively tack- le them with convincing ide- as. In 2027, Le Pen in Paris and Kaczyński in Warsaw will seek to take power. In 2029, the AfD will aim for government in Ber- lin—precisely at a time when, according to current projections, Germany will have the strongest and largest army in the EU. That rightly worries many people across Europe. We need the courage of Ade- nauer and Kohl when they inte- grated Germany into the western alliance and pushed for rearma- ment; the courage of Kohl and Waigel in creating the single market and the euro. Their cour- age led to major electoral suc- cesses. Today, we must establish a Eu- ropean Defence Union to secure sovereignty and peace. And then ask people: Do you seriously be- lieve the nationalistic nonsense of the radicals? Acting with a vision—that alone can create a successful firewall. Manfred Weber President European People's Party For us, the firewall is a political mandate, not a bunker Today, we must establish a European Defence Union to secure sovereignty and peace. And then ask people: Do you seriously believe the nationalistic nonsense of the radicals? Acting with a vision—that alone can create a successful firewall.