Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/702141
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 10 JULY 2016 24 Opinion Blame it on Brexit B rexit has had some unusual ripple effects across the European Union, as I'm sure you've all already noticed. Never mind the immediate economic and political consequences – the plummeting pound Sterling, the global financial uncertainty, the sudden spike in earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis all over Europe… and above all, the mysterious emergence of that seven-headed sea-monster, with the number '666' tattooed on each forehead, from the depths of the North Atlantic. It's the less obvious, more subtle effects that intrigue me. Here in Malta, for instance, 'Brexit' actually got us to re-evaluate our entire understanding of what this whole 'EU thing actually is'. And it seems that a thorough re-evaluation was sorely needed, too. Because even if we were at each other's throats over the question of membership just 12 years ago… everyone has now clearly forgotten everything they ever said, thought and did about the issue until just the day before yesterday. Consider this comment by Malta's Foreign Minister George Vella in reaction to Brexit this week. "They [Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson] are irresponsible because [if ] I'm going to push a movement, I should know what I want from it and [how] to lead it there... I would have expected [them] to at least have a proper plan for Brexit… citizens who were looking for a leader have ended without one." Well, it's hard to actually disagree with any of that. Those two bungling 'leaders' really did 'push a movement' without ever pausing to consider Phase Two: i.e., how to actually implement it. Equally true is the fact that they both scurried off with their tails between their legs, just when the people who believed in their vision needed leadership the most. What intrigues me, however, is the identity of the person making all these perceptive observations. George Vella is today the foreign minister of a Labour government that heralds EU membership as (and this is a literal quote from Joseph Muscat) "the best thing since sliced bread." But that's today. Yesterday, on the other hand, the same George Vella was part of the leadership of a party that likewise had 'pushed a movement' – 'Partnership', if you'll remember – without any real clue of how they'd ever be expected to implement it, had they actually won the referendum/election in 2003. Interestingly enough, Labour's 'Partnership' plan was almost indistinguishable from the one f loated more recently by Farage, Johnson and the rest of the "irresponsible" Brexiters. Johnson, for instance, had intimated a deal whereby Britain could remain part of the single market, without taking on board any of the EU's rules regarding freedom of movement (among others). How different is that from the 'special relationship' with the EU, as envisioned by Vella pre- accession? Meanwhile, another spokesman for the UK's Out campaign, Michael Gove, this week tweeted (and received a tonne of f lak for it) that the idea was to "to renegotiate a new relationship with the EU, based on free trade and friendly cooperation." Well, that could just as easily have been Alfred Sant talking at any of a few dozen mass meetings in the run-up to the EU referendum… with George Vella enthusiastically applauding in the background. In both cases, the nature of this 'special relationship' was never identified with any clarity. Just like Britain today, Malta's then Labour opposition had rejected any of the known alternatives to membership: like joining the European Free Trade Area, along with Iceland and Norway. This means that any 'Partnership' agreement with the EU would also have had to be negotiated from scratch. Which in turn makes me wonder: why did Vella expect the EU's response to that proposal (which, incredibly, is now his own response to Brexit) to be any different from the f lat rejection received by Britain within literally minutes of the referendum result? What, in a nutshell, is the difference between the declared objectives of the 'Brexit' campaign, and the 'Partnership' proposal pushed by Alfred Sant, George Vella and co. until 2004? As things stand, there are only two major differences that I can see. The first is that the United Kingdom – for all its current economic and political woes – is still one of the top 10 largest economies in the world. Even if its demands are unreasonable, and cannot possibly be met by Brussels (it's like that limerick about the 'f ly in my soup': the remaining 27 member states would want the same deal too)… at least the UK has a little clout to bring to the negotiating table. But Malta? What clout did Malta think it had in 2003? What sort of arguments would George Vella – who would probably have led the negotiating team in person – have raised at that table, to convince the EU to offer us the sort of exclusive deal it has only just denied to Britain? This brings us to the second major difference. Partnership lost in 2003. Brexit, on the other hand, won in 2016. This also means that the failure of the latter project is self-evident and staring us all in the face… the immediate consequences are known, and the impossibility of the plan itself laid bare for all to see. In the case of Partnership, however, we will probably never know – still less be able to measure – the full extent of the possible consequences. What would have happened had Labour won that referendum? After all, it came fairly close. Would Muscat now describe the EU as the 'best thing since sliced bread'… only to quickly add: 'such a shame we didn't join when we had the chance'? And would Vella still be lambasting Farage and Johnson today… 12 years after his own doomed (and almost identical) project met with exactly the same fate? Who knows? Judging by Raphael Vassallo CALL FOR TENDERS As part of the project JUST/2014/RGEN/AG/GEND/7785 – Equality Beyond Gender Roles –the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality is requesting submissions for the provision of: REFERENCE: DT-NCPE/01/2016 TENDER TITLE: Service Tender for the Provision of Design, Printing and Production of Promotional Material for the Project JUST/2014/RGEN/AG/GEND/7785 Equality Beyond Gender Roles Any queries should be sent through e-PPS by not later than Wednesday, 20 th July, 2016 at 12.00 p.m. CET specifying the publication reference and the tender title. A clarification meeting will be held on Tuesday, 12 th July, 2016 at 10.00 a.m. CET at NCPE premises. Closing date for submission of tenders is Wednesday, 27 th July, 2016 at 9.30 a.m. CET. All submissions should be done on the e-PPS https://www.etenders.gov.mt/epps/home.do REFERENCE: DT-NCPE/02/2016 TENDER TITLE: Service Tender for the Provision of Publicity for the Project JUST/2014/RGEN/AG/GEND/7785 Equality Beyond Gender Roles Any queries should be sent through e-PPS by not later than Tuesday, 19 th July, 2016 at 12.00 p.m. CET specifying the publication reference and the tender title. A clarification meeting will be held on Tuesday, 12 th July, 2016 at 11.00 a.m. CET at NCPE premises. Closing date for submission of tenders is Wednesday, 27 th July, 2016 at 10.30 a.m. CET. All submissions should be done on the e-PPS https://www.etenders.gov.mt/epps/home.do REFERENCE: DT-NCPE/03/2016 TENDER TITLE: Service Tender for the Provision of a Roving Exhibition Van Campaign for the Project JUST/2014/RGEN/AG/GEND/7785 Equality Beyond Gender Roles Any queries should be sent through e-PPS by not later than Monday, 18 th July, 2016 at 12.00 p.m. CET specifying the publication reference and the tender title. A clarification meeting will be held on Wednesday, 13 rd July, 2016 at 10.00 a.m. CET at NCPE premises. Closing date for submission of tenders is Wednesday, 27 th July, 2016 at 11.30 a.m. CET. All submissions should be done on the e-PPS https://www.etenders.gov.mt/epps/home.do REFERENCE: DT-NCPE/04/2016 TENDER TITLE: Service Tender for the Provision of an Educational Animated Clip for the Project JUST/2014/RGEN/AG/GEND/7785 Equality Beyond Gender Roles Any queries should be sent through e-PPS by not later than Monday, 18 th July, 2016 at 12.00 p.m. CET specifying the publication reference and the tender title. A clarification meeting will be held on Tuesday, 12 th July, 2016 at 9.00 a.m. CET at NCPE premises. Closing date for submission of tenders is Wednesday, 27 th July, 2016 at 10.00 a.m. CET. All submissions should be done on the e-PPS https://www.etenders.gov.mt/epps/home.do REFERENCE: DT-NCPE/05/2016 TENDER TITLE: Service Tender for the Provision of Venues and Refreshments coming at least partially from organic sources for the Project JUST/2014/RGEN/AG/GEND/7785 Equality Beyond Gender Roles Any queries should be sent through e-PPS by not later than Wednesday, 20 th July, 2016 at 12.00 p.m. CET specifying the publication reference and the tender title. A clarification meeting will be held on Wednesday, 13 th July, 2016 at 11.00 a.m. CET at NCPE premises. Closing date for submission of tenders is Wednesday, 27 th July, 2016 at 11.00 a.m. CET. All submissions should be done on the e-PPS https://www.etenders.gov.mt/epps/home.do NCPE Gattard House, National Road, Blata l-Bajda, HMR 9010 Tel: 2590 3850 Fax: 2590 3851 E-mail: equality@gov.mt Web: www.equality.gov.mt Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme 2014-2020 Project part-financed by the European Union Co-financing rate: 80% EU funds; 20% National Funds