Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/800760
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 19 MARCH 2017 17 Come 25 March, the EU leaders will be keen on sending out a mes- sage of unity: on Friday, during preparatory work for the Rome summit, they agreed to slow down talks on a multi-speed Eu- rope, and will instead voice unity as Europe faces "unprecedented challenges". They agreed that a situation should not be created where member states are left behind. But what do the representatives of Maltese citizens at the Euro- pean parliament think? "The European Commission's approach feels too much of an ex- periment. Frankly, I would have expected a historical analysis of what led us to where we are to- day, in a critical analysis of the decisions and events, which took place… including whose fault it was," Labour MEP Alfred Sant, a former prime minister, said. Describing herself as "a commit- ted European", Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola is in favour of further integration: doing much more (Option 5). "We need those elements to pull us back to how the union started and we shouldn't limit ourselves to focusing on securing borders or having a common market. The EU is about the freedom of move- ment… and the free movement of people is the cornerstone of the union we have always dreamt of. "I'm not advocating a federal su- per state but integration on what unites us most." Labour MEP Miriam Dalli was less impressed with the five sce- narios, describing them as "too general". She favoured a mix of Option 3 and Option 4. "The ultimate aim of the EU should be to act together, and do more together. But realistically speaking, it would be better for the EU to work on what more it can achieve. With 28 members, the EU has 28 different realities and whilst the EU needs to work towards harmonization, this has to be done at different levels." The different social and eco- nomic development processes of the Union members was also brought up by PN MEP Therese Comodini Cachia, who insisted that the different paces at which member states moved has not put into question whether the Union should continue to exist. "What is happening now is something between scenarios 1 and 2. Of course it may be frus- trating for some Member States to see that they are willing to move forward but are kept back by others. As long as we continue to believe that the EU has brought peace and kept us away from con- flicts and wars for decades, then the Union needs to continue to exist." Europe is currently facing multi- ple challenges: it is not only still recovering from the global financial crisis but parts of its neighbourhood are destabilized – re- sulting in the larg- est refugee crisis since World War II – whilst the rise of populism is threatening its core values. "What we need is consolidation rather than some- thing new," Sant ar- gued, as he described the white paper as "too technocratic". He said that while the EU had moved towards its en- largement, its structures were not deepened in a way that would support such enlargement. By way of example, he said that in operating the Schengen zone, the EU should have developed a centralized se- curity system – a system which is only now be- ing developed. Metsola agreed that national campaigns based on populist rhetoric do nothing to help in preserving Europe's core values of coop- eration, equality and solidarity. "It's my responsibility as an MEP from a centre-right party to keep that populism in check by offering arguments that convince voters that bashing Europe is not the right way to go." Far-right candidates have in- deed gained ground: the possibil- ity that Front National candidate Marine le Pen actually wins the French presidential election is not be rubbished. The Front Na- tional wants France to leave the EU. Would this spell the end of the European Union? "Likewise, we used to say that a Brexit would be the end of the EU… Brexit should have been the wake up call but it looks like it wasn't! Really and truly, when you squeeze hard, there isn't a true willingness [by leaders] to get our act together," Dalli said. "No one person's election will alone spell the end of the European Union, but it could influence the cho- sen way forward for the Union," Co- modini Cachia added. Sant, a former prime minister, has argued that the EU's survival hinges on a new political deal. "There are currently a number of pending issues which member states feel like they're getting a bad deal with be- cause the rules are stacked against them or because they cannot keep up with the rules," he said. "The biggest problem is the growing divergence between dif- ferent parts of the Union. These cannot be healed by twitching the market rules of operation that drive the Union today; nor sim- ply by referring to the existing instruments to achieve some cor- rections. They have to be faced politically and non-market solu- tions must be agreed to and im- plemented politically, to correct in good faith what has been going out of skew." If the EU hopes to send a mes- sage to its citizens that it is seri- ous in tackling what really mat- ters to the people – migration, jobs, growth and the environment to mention a few – then it must move from words to action. Does this white paper risk be- coming another glossy document on a shelf inside the Berlaymont? "We need to see action," Dalli concedes. "I'm not in an enough comfortable position to say that the EU will act… or that it won't. One hopes that there is the politi- cal will." mdalli@mediatoday.com.mt News The EU's future Stronger single market, common asylum system, one voice on foreign affairs and closer defence cooperation, modernised EU budget, but decision-making remains complex to grasp and capacity to deliver does not always match expectations Strong single market for goods and capital, but free movement of people and services not fully guaranteed, no single policy on migration adn asylum, some foreign policy issues dealt with bilaterally, but collective action will be limited As in 'carrying on' but more trade agreements, common tax and social standards, two-speed on security and justice, military and defence, and budgets, but decision-making becomes more complex Stronger single market, economic and fiscal Union, systematic cooperation on borders and asylum, one voice on foreign policy and creation of European Defence Union, a euro area fiscal stabilisation function, faster decision- making,more power away from member states Carrying on Nothing but single market Those who want more do more Minimum common standards on trade, doing less on jobs and social policy, systematic cooperation on borders and asylum, creation of European Defence Union and one voice on foreign policy, quicker decision-making Doing less more efficiently Doing much more together Roberta Metsola Miriam Dalli Therese Commodini Cachia