Editorial

Twelve months ago we had dubbed 2003, the year about to dawn, the "year of resolution" for Malta and its people. And indeed it was, for first in the referendum held on March 8, and then in the general election six weeks later, the people of these islands decided, in both cases by a convincing margin, that Malta, along with nine other countries, should join the European Union at its next enlargement on May 1, 2004.

That "double" decision enabled the Prime Minister, Dr Eddie Fenech Adami, fresh from his general election victory barely four days earlier, to sign the treaty of Malta's EU accession in Athens on April 16.

The long-drawn out national debate as to whether Malta should, in fact, join the European Union, which had featured prominently in, and eventually dominated, the local political scene since 1979, had finally been resolved in favour of EU membership.

This came at a bitter price for the Labour Party which saw its chances of regaining power in the April 12 general election dashed to the ground because it had obstinately refused to accept the verdict which the people had given in the referendum of six weeks earlier. Had it done so, it is not unlikely that Alfred Sant would again have been prime minister today.

But the Labour defeat did have a positive outcome for the party, on the whole. This came in the form of a renewal of practically the entire leadership (save for the leader himself, ironically) and the reversal of many policies which, as we had correctly predicted, in the event did not win the Labour Party many votes.

One such policy, which after the election was widely blamed for the party's defeat, was that regarding its "boycotts", among them that of the yearly charity fund-raising telethon, L-Istrina. So it was a pleasure to again see the Labour leader, Dr Sant, yesterday join other politicians and prominent personalities in taking the public's donations by telephone during the 12-hour programme which had set itself the ambitious target of raising a record Lm1 million for charity.

Naturally, the major policy change made by the Labour Party concerns its attitude to the European Union. Now that it has accepted the people's verdict, the party has sensibly decided to make the most of the opportunities offered by EU membership and to align itself with the mainstream left-wing parties in Europe which are among the most enthusiastic supporters of European integration. This, after all, has been the path followed by other socialist and left-wing parties in Europe, most notably the Greek PASOK and the Labour Party in Britain.

In no instance is Labour's newfound enthusiasm for EU membership more evident than its gearing up for the elections for the European Parliament in June, where it could capitalise on the Nationalist government's current difficulties and even win a majority of the five seats to be contested.

It is good to see that on this absolutely vital matter of EU membership, which after all concerns Malta's future and the prosperity and welfare of its citizens, the island's three political parties and its trade unions are now in agreement. For where 2003 was a year of resolution, 2004 is going to be a milestone year in the history of these islands.

EU membership has already been described as another step in the political maturity of Malta and Gozo and 2004 also happens to be the 40th anniversary of this small nation's independence. It is, however, more than that, because it also involves a culture change for these islands' inhabitants. Admittedly, this will not happen overnight.

And, one would add, membership in the new year could not have come at a more providential time for this tiny nation-state. For never as much as today has the saying "there is strength in unity" been true. In the face of the growing threat from international terrorism, the phenomenon of illegal immigration sweeping across the Mediterranean, the opportunities and challenges of globalisation, increasing competition and technological progress, the chances of survival for any nation, let alone for a small country like Malta, on its own, are practically nil.

On the other hand, as part of the European family of 25 nations which it will join next May, a family which will extend to embrace two or three other countries in a few years' time, Malta can not only survive but prosper. This is why 2004 will be a milestone year for these islands.