Ring out the old; ring in the new

The year 2003 is certainly one to remember. A year ago this time we were all anxious as to the result of the referendum to be held, and of the general election that was bound to follow. The months ahead of us were going to be a great strain on the people of Malta and their sense of unity. Their future, and that of generations to come, was at stake.

The referendum result was positive and clear. It was indeed a pity that the Labour Party leadership, instead of respecting the will of the people, went into a charade of mathematical calculations. Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami, very wisely, advised the President to dissolve the House of Representatives and called an immediate general election in time for a newly elected government to be able to sign the EU accession treaty in Athens on April 16. Alfred Sant's stand made all those voicing for Europe to be completely against a Labour government and rendered his party unelectable.

It has to be said as a positive point for the MLP that, having lost the general election, they finally realised that continuing to fight against the people's will was a fatal mistake both on grounds of principles as well from a practical point of view. The "new" leadership that was forced on the "old" leader of the MLP understood that opposing Europe would mean a longer stay in opposition.

There is today the realisation that our country can speak with one voice in so far as foreign policy is concerned. We are joining the European Union on May 1, 2004, united as a people, aware of the difficulties ahead but determined to meet the European challenge as one nation.

It would, however, be a mistake to consider 2003 only from the European angle. I believe that the first months of the year, taken up with the referendum and the general election, did have a negative effect on the general economy of the island which, within a context of a recession in Europe and elsewhere, certainly was not helpful for a proper expansion thereof and a growth in our GDP.

The budget certainly did expose the difficulties in the financial situation and the measures therein pronounced, although intended to provide long-term remedies, may have dampened the enthusiasm of some towards the new future that lay ahead.

The government will have to face the future by adopting a two-pronged approach: economise where possible on general expenditure while conserving the welfare state; stimulate economic growth and ensure the right climate for investment in the island where banks are overflowing with liquidity.

The Drydocks situation did receive this year the necessary attention and it has to be said to the credit of both the government and of the General Workers' Union that an intermediate solution has been found giving the Drydocks the possibility to succeed; a much better chance than ever before.

So we are ringing out the old, substantially with positive long-term benefits but with some short-term negative failings, consisting mainly of a relative increase in unemployment, problems in curbing government expenditure and unnecessary bureaucracy, the general handling of environment issues and a delay in putting Maltese enterprise on its feet when efficiency would be the order of the day if we want to send a clear message towards attracting and retaining foreign direct investment.

And now it is time to ring in the new. We are all looking forward to May 1, 2004 when Malta will be taking its place as a member of the European Union. A dream of so many will become a reality for all. But the historical significance of May 1, 2004 has to give way to meeting the challenge. For joining Europe is not an end in itself but a means towards giving greater relevance to Malta politically and economically. It is with the sense of challenge for tomorrow that we have to look at May 1, 2004. The efforts of yesterday were all diverted towards achievements for tomorrow where we Maltese, as Europeans, have Malta as our home and Europe as our country.

But May 1, 2004 will not diminish or remove the problems of 2004. It will only put such problems within a structure and establish clear parameters within which to solve them. Our deficit has to be solved ultimately because it is in our country's long-term interest to do so. The need for attracting and retaining foreign direct investment remains of great importance if we want to ensure a high level of employment. While membership of the European Union will undoubtedly raise Malta's profile internationally, and ensure a stable and more attractive environment for investment, Malta Enterprise will have to come up with an aggressive approach towards enticing foreign investment away from the emerging east-European markets and ensuring that companies already present remain committed to Malta. Our competitiveness is not something that we can take for granted but is something which has to be monitored constantly. To this effect our Business Promotions Act has to be regularly reviewed and our factory force trained in new work techniques, if we want to remain players in this field.

Our tourism industry has to be tackled with renewed vigor and we must adopt a holistic approach in 2004. We cannot afford to slide backwards in this very sensitive market in which the private sector has invested heavily and on which so many jobs are dependent. We have to have much more imagination, better customer care and a forceful promotion bringing in what Malta has to offer to the potentially different types of visitors. Indeed, we have to promote the very quality of Malta.

The reform of the civil service, which will be tackled in 2004, should not mean, in my view, the multiplication of agencies, creating different regimes to do the same things. Skimming the civil service does not mean the fattening of agencies. It should mean less bureaucracy, more efficiency, more transparency.

Because apart from the rhetoric of politics and the ideals which guide a nation, the day-to-day affairs of governance are of the essence of life. We have to provide work for our people, a decent standard of living, no going back on social achievements, maintain good medical care and ensure that a good education at all levels, from primary to tertiary, from MCAST to university, remain the most solid investment we can give to our fellow citizens and our country. We have to aim for excellence through discipline and hard work. There is no longer place for half-baked solutions. In our democracy, built on contrasting views, we have to reach conclusions and have results.

A government stands or falls, as a rule, on its domestic policies. We have been hearing lately about the need of a social pact. But we have to ensure that this be not just a buzzword which takes over realities. We have to ensure that this social pact is the result of a coordinated effort on the part of the social partners for fairness in facing the island's economic and social future. Problems in health care expenditure have to be examined within that social conscience that has characterised Maltese politics since 1947, keeping in view the changing pattern both in Maltese society as well as in the evolution of medical care. This applies equally to the pension issue. Our increased life expectancy coupled with our reduced birth rate make the need to tackle this issue a matter for today rather than for tomorrow. A social pact therefore will have to take both short and long term issues into consideration and stimulate a national feeling calling for national solutions. While there might be different hues in solutions, the substance remains the same, and whichever party has to govern the country, it has to do it in full awareness that these are national issues and not party issues.

This coming year is going to be challenging for Malta in adapting its foreign policy within a European Union context. We have not just to comply with the Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). We have to contribute to such a policy. We have to ensure that our proactive Mediterranean policies be further underlined within a European context.

The year 2004 will expose us to two important electoral tasks, independent of each, but which may affect one another. The local council elections are always a test for an incumbent government as to its popularity at a given moment. Coming as they do within a year from the last general election, and four years away from a general election to come, their contribution to the pulse of the nation can, under normal circumstances, have its limitations. However, this time they will coincide with the elections for the European parliament. It is here that the parties will certainly want to show their national relevance with the Nationalist Party having in itself those credentials as the party which has stood for Europe and brought Malta within the European Union in spite of difficulties, domestic and otherwise.

We, therefore, have to look at 2003 as a year of achievement in making the European ideal one which has been approved and adopted by the people of Malta. In this context we ring out the old with a sense of thanksgiving to all who worked so hard to make of this European ideal a reality. We have to ring in the new 2004 in full awareness that this ideal will mean a new challenge for Malta.

For 2004 will be not only be the year of Malta's joining Europe; it will also be Malta's 40th anniversary of independence and Malta's 30th of becoming a Republic. These very important events in our history mark the coming of age of a Malta, mature in its experience, strong in its democracy, unified in the mainstream of its foreign policy. It is a Malta which will be facing strong social issues - ensuring employment for its workers, security for its pensioners, healthcare for the sick, opportunities for its commercial entrepreneurial class, education for its youths, a vision for its leaders, where the social pact will be the coagulant of the social partners.

Forty years of independence with memories of great political leaders who have seen us through three momentous phases of our history. It is time to move ahead. Even for a state, life begins at 40.

Dr de Marco is a Nationalist MP