Short of striking oil...

History records this tiny island, the gallant defender of the Christian faith, emerging triumphant in the Great Siege. It triumphed against the onslaught of the unstoppable warriors of the Ottoman Empire led by Mustapha Dragut. Grandmaster La Valette fought bravely and led the Maltese to victory over the Turks. It was the quest for peace.

By sharing sovereignty with others, Malta can live in peace within a united Europe where swords and scimitars are turned into plough sheds. Other applicant countries such as Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey are waiting in the anteroom to join in the next enlargement. Short of striking oil in a big way like Norway, can Malta afford turning eurosceptic when faced with such competition from poor countries that are rapidly reforming their economies to comply with the acquis?

Historically the Turks were first offered the prospect of eventual EU membership in the early 1960s when the Iron Curtain was still in place. Countries in eastern Europe could not join then but are now banging at the door of membership having implemented vast reforms.

Turkey, a Muslim country with a large population of 70 million, is already a part of Nato. Like Malta it also has been long trying to join Europe's top civilian club. Optimists predict it may join by 2007.

With hindsight we rejoice that, should Malta decide to join the EU, it can proudly appoint a commissioner to sit on the European Commission, just as Turkey would be able to do. In the near future it can also rub shoulders with Turkish heads of government at subsequent EU meetings.

Ironically, in contrast to the situation prevailing more than four centuries ago, both countries can look forward to an era of peace within an enlarged Europe.

The path towards membership started 12 years ago and was fraught with difficulties. But, finally, the island has reached its turning point and can look ahead to a window of opportunity to join the elite club.

Missing the bus again will downgrade us to a third-world country status. Economists predict this would mean more taxes, heavier subsidies to loss-making white elephants, narrower consumers choice and an ever-growing civil service to cushion unemployment.

Regrettably, our political and environmental policies were not EU compliant in the late 1980s. We missed millions of liri in pre-accession funds when Portugal and others joined. Short of crying sour grapes one can envy Portugal for having outpaced us in the quality of life it has secured for its people. So have the neighbouring Sicilians, who outpaced us in terms of standard of living and quality road networks.

Must we cut our nose to spite our face? Marching up the long-winding hill towards accession and reaching the top must we recklessly throw caution to the wind? Accession talks have now borne fruit, albeit at a price. It has gone on record that both Malta and Poland have negotiated hard to satisfy their constituents' demands for a number of derogations and exemptions (not to mention a last-minute top-up of aid for Malta (with the island being awarded the highest rate per capita).

Malta had its fair share of horse-trading especially on a number of hot issues including agriculture, hunting, foreign workers and expanding fishing outside territorial waters.

A host of transitional deals have been struck, such as a seven-year deal on work permits to regulate entry of foreign workers. Extra time was won to implement the EU's burdensome environmental legislation such as in the case of dismantling the Maghtab dump and treating waste pumped into the sea.

With hindsight let us not underestimate the political and social aspect of an enlarged European continent. Its eastern block, so divided by barbed wire just 15 years ago during the Cold War, is now warming up to be a united Europe. The Turks are clamouring to join. Can Malta dig its head in the sand and refuse membership? Sceptics lament that since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey has been at best a sporadic and flawed democracy with weak if not dubious traditions of civic virtue. In spite of this, the magical abilities of the EU will surmount the difficulties presented by the Turkish application and pave the way for its accession in the next enlargement.

History has certainly turned full circle.

gmm@pkfmalta.com