On Saturday, the people of Malta are again being called to vote. This time, and for the first time ever, the people of Malta are voting, together with those of 24 other European countries, to elect a European Parliament. This Parliament will represent 450 million Europeans. Who would have told us Maltese 40 years ago that this nation, about to become a sovereign state, will not only regain its sovereignty after centuries of foreign domination but will also assert its sovereignty with other sovereign peoples of a Europe based on a unity in diversity?
For us all it should be a moment of pride in realising that our country will, in a true "partnership" with others, work together in a Europe based on fundamental rights and liberties, striving towards a common foreign and security policy, where the freedom of movement of citizens, capital and of goods have created the largest single market.
Within this context, one has to see the role of the Nationalist Party in writing Malta's contemporary history. It is a measure of satisfaction that what the PN stood for, and brought about for Malta, in spite of internal discussions and difficulties, has today become the accepted reality of all Maltese.
Our country passed through a phase where integration with Britain was being demanded. The PN opposed this, maintaining Malta's right to independence. We will soon be celebrating 40 years of this independence.
When, in 1979, the lease agreement, which a Labour government had signed with the United Kingdom prolonging by five more years the presence of British forces in Malta, expired the PN executive approved a resolution whereby membership of the then European Economic Community was declared to be the aim of a Nationalist government.
Following serious problems affecting democracy, which again the PN was protagonist in its defence, a Nationalist government was elected in 1987. In July 1990, my father, then Foreign Minister for just over two months, presented Malta's application to join the European Community. It was a long and arduous road, marked by achieving a positive avis, a declaration that negotiations with Malta would start six months after the conclusion of the Inter-Governmental Conference taking place and with the explicit promise that Malta would be involved in the next enlargement of the Community.
This was thrown overboard when, in late October 1996, a Labour government was elected, freezing Malta's application to join the European Union. It was only as a result of a Nationalist government being elected in September 1998 that Malta's application was re-activated, realising itself in Malta becoming a member of the European Union on May 1, 2004.
To achieve all this, we had a referendum, strongly opposed by the Labour Party, and notwithstanding the vote for Europe, we assisted in the charade that Labour had won.
Joining the European Union was not accepted by the MLP as the will of the people. It was only a further staggering defeat at the polls which convinced the MLP that it was opposing history. Some may say that the MLP has accepted the democratic vote of the Maltese people. High time.
We will therefore be voting on Saturday for a European Parliament, not because of Labour, but in spite of Labour. It is in this context that the elections have to be seen. Labour's participation in the elections is an exercise in democracy but the people have to take into account that this great step forward in Malta's future was certainly not the result of any efforts on the part of the MLP.
It is here that the message of the Prime Minister, in favour of the Nationalist candidates for being credible, capable and consistent, is relevant. Labour's claim to consistency lies only in its being consistently inconsistent.
Come next European parliamentary elections five years hence, the negative past of the MLP may well be forgotten in the light of full participation and belief in the European mission.
It obviously depends on how Labour will act and react in this regard. This time for certain, however, whilst viewing positively the new-found respect for the democratic will of the people, one cannot just forget, as a non-event, the negative touch which Alfred Sant in particular gave to his anti-joining Europe campaign.
Some indeed do consider that Dr Sant's continued leadership of the MLP is a hindrance to the proper evolution of European thought within the party.
His presence will always stand as the negative presence of Labour for Europe. His two previous deputy leaders, George Vella and Joe Brincat, realised that there was no place for them in a vanquished leadership of the MLP. Dr Sant persisted in remaining. It is up to Labour to hold or not to hold on to him.
But it is up to the Maltese people to trust their future in who is credible, capable and consistent. This is what is expected of us all on Saturday.
Dr de Marco is a Nationalist MP.