Alfred Sant insisted yesterday that a partnership tailor-made for Malta was attainable. It would be a "give and take relationship" where there would be an industrial free trade zone, and there would be give-and-take in the agricultural sector and cooperation in all other sectors, he said.
But the Labour leader did not specify how much funding he would be able to get from the EU for his partnership concept.
Answering questions from reporters, Dr Sant was asked to declare what guarantees he had that his partnership proposal would be accepted by the EU, what he would be prepared to give in return and how much money he would be able to get in his negotiations with the EU.
Dr Sant said that whenever the MLP met representatives from EU states, they all told them that they preferred Malta to join "because it's in their interest".
They also said, however, that they would be prepared to discuss the partnership concept, which meant it could be negotiated, Dr Sant said.
"The European Commission does not like this, but we are not prepared to accept all the EU rules," Dr Sant said.
Launching a publication called Partnership, l-ahjar ghazla (Partnership, the better choice), Dr Sant said the MLP had launched its campaign and would continue campaigning after March 8, when the referendum and local elections would be held, until the next general election.
Dr Sant said the 152-book contained information about the negotiations with the EU and the way the respective issue would be dealt with under the partnership concept.
Dr Sant said the choice in the referendum was not between 'Yes' and 'No' but between EU membership and partnership.
The book is on sale from leading bookshops at Lm1.50.
The party would also be publishing documents related to specific aspects such as tourism, education and the cost of living and would be comparing how these would be affected with membership and with partnership.
"We do not need to join Europe. We are in Europe," Dr Sant said.
Dr Sant said the partnership concept would not be pursued only with the EU but at all levels of local politics. An MLP government would seek partnership with employers, unions, the self-employed and voluntary groups as well as with local councils.
Asked about how he and deputy leaders George Vella and Joe Brincat, who also addressed the press conference, would vote in the referendum, given that the EU motion directed MLP supporters to abstain, invalidate their vote or vote no, Dr Sant said he would announce how he would be voting at a later stage.
"Probably we will all vote differently," he said, half jokingly.
Speaking at another activity in front of the Malta-EU-Information centre, opposite the MLP club in Valletta, Dr Sant said MIC had, since 2000, been given over Lm2.1 million for pro-EU propaganda. The EU would be pumping another Lm200,000 this year alone, while the MLP had to make use of the meagre funds donated to it by supporters.