Our Europe

On Easter Sunday it makes sense to thank the Risen Lord for the return of a normal, peaceful atmosphere in our island home, and to pray for a further reduction of confrontation and stronger co-operation in the political field.

Let bygones be bygones, and let us all work together for a better quality of life for all sectors of Maltese society. The people decided in favour of EU membership.

Let us ensure that this development serves as the right framework for peace and progress. Those who still do not agree should please step down.

Two men were crossing the desert. They quarrelled and one of them hit the other in the face. The latter wrote in the sand: "Today my best friend hit me in the face."

They arrived at an oasis, and decided to have a swim. The one who had been hit was about to drown, but his friend saved him. Then he engraved on a stone the following sentence: "Today my best friend saved my life."

Why did you write this on stone and not in the sand? - his friend asked.

Because what hurts us should be written on sand that the wind can cancel it; but the good deeds we receive should be on stone, that we never forget them - was the answer.

Certain people in Malta who have sown confrontation and even hatred in the last few weeks should mend their ways or otherwise step down and give space to newcomers.

There is an obvious feeling that we Maltese have had enough stress and confrontation. We need a period of rest and co-operation, at least as regards EU membership.

Within ten days five persons will be nominated to attend the European Parliament as observers. The Opposition will also be represented. Let those selected work together in the best interest of Malta and Gozo.

Their appointment will cease on April 30, 2004. Five (possibly six) Maltese will be elected by Maltese voters as Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in June, 2004. I wonder who they will be. They cannot be, or remain, MPs.

There, as in other EU organs, including the Commission and its numerous staff, Maltese representatives will be able to contribute to the consolidation of a united Europe, based on solidarity. What a splendid opportunity! How I envy those who will have that opportunity! What a bliss it is for Maltese youths to feel involved in this European dawn!

For the past ten years without fail this feature, Euroland, has kept a window open on European affairs, with special reference to the Council of Europe and the EU. My underlying aim was to contribute to Malta's EU membership. My dream has now come true.

I am a staunch pro-European. It's mainly due to my cultural formation, I think. I chose history at the Lyceum, where the textbooks on British history by Catholic authors offered nonetheless a glimpse of European history.

Later I read H.A.L. Fisher's A History of Europe, some of the volumes by Arnold Toynbee and Winston Churchill's books on the Second World War.

Europe appeared to me as a permanent battlefield, with wars ending and others beginning. European history was then mainly presented as a never-ending series of wars and bloodshed, and to a large extent it was.

At university I fell in love with Ancient Greek history and literature, and learned how freedom, represented by Athenian society, inevitably prevailed over tyranny, represented by Sparta, Persia and other regions. I also realised the importance of democracy and religion in civil society.

I was offered a scholarship in Italy. I wrote to a friend at Oxford for advice. He replied with a seven-page letter listing the benefits of a Euro-Mediterranean culture. The year after he joined me in Milan, where we finished the course together. He was ordained priest by Cardinal Montini in Milan.

I was lucky to be hosted in a college a few metres from the Catholic University. My hundred colleagues included Roberto Ruffilli (murdered by the Brigate Rosse in his prime), Romano Prodi (current president of the European Commission), and others who later became ministers (Tiziano Treu and G.M. Flick), judges (Saverio Mannino), economists (Giacomo Vaciago), entrepreneurs (Pasquale Gagliardi) and university professors.

They were definitely pro-European. The Treaty of Rome had just been signed. They backed the centro-sinistra, then being introduced in Italian politics. They felt they had a mission to implement in society. That sense of mission has served Romano Prodi well.

He has been the moving spirit behind the present enlargement, which amounts to a veritable unification of Europe, East and West. A historic event, no doubt.

In Athens last Wednesday he set out further enlargement prospects. The Balkans are a priority, he said. We will lead them by the hand and help them to integrate into the new Europe, which is also theirs, he added.

Then we have to establish a special relation with a ring of neighbouring countries, ranging from Morocco to the Middle East to Eastern Europe up to Russia. Obviously, Prodi is not afraid to be called a "dreamer". It's his vision! It's his mission!

Let us in Malta and Gozo take stock of the new situation that is taking shape in the continent to which we belong. Let our cultural and religious beliefs prop up our courage and determination to move forward and contribute to the common good at European level, despite our small size.

Intolerance and racism

Intolerance is diametrically opposed to peaceful co-existence, and racism is the end result of an ideology that wrought havoc in Europe and elsewhere. Most of the wars that rage in the world are inspired by intolerance and racism.

The Council of Europe has an expert body, which monitors racism and intolerance in member states. It's a good thing. It is called ECRI (European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, www.coe. int/ecri). Last Tuesday it released six new reports.

In Andorra (a mini-state perched between Spain and France) ECRI noted the absence of criminal, civil and administrative legal provisions necessary to fight racism properly. Immigrants often find themselves in a precarious position and their request for naturalisation takes too long to be acceded to. Their integration in Andorran society is thus hampered.

In Azerbaijan, there are so many cases of extreme discrimination and intolerance that the 'minor' cases tend to be overlooked. Refugees, foreigners, minority religious groups and Armenians experience direct or indirect discrimination in their daily life.

In my view, the Council of Europe should take a tougher stand on this issue. A task force may be needed.

In Liechtenstein (another mini-state) there is a growing interest in right-wing extremism, especially among young people. This is a matter of concern.

In Lithuania, intolerance and racism are particularly acute vis-à-vis the Roma/Gypsy community, but refugees and asylum seekers from Chechnya and Afghanistan should also be treated better.

ECRI observed that the existing laws against racial discrimination are inadequately, rarely applied. Here again - in my view - the Council of Europe and the EU are in duty bound to join forces to improve the situation.

In Moldova, the main problem seems to be the need to ensure the co-existence of various languages and cultures. Because of continuing political and social tension, the fight against racism is difficult to implement and the gypsy community is especially vulnerable.

Moldova has a serious democratic deficit, and, in my view, the Council of Europe should do more in this respect.

But even in an advanced country like Sweden, racism and intolerance persist, and immigrants find it difficult to be part of Swedish society, facing difficulties in the labour market, housing, access to public places, etc. Extreme right-wing movements sometimes resort to violence, which cannot but be a matter of concern for ECRI - and for the peace-loving Swedish majority.