Mintoff, KMB write to Prodi urging change in EU Constitution, membership package

Two former Labour Prime Ministers - Dom Mintoff and Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici - who head the Maltese Arise Front (Front Maltin Inqumu) have written to the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, and to the President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox, urging the European Union to include in its Constitution "its aim to work actively for peace among nations and to solemnly promise that it would never make use of the force of arms to invade other countries or to exploit is superiority of armour for the imposition of its will in economic matters".

They also urge the European Commission "to take urgent steps to remedy serious economic and political problems which have arisen in Malta in the implementation of the EU (membership) package."

The letter to Romano Prodi reads as follows:

The Maltese Arise Front thanks you publicly for the assurance given us that the Treaty of Athens and the package presented to Malta would in no way diminish the neutrality that has launched the people of Malta along the path of peace and prosperity or encroach upon the provision of our Republican Constitution. The Maltese, for the first time in their history, without resorting to a civil war and without shedding any blood, have succeeded in establishing this progressive and democratic Constitution in their country.

Mr President, the Maltese Arise Front has carefully examined the address you delivered during the Tempus MEDA Regional Conference held on October 13, in Alexandria, Egypt.

We share your wishes and ideas about the new approach to the European Union (Proximity Policy) aiming at the preservation of values that are the basis of the European civilisation. This new approach takes into full account the need of the neighbours of the EU to strive for the betterment of the conditions of life in their country.

Malta - especially the Maltese Arise Front - always believed that the real meaning of peace is the abolition of war among nations. Peace should be the paramount objective of communities claiming to be civilised. Recently, to everyone's dismay confusion has arisen how this peace could be achieved, because there are powers that by word of mouth, adhere to the peace objectives but by their deeds engender fear that they are prepared to wage war on those nations which do not comply with their wishes. This is nothing but a form of new colonialism.

As the EU grows in size and determination to achieve its purpose, countries outside the Union and within it are concerned that the EU is abandoning the peace objectives. The Union itself is opting for dominance of its smaller adherents.

The Maltese Arise Front believes that the EU urgently needs to demonstrate in a concrete manner its devotion to peace. The Constitution being drafted by the EU gives it the opportunity to fulfil this need. The moment is opportune for the Union to proclaim in its new Constitution its aim to work actively for peace among nations and to solemnly promise that it would never make use of the force of arms to invade other countries or to exploit its superiority of armour for the imposition of its will in economic matters.

The new Constitution should protect all European members and their associates from the danger of being exploited by foreign military powers, including NATO, whenever these forces are deployed for purposes of aggression. Above all we know that neutrality is the most powerful instrument of peace. Neutrality, we are convinced is not only a shield against war but is also the best means to foster economic prosperity among nations.

These principles are identical with those in Malta's Constitution. Should these principles be included in the European Constitution Malta would feel it easier to adhere to it.

There are other difficulties for Malta in its relationship with the EU. Apart from its geographical size and special historical background, Malta's economy - financial, industrial and that of employment - is vastly different from that of other nations who are, or aspire to be, members of the EU.

Malta's economy has not developed simultaneously and at the same rate as that of the neighbouring or of North European countries. Since Malta's strategic value as a fortress diminished or increased according to the war needs of the foreign powers that invaded it, Malta's peace economy disappeared. Thus when, in 1979, the democratic socialist government freed Malta from foreign military powers, it did not have a class of entrepreneurs and financial investors comparable to those in being in western democratic powers that ruled it.

To make good for this deficiency, the socialist government could not, neither did it wish, to have recourse to the Marxist system. It resorted instead to profit-making incentives to enable private enterprise share the burden for a speedy industrialisation and the simultaneous building of Malta's economic infrastructure - airport, seaports, shipbuilding and ship repair facilities, granaries, road structure, tourism facilities, breakwaters and their ancillary facilities. Thus the socialist government transformed the island from a war base to a peace haven. This was achieved in the shortest possible time. Meanwhile the launching of social services to establish a welfare state abolished poverty, illiteracy and ignorance.

Had the Maltese Republic not adopted these measures that protected the island from the incursion of gigantic foreign industrial and financial enterprises which are solely inspired by the profit motive regardless of the social ills and encroachments on human rights, none of this could have been achieved. Malta is not yet ready to compete in the economic and financial sector with gigantic corporations of the EU, and no regulations, no amount of wishful thinking, no bureaucratic studies and efforts could change this historical reality overnight.

Dr Fenech Adami's government erred gravely when they insisted to join the ranks of European countries aspiring for EU membership when they knew that the package offered by the EU could not fit Malta's basic requirements.

But when all is said and done the EU has done most harm to itself not merely by its overwhelming propaganda to assure the Maltese people that acceptance of the package would safeguard our neutrality without encroaching upon the provisions of our Constitution. They erred rather more because they insisted that Malta had no other choice to remedy its economic ills. They did so in spite of the huge financial debt with which, during the past 16 years, Dr Fenech Adami's government has saddled the country - a debt appalling for such a small country. All and sundry in the Maltese Islands were misled by believing that the EU package would do the trick.

The contents of the package were nullified even before the discussions now taking place for a new EU Constitution have come to an end. Moreover no one can blame the people of Malta for breaking this agreement. Everyone is today aware that Malta is serving as a military base for the United States of America according to the military needs of President Bush without reaching any agreement with the people of Malta.

All this is happening because Dr Fenech Adami is claiming to be fulfilling the European package deal. Therefore the EU must bear the responsibility for failing to keep the promise to keep intact the status of Malta's neutrality.

By allegedly fulfilling the contents of the package Dr Fenech Adami is increasing Malta's national debt at an alarming rate and diminishing the size of Malta's economic infrastructure that had taken more than 40 years to put into place with a view to giving the Maltese Islands a chance to survive alongside the other European nations. All this is happening because of the wishful thinking that Malta's membership in the EU, as laid down in the package deal, would by itself benefit the EU and us even though those pillars for our national livelihood might disappear.

As one example of the enormous harm taking place, it suffices to mention the so-called solution being applied for the restructuring of the shipbuilding and ship repairing industry. The Fenech Adami government, without preparing any overall economic plan, is downgrading and downsizing this industry on the sole plea of conforming to EU directives. No one seems to be insisting that these so-called remedies are suicidal unless provisions are made to fill the void engendered by these remedies. Because of a blind adherence to the package contents unemployment is increasing, workers are being discharged and more discharges loom in the immediate future.

The Maltese Arise Front is confident, Mr President, in your ability and that of your fellow Commissioners to understand the problems arising from the adherence to the EU package may only be urgently addressed if the EU is willing and ready to examine the best possible proposals that would enable Malta to share Europe's peace objectives and at the same time fulfil its historic mission to renew its efforts for the prosperity of the Mediterranean, Europe and the world at large.

The Maltese Arise Front is the only organisation looking after the real interests of the Maltese people, therefore we expect that as you have done in the past you will reply in conformity with our merit.

In a covering letter to Mr Cox, enclosing a copy of the letter they sent to Mr Prodi, Mr Mintoff and Dr Mifsud Bonnici say the Maltese Arise Front "is taking this step in default of initiatives by the Government of Malta and the Opposition who have not yet started to discuss in parliament the new Constitution of the EU.

"It has only become known that the Government has sent a letter to the President of the European Council, Prime Minister Berlusconi, which letter has not been discussed in Parliament or elsewhere. Since you have already given us an assurance about the safeguard of Malta's neutrality and Constitution, we were, Mr President encouraged in taking this initiative.

"Unfortunately the media in Malta and those elsewhere, that had been used by the EU to bring its views to the attention of the Maltese people, are depicting us and not wanting any agreement whatsoever with the EU. But you know much better than anybody else that even before the holding of the referendum, we made great efforts so that there would be a serious agreement with the EU - an agreement that would benefit Malta, the EU, the Mediterranean and all the civilised nations of the world.

"Consequently we are sure that you would not fail to present our views to the European Parliament and solicit an answer to the problems that we have submitted to the President of the European Commission and now also to your good self."