A year has passed: On with the New Year

It was an eventful year with a mile-stone being reached in our political history. Malta is today a member of the EU after years of hard work and diplomacy amid serious divisions. These too were overcome.

The fact that today membership of the EU is already taken for granted, reveals the inner unity of our people in making the right decision.

It has been a year of anniversaries too. Malta's 40-year old independence, 30 years of which as a republic, has shown that these were the achievements of a people brought about by a political class which, in spite of its many shortcomings, has revealed itself to be a class which had vision and the well-being of the country at heart.

The year has seen the resignation of Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami, who has certainly left his mark in his years of leadership of the Nationalist Party. He will undoubtedly be remembered for the team he led to ensure Malta's democracy and the change from a state oriented economy to a liberal social market economy that has ensured a better standard of living and a higher quality of life for the Maltese people.

A new leader has taken over. Lawrence Gonzi's integrity of character and honesty of purpose are the best guidelines for the future of the country.

For it is now the future that matters.

The situation Dr Gonzi has to tackle is, however, not an easy one. The public debt is in proportions which require the right and immediate handling. The delicate balancing act is in ensuring that restrictive measures in controlling public expenditure do not stultify the economy.

With this in mind, the government is aiming at a social pact with all the social partners. The idea of a social pact stemmed primarily from Gejtu Vella, and the UHM, who, quite rightly, saw that the future can only be regulated on a policy of consensus.

The need of competitiveness is not just a question - which it also is - of making an entrepreneur earn more on his money. It is also a question of ensuring investment, job maintenance and job creation within the globalised market we form part of, where the shifting of investments and industries knows no boundaries. Profitability and production are the main items on an investor's agenda. I am sure that all workers understand, provided they feel that everybody is pulling at the same rope, that certain sacrifices need to be made if these will help in creating and maintaining more jobs.

The concept of a social pact can, with patience and perseverance, prevail in 2005. Our unions are aware that Dr Gonzi believes in a social conscience, that the measures he is proposing for discussion are intended to be for the general welfare of the workers and their families.

The pensions issue is one which the government has been giving attention to and which will probably dominate the political arena in 2005.

Events in the international arena in the year 2004 affect us closely. Malta cannot but be multilateral in its approach to these problems and this in spite, and perhaps because of, its neutral status. This is why a reformed United Nations is not something of marginal interest to us. A country like ours needs a stronger UN in order to have its security and future respected.

Within this context, Malta's presence in the EU, to my view, has to be one which has the capacity and the distinguishing mark of bringing to bear a strong Mediterranean policy. A strong Mediterranean policy is not Malta's alternative contribution to international affairs. It is, rather, Malta's experienced contribution both to its own national interests and to international affairs.

The recent disaster in Asia has shown that nature can still exercise its powerful hold on humanity. The many thousands who died and the many more thousands at risk, do carry a substantial message: international solidarity is a must.

We have to face 2005 with the strong message of the brotherhood of man. Not in the abstract. But in all its reality. Not so much a Strina on the winning of trolleys and cars but a Strina where in giving we are receiving.

Dr de Marco is a Nationalist member of Parliament.