Yes to the Constitution: why not?

Whatever the outcome of the ratification process of the Treaty establishing a Draft Constitution for Europe in the other EU member states, the Maltese should go ahead with ratification. It is important for the image of our country that Malta is among the group of countries which say Yes.

However this should not be the only reason for ratifying. Nationally it helps us close a most divisive chapter in our history. It is also worth keeping in mind that the new European Constitution is a marked improvement over the present treaties. It includes additional advantages to Malta, not least a sixth seat in the European Parliament.

Above all the Constitution incorporates the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and improves the status of island states in the Union. The solidarity clause is a kind of a national insurance policy in case our country is hit by a terrorist attack, or a man-made or natural disaster.

The mutual defence clause obliges member states to help each other in case of a military attack on their territory. The solidarity and mutual defence clauses entail of course obligations towards fellow member states. But there is no denying that they enhance our collective security.

The Constitution does not make specific references to neutrality but it is designed to accommodate the pacifist leanings and status of the EU neutrals, namely Austria, Ireland, Finland, Sweden and Malta.

In a heated debate on a local television channel, it was stated that the European Constitution "may" safeguard Malta's neutrality in defence matters but not in "foreign policy".

I think this is utterly misleading. Malta's neutrality rigidly enshrined in our constitution is defined largely in outdated security terms referring to "non-alignment" and the "superpowers", which alas are no longer with us.

In foreign policy Malta should be actively engaged in promoting democracy and human rights, multilateralism, the peaceful resolution of conflicts, respect for international norms, a more just international economic order and sustainable development. It cannot even afford to be 'neutral' or inert in the face of such challenges.

The more the world strays from these principles the more precarious does the independent existence of small states become. I think we should be thankful that a strong entity such as the EU has acquired a critical mass sufficiently large enough to make it a prime component of Mediterranean security, a peace broker in the Middle East and capable of launching global initiatives such as the Kyoto Protocol and the International Criminal Court. Can Malta keep aloof from these initiatives? Certainly not without endangering its own welfare and stability.

The EU Constitution underlines that in its relations with the rest of the world "the Union shall uphold and promote its values and interests. It shall contribute to peace, security, the sustainable development of the earth, solidarity and mutual respect among peoples, free and fair trade, eradication of poverty and the protection of human rights, in particular the rights of the child as well as to the strict observance and the development of international law, including respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter".

My strong pacifist leanings do not make me feel uncomfortable with a foreign policy that strives to achieve these values.

I believe that for the first time there is a widespread consensus on how we want to position our neutral and pacifist country in the global arena: as a member of a community of democratic, free-market states committed to political and economic liberal values, their own self-improvement and the peaceful stabilisation of the world.

What the EU is aiming for is very simple: just as national constitutions regulate the lives of citizens in the nation-states, so can an international Constitution regulate relations between states and tone down the violent struggle for power between them.

The EU's message to the rest of the world is similar and straightforward: the conflicts in international politics can also be resolved peacefully using the same methods of negotiation, deliberation and if need be arbitration as we are used to in our national democratic societies.

International institutions and multilateralism have an important role in world politics and the Union's institutions are a model of how states can organise themselves together, peacefully. Saying Yes to the European Constitution is a vote for this approach. Can we afford to overlook this bigger picture for a few legalistic minutiae?

Dr Pace is president of the European Movement (Malta).