On Saturday, vote for stability

Now that we are in the EU, is it safe to vote for the Labour Party, whether directly or by default?

Here is probably the stiffest challenge the Nationalist Party will be facing in the polls on Saturday.

We do not live in paradise, that's a given. But we all know - blues, reds, greens, all of us - that this country has made strides ahead over the past years. Notably, since we joined the EU. Economic performance, public finances, investment, the euro, job creation, opportunities, you name it. But what many appear not to realise is that, in May 2004, Malta did not just join the EU. It also got a new Prime Minister.

So how much of our success is actually attributable to the European Union? And how much of it should go to Lawrence Gonzi's credit? That is the point.

Now, clearly, EU membership has contributed a lot. It provided us with the right climate and the right opportunities, the massive market, the financial assistance, to start getting our house in order. It also showed us the stick, not just the carrot, and got us to shake off some of our reluctance to face the realities of life. EU membership is a great tool for success. And we are certainly giving it a very good shot. But, like all tools, it needs to be used. And it takes a master to use a tool skilfully and get a good job done. It takes a master to make a masterpiece.

Many assume that EU membership works on its own. It does not. Take Greece, which has been in the EU since 1981 but whose level of economic development still stands at roughly the same level of countries, such as ours, which joined barely four years ago. Or Ireland, which joined in 1973, but which took some 15 years to start exploiting the full potential of EU membership until, today, it ranks as one of the richest countries in the world. Or Italy, which has been in the EU for 50 years, but, constantly hampered by, oh well, coalition governments. What does this tell you? It tells you that EU membership gives you the tools. But it does not give you the final product. It's up to you to carve it out. And if you lay down your tools, ignore them, or laze about, EU membership will not get things done for you.

This is where Dr Gonzi deserves the credit. All the credit that he can get.

He has single-handedly masterminded and energised Malta's repositioning as a country that wants to use the tools of membership to the full. His dogged determination to put our financial house in order has laid the groundwork for an economic upturn which is based on credible and sustainable fundamentals. And faced with the obstacles put in his way, he could have easily given up. Faced with the political consequences of his tough political choices, he could easily have given up. Faced with the Labour Party's vociferous opposition to, well, any change, he could have easily called it a day. He did not.

The results are there for all to see. And it's also in our pockets. It's called the euro - a symbol not just of our European belonging but also of our ability to make the grade, our ability to stand tall and play in the premier league.

Just think about it. Today, we rank among the 15 countries in the world that are part of the eurozone. Where were we 20 years ago?

And here lie the questions.

Will we be able to keep this up if, on Saturday, we show Dr Gonzi the door? Will EU membership work on its own? Will we be able to make the best of it with a new government and a former Prime Minister whose record in office lies in having suspended our EU application? And whose record in opposition lies in having rejected the EU referendum and opposed the euro?

Are we sure that our EU partners will take kindly to the new government's intention to reopen our accession package? And what happens if they refuse? And will our interests in the EU be adequately represented by a Prime Minister that, quite frankly, does not believe in the EU project? And, oh, the next summit of EU leaders is next week.

I say, we should not risk it.

I say that the tool of EU membership has worked well in Dr Gonzi's hands. I would not trust it in anyone else's.

On Saturday, we should vote for stability.

Questions to be answered in this column should be sent to contact@simonbusuttil.eu or through www.simonbusuttil.eu.