In 2001, I came to Malta with a group of students from the European School of Brussels. We were received by the President of Malta, Guido de Marco, at the Palace in Valetta.
Prof. de Marco spoke to us about his wartime experience in Malta and also about Italy during the Risorgimento, the movement for national unity, and about Giuseppe Mazzini, who in 1831 founded the ‘Young Italy’ movement. By 1833, the movement had 60,000 members, and in 1834 Mazzini founded a new organisation called ‘Young Europe’. “You”, Prof. de Marco told us, “are Young Europe”.
He concluded by saying what joy it gave him to see boys and girls from countries that were enemies in World War II working and playing together in peace and friendship.
How ironic and sad that the present Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat, should now be chairing the European Council of Ministers facing a United Kingdom leaving the European Union. Brexit is the worst decision the UK has taken in my lifetime.
I participated in the ‘March for Europe’ in London on March 25 to celebrate 60 years since the signing of the Treaty of Rome. We also marched against Brexit, and over 100,000 people gathered in Parliament Square to hear a whole range of impressive speakers, including Alastair Campbell, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, Labour MP David Lammy and former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
In 2020, there will be a general election in the UK. Hundreds of thousands of Conservative voters who supported ‘Remain’ in the referendum are likely to vote Liberal Democrat, and there may well be as many if not more Liberal Democrat MP elected as there were in 2010. There would then be a second referendum on whether to accept the terms of leaving the European Union or to withdraw Article 50 and stay in the EU.
Everyone thinks that Brexit is a done deal – it is not. There is very strong opposition to Britain leaving the European Union and this is likely to grow.
The Conservative Party paid a £70,000 fine to the Electoral Commission for failing to declare expenses properly in the 2015 general election. Two dozen Conservative MPs have been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service for exceeding the allowed expenses. If they are found guilty there could be a series of by-elections in very marginal seats, which they may well lose.
Given these considerations, it would be very wise for the European Union to extend the timeframe for negotiations to the end of 2020 when the UK may well have another government with a much more positive attitude towards Europe.