Ten heads of state and government from the Western Mediterranean area will be meeting in Malta this week. They form part of the so-called Five plus Five Dialogue originally set up in 1990. These correspond to five countries from the Northern Euro-Mediterranean area and five from the Maghreb.
It is in Europe’s interest that the southern basin be home to new democracies- Tonio Borg
This is only the second summit of this nature since the group’s inception, the first having been held in Tunis in December 2003. It comes at an opportune moment.
Libya and Tunisia, two of the southern partners, have experienced dramatic changes in their leadership, two countries that have given birth to fledgling democracies and whose leaders are the product of the ballot rather than the bullet.
The summit will be an excellent opportunity for northern and southern rims of the Mediterranean to discuss these changes. It will also be a test for us Europeans. Europe has politically supported these dramatic changes. One may ask: is Europe ready to support economic development in countries some of which, in spite of political change, have a miserably low GDP and slow economic development?
The worst thing that can happen is for the political revolution to fail if it does not satisfy the day-to-day economic aspirations of the people who were behind it. The spark that let off the Jasmine Revolution was the self-sacrifice of the market hawker who saw no hope on the horizon or in the great economic divide between the coastal and inner regions. In Libya, despite a better GDP per capita, the wealth resulting from the country’s abundant natural resources was not evenly distributed.
European leaders will certainly put their heads together to seriously consider offering economic and technical assistance through various EU instruments with a view to ensure these revolutions succeed.
It is in Europe’s interest that the southern basin be home to new democracies. Change need not come openly through violent revolution. The silent but radical changes in Morocco through a clever Fabian-style democratic evolution is also part of the Arab Spring.
The recent sad events in Benghazi will remind the 10 leaders meeting in Malta to remain vigilant against extremism. The killing of US Ambassador Chris Stevens in Benghazi on the 11th anniversary of 9/11 and the eve of the establishment of a democratic government in Libya should spur the 5+5 leaders to go ahead with the changes that have started and overcome extremist groups through more democracy.
The holding of the summit is a reflection of an energetic Maltese foreign policy and the far-reaching vision of a government that did not remain passive in the wake of the changes taking place in our neighbourhood. We were not idle bystanders when Libya’s people yearned for a change to their regime. The Prime Minister did not wait for the fall of Tripoli to publicly state he was for democratic change and against a government that had lost all legitimacy by callously resorting to the killing of its own people.
The active participation by all 10 leaders in Malta’s summit is a feather in the Government’s cap. It reflects the trust that neighbouring countries have in Malta’s stability and its reputation as an honest broker. These attributions are neither coincidental nor a simple twist of fate. They are the outcome of a well thought out policy, resting firmly on our proactive stance taken within all Mediterranean fora.
When Malta joined the European Union there were some who feared that it would lose control of its foreign policy, particularly its special relationship with the Arab World. The opposite happened.
Malta’s membership of the EU has served us in good stead to forge new alliances and friendships with neighbours. Belonging to the EU gave us that extra purpose and clout to act as our neighbours’ friends in the heart of Europe.
Malta’s stand within the EU to give all possible assistance to our Arab neighbours who shed their blood for freedom is appreciated by our southern partners who remain grateful to the fact that, while Malta joined the EU, it still remained actively and strategically engaged with its southern partners.
A few weeks ago I led a group of four EU Mediterranean states on a visit to Egypt to meet the new democratic leadership of that country. Malta, Italy, Greece and Cyprus formed an informal Quadro Group of foreign ministers who were received by President Mohammad Mursi last September. Such action could only be possible because we happen to be members of the EU.
Membership gave us strength beyond our size and capabilities. Egypt appreciated the Malta-led initiative and we four foreign ministers felt that, as EU members, we were fulfilling our Mediterranean vocation in visiting a southern partner sorely in need of political and economic support.
When 10 Mediterranean heads of government meet here, their thoughts will be focused on the future. Past experiences only serve the purpose of leading us into the future. What will the future bring to the Mediterranean basin? Will it be a clash of civilisations, as Huntingdon predicted, pitting one culture or religion against another, or a partnership between north and south? The Arab Spring, with its democratic change, has brought the northern and southern rims of the Mediterranean closer in political thought, thus militating in favour of adopting the latter approach.
These are exciting even if difficult times. The road towards full democracy in countries that have rarely experienced real democracy is indeed arduous and laborious. Nevertheless, it is definitely more worthwhile.
The struggle of the past and the challenges of the future will bring out the best in our neighbours’ character based on resilience and the will to move ahead in spite of adversity.
The author is Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.