In my opinion there were four solid reasons. The first was the entrenchment of democracy. Malta had just come out of a very turbulent political period which had seen violence and loss of life.
The second reason was to win back that sense of security that an ancient race living on a very vulnerable rock in the middle of the Mediterranean has always craved.
The third reason was that our business, commercial and industrial base would have space to expand when provided with a huge internal market of millions.
The fourth reason was to provide young people with a wider horizon, with greater opportunities for the honing of their abilities, and with a huge job market at their disposal.
My reason for standing for the European parliament is to strengthen the supports on which all four reasons have to stand.
We have joined a union of democracies but Malta itself suffers from a number of democratic deficits. Holders of public office remain unaccountable for their actions. The Constitution of Malta is changed and amended at the will of the two parties in parliament. The Broadcasting Authority is run by the two main political parties. I could go on.
The wave of illegal immigration has shaken our confidence in the EU as our shield. Recent events have shown how unwilling the member states are to come to our rescue because they themselves are struggling to cope with the same problem. If we are to survive this tsunami, we need strong voices in Europe that will not limit themselves to pushing their party's agendas but fight for the national interest.
In the business-commercial-industrial field we have only taken advantage of the opportunities provided to a limited extent due to the bonds that tie our hands in Malta and the traditional belief that the world out there is not for us. Unless we acquire the wider vision, we shall fall behind even more.
This brings us to the educational problem confronting us. We have reformed the educational system on an almost yearly basis. The latest one, that of grouping all primary and secondary schools into a system of colleges needs a long time to be truly tested, and if we find that we have got it wrong again, we shall pay heavily for it. At this moment, almost half of Malta's young people leave education poorly equipped to face the tough demands of a globalised world. The University laments that the student intake seems to have reached a plateau with the number of young people opting for tertiary education levelling off.
These are worthy causes to fight for. We need people in the European Parliament who, above all other considerations will fight for the national interest.