“In my opinion the most urgent issues
for Malta are economic development and security.
As an EU member state Malta has serious commitments
with which to keep up such as reducing national debt, fulfilling
deficit criteria and job creation. The government lacks leadership
in this field. Without economic growth Malta will not sustain
the social sector and welfare state. The success of Malta’s
EU membership will be primarily measured against economic growth.
Security issues will continue to raise their
profile in Europe and also in Malta. Security issues such as terrorism
and the future military profile of Europe are central debating
issues on the European Union leaders’ agenda. Europe requires
a stronger and more effective voice in international diplomacy
but this should not compromise the future security of Malta in
any way
Malta must ensure that the European Union
will evolve in a way that corresponds to the values and principles
enshrined in our constitution. Unfortunately Malta has a government
that has a sluggish outlook on European affairs. Our government
should be better equipped in handling the responsibilities of
membership particularly in the economic sector as well as in managing
the opportunities of membership for example in project financing.
The work that is expected of an MEP in the
European Parliament requires a substantial amount of co-ordination.
The EP will increase in importance and a lot of future legislation
will originate from European structures. Maltese MEPs need to
be well versed with the intricacies of the system but also very
aware of the impact on the Maltese economy and society that new
European legislation may have”
