james debono

Simon Busuttil is the only Maltese MEP to favour the ratification of the European Union’s new reform treaty, which will be signed by EU leaders today, by means of a referendum.
Very similar to the aborted EU constitution, which was put on the backburner after being turned down by French and Dutch voters, the new treaty widens the powers of the EU commission and the European parliament to make the 27 member union more governable.
“I do favour ratification by referendum. How can I be against?” Simon Busuttil, who was the government’s main advocate for the EU accession referendum in 2003, told MaltaToday.
The only Maltese organisation to demand a referendum so far is the leftist NGO Zminijietna, which argues that “irrespective of one’s position on the treaty, it requires democratic approval if it is to be politically legitimate.”
But Busuttil immediately toned down his support for a referendum arguing that “one has to appreciate that in Malta we had a referendum on EU membership just four years ago that was exhaustive in substance.”
According to Busuttil, the 2003 referendum covered all major implications of EU membership, pointing out that discussions on the European Constitution were already under way at that time. “This means that most of the issues now covered in the Reform Treaty were quite well covered in that debate. So, whereas I am not against a referendum, I do appreciate that given our recent experience, it would not really produce a ground-breaking debate.”
Unlike Busuttil, his Nationalist colleague David Casa – a leading exponent of the Yes campaign in the 2003 referendum – is unequivocal in excluding a referendum this time round. “Since there is general consensus on the treaty I don’t envisage the need of a referendum on the subject,” he told MaltaToday Midweek.
However, according to Casa there should be an appropriate debate both in Parliament and outside to give the opportunity to all members and those interested to air their views.
Labour MEP Joseph Muscat agrees with Casa that a referendum is not appropriate, but hits out at those who had supported the EU referendum before accession for their apparent change of heart. “I am in favour of ratification through a parliamentary debate and vote. While I am quite comfortable in expressing my position, I think that the EU institutions and those politicians in the new Member States who so enthusiastically promoted referendums as a way of giving a popular – if not populist – imprint to enlargement, will find it quite difficult to explain their sudden change of heart in favour of parliamentary ratification.”
Labour MEP Louis Grech also excludes a referendum on this issue arguing that referenda should be used very judiciously and limited to issues which involve “rationally and emotionally the larger part of society.”
He also points out that the Lisbon Treaty is more advantageous to Malta then the Nice Treaty and is very similar to the defunct European Constitution which was already approved by Malta. “Therefore a referendum would be a superfluous exercise which would be very costly for the island, especially since one could foretell with some degree of certainty the outcome of the result,” argues Grech.

Poor debate
All four MEPs who replied to MaltaToday’s questions expressed disappointment at the lack of debate on the EU’s new reform treaty. Muscat goes as far as calling the debate “mediocre”.
“Personally, I think that with the exception of a number of keynote speeches in the Maltese Parliament, most notably by Dr George Vella, the level of debate was mediocre.”
Muscat acknowledges that the Constitutional Treaty, which is very similar to the reform treaty, was discussed in greater detail. “Within the Labour Party we discussed the latter minutely and I think we took an informed decision in favour of the Treaty.”
According to Muscat, since it was the government which negotiated the Reform Treaty, the same government was duty-bound to lead the campaign explain what it’s all about. “But then again, it is obvious that our society is suffering from an EU fatigue: in other words, after so many years of hard-selling, people are fed up of EU campaigns, and most politicians – especially those who depicted membership as some sort of ‘land of milk and honey’ – are not up to facing people with the explanations.”
But Muscat is not keen on re-igniting the potentially explosive European debate, which could give a new lease of life to the dormant euro-sceptic wing of the MLP. On a personal note, he says that he favours debates on impending bread and butter issues that will have an impact on people’s standard of living, rather than “jargon-riddled debates on a treaty that might never come into force.”
David Casa is also emphatic in expressing his disappointment at the lack of any debate. “Unfortunately the level of debate is nearly non-existent. Such an important matter should have higher priority on our national agenda.”
Simon Busuttil is less resigned to the situation and is embarking on his own information campaign. “As an MEP I want to do my part too. This Saturday I am organising a first in a series of public communications initiatives on the new treaty with a public dialogue on ‘What the Treaty means to you’, to be held at St James Cavalier, Valletta at 10.00 am. Other initiatives will follow in the new year.”

Implications
According to Labour MEP Joseph Muscat, the most important development is the transferral of more co-decision powers to the European Parliament.
“After three years working in this institution, I have come to believe that this is the institution where small countries are best positioned to defend their interests, given its structure and the way in which political groups make their decisions. In fact, since membership, Malta’s voice was more effectively heard through Parliament than through the Council. Thus, a stronger voice for the European Parliament is good news for Malta.”
According to Busuttil, EU citizens stand to gain with this treaty because their EU rights will increase and the scope of action of the EU will increase as well. “As an MEP, the treaty will herald more commitment since the powers of the European Parliament will increase dramatically. Specifically regarding Malta, the sixth seat is significant but so is the increased EU competence on immigration and the new EU competence on tourism, that matter for us.”
Louis Grech says the treaty would allow the Union to be more “dynamic, active and efficient” focusing on pressing fundamental issues like climate change, economic growth, employment, global warming, poverty, regional conflicts and social goals. “It also provides for the creation of the necessary legal structure for the development of a more pro active and effective immigration and asylum policy.”
Leftist organisation Zminijietna, while reaffirming its support for a “social Europe”, was critical of the various neo-liberal polices included in the treaty. “This will further jeopardise economic and social gains of workers through the liberalisation of markets, the primacy of competition and monetarist policies that do not take into account growth and employment.”
Of particular concern to the leftist organisation is the unaccountability of the European Central Bank.

Ratification in other countries
Under a timetable agreed by all member states in the June 2007 summit, the treaty will be ratified in all member states by the end of 2008, entering into force on 1 January 2009, ahead of the next European Parliament elections.
Most states are likely to try to avoid having a referendum on the treaty – with only Ireland obliged to due to its constitution – and will aim to ratify it through their national parliaments.
In Denmark, calls are ongoing to hold a referendum on the treaty. A neutral commission will decide whether a referendum will be held for constitutional reasons, after the treaty is officially signed. In Scotland, the Scottish government has suggested it may hold a consultative referendum on the treaty; it is unclear whether such a referendum is intended to have any legal effect, however, as foreign affairs is not a competence of the Scottish parliament.
In the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and the UK, the governments have decided to ratify the treaty through parliament. In Portugal, Prime Minister Jose Socrates had pledged to hold a referendum on the European Constitution, and faces calls to hold a referendum on the Reform Treaty.

jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt