La Valletta, 13/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - "I want to make it clear that neither today nor in the foreseeable future does Labour believe that Malta's option forward should be that of becoming a full member of the European Union. It increasingly appears that this option is not to Malta's advantage, over the short term, or even the long term (…). The more time passes, the greater becomes the number of citizens who are understanding such a conclusion and agreeing with it. Apart from this, full membership of Malta in the European Union would contradict the neutrality of the island, as defined in our constitution". It was in such terms that the leader of the Maltese Labour Party, Alfred Sant, expressed his views during a speech given at the Maltese parliament last week, on the occasion of Romano Prodi's visit to La Valletta.
It would be a mistake to think there is "only one model" of development in Europe, and that this model "consists of ensuring that every square meter of the European land area, must become one hundred per cent part of the structures of the European Union, as if these were the expression of some Pax Romana", added the leader of the Maltese opposition, for whom "the best option for Malta is the establishment of an industrial free trade zone with the European Union" (as proposed by the Labour government before the 1998 elections). Labour maintains "the best option both for Malta and for the European Union is the special relationship I have just described", repeated Mr Sant.