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Malta joined the European Union 15 years ago last Wednesday, following a debate lasting a total of 25 years. Yes the debate as to whether to join the European Union lasted that long. The idea of EU membership was first put forward by the Nationalist Party waFifteen years on
Malta joined the European Union 15 years ago last Wednesday, following a debate lasting a total of 25 years. Yes the debate as to whether to join the European Union lasted that long. The idea of EU membership was first put forward by the Nationalist Party way back in 1979, when it was in Opposition. It needs to be stated that, even when Malta was about to gain independence from the United Kingdom in 1964, the Maltese government of the time had floated the idea of membership of the Common Market (as the EU was known then). Once the PN was elected to govern the country in 1987, it set into motion the process of submitting a formal application, which it did in 1990. That application process was frozen between end of 1996 and end of 1998 and it was reactivated once the PN was back in government after the 1998 general election. This broad historical background is important because it shows that the decision to become a member of the EU was not taken lightly. I would go as far as saying that those who had initially opposed EU membership have helped to ensure that Malta really negotiated the best possible conditions. The old adage of the thesis and antithesis merging into a synthesis... Read more
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