‘Don't shy away from inspiring others’

Abstract

While it may have taken a few hard knocks of late, the European Union (EU) is still a cornerstone in the lives of the continent's citizens. And with the rising tide of populism the world over, fuelled by values which are the polar opposite of the EU's unity-in-diversity model and putting into question the sustainability of the EU, it becomes easy to forget about its advantages. It also becomes easy to forget just how impassioned and hard-fought the road towards accession was for some countries-Malta included. For millenniaIs, the EU referendum in 2003 was, in many ways, our first truly 'political' moment. Beyond the rote rhythms of party politics, the event gave us the feeling that something larger than us was happening. History was being shaped right in front of our eyes.