An alternative approach to Maltese international politics (1990 -1995)

Abstract

This publication contains six papers on Malta's role and initiatives on the international scene. Having been written and presented a handful of years ago, i.e. between 1990 and 1995, the papers might seem quite outdated to a 1996 reader. Nevertheless, they do provide a clear testimony to the fact that during the five years in question the political structures in Europe underwent a complete overhaul: the Warsaw Pact was disbanded; the Partnership for Peace Programme came into being; the Rome Treaty was updated by means of the Maastricht Treaty; the European Community became the European Union; the Maastricht Treaty is, at the moment, going through a thorough revision process at the Intergovernmental Conference (IOC). The stress in this publication lies on an alternative approach to politics. The alternative approach to Maltese international politics I have in mind, is one that privileges the search for peaceful solutions to military intervention; one that gives resonance to the social and ecological dimension; one that insists on cooperation and solidarity amongst all peoples; one that gives great relevance to the respect of minorities and the tolerance of divergent views; one that attributes a leading role in politics to culture and language; one that promotes policies based on reciprocal understanding amongst different races, peoples and creeds. By harbouring this vision of politics I might be described as being more of an idealist dreamer than a pragmatic politician. My answer is simple: history has proven that the traditional way of handling political issues has not led to everlasting peace. Maybe, a fair dose of fantasy and visionary dreams might simply do the trick and thus translate the idea of unity in diversity into a reality. This is something which all true democrats should aspire to achieve.