Big Brother

Once, a bus driver decided to start chatting on the European Union at three o’clock in the morning as he was driving me back home after a day’s work. At first, I felt really angry as I wanted to sleep – I was meant to wake up at seven in the morning next day – but, then, I was so absorbed into what he was telling me that it took me an hour to manage to get some sleep.

The driver’s arguments, though fallacious, did reveal a great feeling of insecurity towards the European Union. He claimed that “l-Ewropa”, as the European Project is known to Maltese, will soon be deciding to install chips inside every one of us in order to record our movements. I thought I was speaking to Orwell. I could see a wonderful metaphor in the driver’s assertion revealing his apprehension on the European Union intruding in his daily business. His assertion left me hanging and it triggered off my thoughts on the European Union and federalism.

In Malta there is a great concern amongst the citizens that the European Union may turn into a Federal State and gobble up its national identity, confirmed only until recently when Malta obtained Independence in 1964. The European Union is seen evermore as an intruder in their lives rather than as a project of peace, democracy and development. This feeling was confirmed by a survey carried out recently where 60% of the local population does not think positively of the European Union. What may be the reasons for such a feeling?

Malta, a peripheral suburb in the European Union, both geographically and also in its participation in the philosophical and political debate on the future of Europe, is not on honeymoon anymore with the European Union. It is instead disillusioned that the opportunities politicians spoke of in the run-up to the referendum and elections in 2003 are not materialising.

Possibly people feel they are not involved in the decision making process of the European Union. People may feel they are not consulted thus decisions taken in their name are seen more as an intrusion rather than as an effort to improve their livelihood. People feel lost. This is why democracy is badly needed.

The European Union needs to be more transparent in order to make citizens feel involved and reduce the fear-factor surrounding the European Project. The European Union needs to promote a greater democratic approach. I think time is ripe to initiate a real debate on the need of a European Constitution (after the first one was rejected) amongst citizens and not only on a European Council level. A bottom-up approach should be inspired thus truly practising the principal of subsidiarity.

I am avidly in favour of the European Project and I think that the European Union should be a democratic federal state where the people are involved in shaping the reality of their continent. This is why I think there is great need for democracy, great need for dialogue.

European Citizens who believe in Europe should start working in this direction. Citizens shall use all possibilities available to explore the European Project and to develop new ideas on the European Project. Anyone from anywhere shall start thinking and acting in order to continue building peace, development and prosperity.

Only by information, education and involvement shall the idea of a European Big Brother be dismantled and be replaced instead by a pro-active society ready to participate – and live – the European Project.