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A year and a half after Malta’s entry into the European Union, despite the difficulties that the island is going through, the clear division in public opinion about the wisdom or not of that entry has been greatly reduced and now seems a distant memory. The country now seems more united in tackling the challenges of membership of the 25-member Union. From a survey conducted by Eurobarometer between October and November 2005, and published in December, it emerges that, according to 55% of the Maltese, the island has benefited from entry into the EU: 45% expressed a positive, only 19% a negative, image of the Union. The greatest confidence was shown in the European Parliament (63%), whereas 60% expressed confidence in the Commission. In July 2005 the Maltese Parliament unanimously ratified the Constitutional Treaty of the EU, and the majority of Maltese citizens said they agreed that the Constitution would make the Union more democratic, more efficient, more transparent, stronger at the international, more competitive at the economic level, and more dedicated to the social dimension of Europe. Despite that, Europe is going through a difficult period, in particular as regards the continuing impasse of the Constitutional Treaty. The multiplicity of ideas on the future of Europe reflects the rich cultural diversity present within the member states. This cultural diversity should be seen not as a weakness but as a strong point. It is only once we recognise and accept that we are not equal that we can turn to account what, on the contrary, is common to all of us as Europeans. These common denominators include the shared Christian heritage. All the Christians of Europe ought to make an effort to seek to revive in the minds and hearts of Europe’s citizens, including their leaders, the great contribution that Christianity has given to the past of the continent: that heritage has given form to its present and helps Europe to confront the future with courage and confidence. But what are the hopes of the Maltese in the European Union? Mainly two: a common policy of security and defence, and a greater involvement of EU citizens in European affairs. Only 24% of the Maltese consider that they are involved: a percentage lower than the average of the Union as a whole, equivalent to 26% (24% for the new member states). The vast majority of citizens of the island agree on the fact that it is the European institutions (84%), the Maltese government (90%) and the local governments (89%) that ought to commit themselves more to a greater involvement of citizens in the European Union.
