Li tkun favur l-Unjoni Ewropea u s-sehem ta’ Malta fiha ma jfissirx li taqbel ma kull ma jiġri fi Brussels u l-istrutturi tal-EU.
Dan hu l-punt prinċipali li joħroġ mill-artiklu/diskussjoni ta’ Fr Peter fis-Sunday Times tal-Ħadd li għadda intitolat A pro-European ‘bravi’ to the Irish voters.
Punti ta’ min jixtarrhom f’din id-diskussjoni/artiklu huma s-segwenti :
- Oddly enough, I sympathise with the reactions expressed by Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, although he is motivated by Euroscepticism and I by deep attachment to the authentic European ideal.
- I am amazed that almost all those who reacted locally to the Irish ‘No’ have lamented the likely loss of our sixth MEP at least at the next European Parliament elections, but none of them has pointed out that with the treaty we would instead lose always having a Maltese Commissioner as well as our turn in the six-monthly cycle of hosting the Presidency on our own.
- ……. it was strategically opportune for the Maltese Parliament to ratify both the Constitution and the Lisbon Treaty. However, we should also be grateful to the Irish for following the example of the French and the Dutch and voting ‘No’.
Fi ftit kliem, Fr Peter il-konsulent tal-Gvern qed jgħidilna li m’hemmx għaliex jiddispjaċina li l-Irlanda qalet le. Għalkemm dan hemm min ha pjaċir bih (għax huwa kontra dak li tirrappreżenta l-Unjoni Ewropea) fl-aħħar dak li ġara jista’ jkun ta’ ġid għalina ukoll.
ara ukoll il-post intitolat L-Irlanda tgħid le għall-Ewropa datat 13 ta’ Gunju 2008
Blog ta' Carmel Cacopardo 
I agree completely with the views expressed by Fr. Peter and I admire his guts for expressing himself so openly on the subject. I too am for the E.U. and believe we did well to join. But we have to guard against a ‘sit back attitude – others in Brussels will do for us whatever is required’. There seems to be at least convergence on one point: it is up to us Maltese to chase the issues that concern us nationally. Nobody else will do it for us.
Prosit lis-Sur Cacopardo għall-attenzjoni li ġibed fuq l-artiklu ta’ Fr Peter dwar il-“LE” fir-referendum tal-Irlanda. Naħseb li t-tielet punt li ffoka fuqu Cacopardo jista’ jiġi nterpretat bħala xi kontradizzjoni. Minn naħa waħda jgħid li mn’Alla l-Irlandiżi qalu “Le” u min-naħa l-oħra jgħid li Malta, permezz tal-Parlament kien jaqblilha tirratifika kemm il-Kostituzzjoni (Ewropeja) u kemm it-Trattat ta’ Lisbona.
Fir-risposta tieghu, Joseph V Grech kiteb ukoll li: “There seems to be at least convergence on one point: it is up to us Maltese to chase the issues that concern us nationally. Nobody else will do it for us.”
X’inhuma dawn l-issues li jikkonċernawna bħala Maltin fil-qafas tal-Unjoni Ewropeja?
Il-mertu tal-artiklu ta’ Fr Peter, fl-opinjoni tiegħi, huwa li jgħinna nifhmu x’inhuma dawn l-issues. L-aktar żewġ issues li jolqtuna b’mod immedjat huma dawk li diġa ssemmew, jiġifieri (a) li ma jkollniex is-sitt siġġu fil-Parlament Ewropew u (b) wisq aktar importanti minn hekk, huwa li ma jkollniex aktar id-dritt la għal Kummissarju Ewropew u lanqas għall-Presidenza tal-Unjoni.
Aktar minn hekk imbagħad, hemm il-kwistjoni dwar x’tip ta’ demokrazija għandu jkollna fl-Unjoni; jiġifieri jekk id-deċiżjonijiet għandhomx jittieħdu bil-maġġoranza tal-voti jew inkella bil-kunsens bejn l-istati membri. Din il-kwistjoni terġa’ tiftaħ beraħ id-dibattitu bejn dawk li jridu Federazzjoni u dawk li jridu għaqda inter-Governattiva, dik li hu jsejħilha bħala “network’.
Nemmen li din hija l-qofol tal-kwistjoni kollha ewropeja. U aħna, issa li sirna wkoll ċittadini ewropej, importanti li nkunu ċari dwar il-pożizzjoni tagħna. Minkejja li l-pressjoni favur Ewropa federali hija qawwija, tajjeb li dejjem inżommu quddiem għajnejna l-għan oriġinali u fl-istess ħin fundamentali tad-demokrazija ewropeja, jiġifieri li jinħoloq bilanċ bejn l-istatus ndaqs taċ-ċittadini u l-istatus indaqs tal-istati membri.
M’hemmx dubju li kulmin tinteressah il-kwistjoni ewropeja ghandu jixtarr sewwa dak li qal Fr Peter fl-intervista kkwotata minn Cacopardo.