Evolution of a controversy

Last Tuesday's EP 'grilling' of Malta's Commissioner-designate Tonio Borg has dragged out into the open certain previously invisible tensions that exist between Malta's political parties and their counterparts in the rest of Europe.

Truth be told, it has long been apparent that the two main Maltese political parties are completely out of synch with their colleagues in the European Parliament on a number of issues - and these discrepancies were already amply illustrated in the build-up to the 2003 referendum on EU membership.

It was only 10 years ago that the Labour Party had campaigned vigorously against EU accession under Alfred Sant: at a time when most (if not all) European Socialist parties were staunchly in favour.

Likewise, the Nationalists had advocated membership almost as a 'do-or-die' affair before accession... only to turn around afterwards and work to keep the non-financial benefits of EU membership from reaching Malta.

As a result, the concept of 'European values', touted with such impunity before that referendum, has filtered down to us through a rather distorted lens. The conservative Nationalist Party found itself championing a Union which, on closer scrutiny, embraces ideals which are a good deal more liberal than those associated locally with the PN.

And ironically, the 'progressive, moderate and liberal' Labour Party is closer to the PN on the same issues than it is to its own allies in Europe.

This tension was manifest in a statement this week by the president of the European Socialists and Democrats, Hannes Swoboda, who said: "We regret that the Maltese government did not nominate a candidate with a less controversial track record and with more commitment to European values such as women's and LGBT rights, which are particularly dear to the S&D Group."

Women's rights include access to safe abortion: which - distasteful though this may be to a large majority in Malta - is also funded through EU programmes which would fall directly under the portfolio of Tonio Borg, should he be accepted as Health Commissioner.

As Swoboda makes clear, this right is of pivotal importance to European Socialists... and yet Maltese Socialists oppose abortions on all fronts and without any exception whatsoever.

Naturally both PL and PN are free to embrace whichever values they choose - but they cannot continue to pretend that such policies do not cause them problems at European level.

Above all, they cannot expect an increasingly well-informed Maltese public to simply carry on accepting without question such glaring double standards whereby Maltese and European values are not only different, but practically irreconcilable.

This tension between European and local ideals would explain many of the serious reservations expressed to date concerning Borg's nomination to the College of Commissioners. It also suggests that, by nominating precisely Tonio Borg for this sensitive position, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has invited open confrontation between the two conflicting value-systems... though it remains unclear whether he did this deliberately in order to provoke discussion; or accidentally, as a by-product of a nomination that was motivated more by local concerns.

Either way, it is a good thing that these tensions have finally come out into the open, and some kind of confrontation has become both necessary and long, long overdue.

To his credit, Tonio Borg handled Tuesday's hearing with great confidence, and demonstrated that he would make an effective Commissioner if accepted. But his performance also illustrated the potential risk local politicians run when they try to lead (so to speak) a double life: speaking one language at home and another away.

It is significant that Borg's repeated assurances that he would 'respect the Treaties' were rejected by MEPs, to the extent that he is now being asked for further guarantees.

Clearly, MEPs were not entirely deceived by Borg's sudden change in tone; and it is becoming increasingly evident that the section of Maltese society that still falls for such obvious ploys is constantly diminishing.

So whether Borg is confirmed next Wednesday or not, this entire experience will have served as a very useful eye-opener for Maltese politicians and voters alike.

Apart from exposing the traditional shallowness of our local approach to such issues as women's reproductive rights, we have also been treated to an insider glimpse at how seriously the same issues are treated in the rest of the EU.

Moreover, on an individual level politicians would be well advised to moderate their tone when talking about such matters in front of a local audience.

Borg's experience will have surely made them more mindful of the gulf that exists between 'European' and 'Maltese' values: and how very poorly certain statements would be received in a European context, no matter how well they might go down with some sections of the local population.

Above all, political parties should tread with the utmost caution when associating themselves with lobbies, campaigns and special interest groups that would be considered fundamentalist and extreme by European standards.

In an age of globalised communications networks, we can no longer conveniently change mask between Brussels and Malta, and imagine that nobody will tell the difference.