Speech from Mr Jason Azzopardi,
Member of the EPP-ED Group (Malta),
in the European Parliament
on Tuesday, 4 May 2004

The future of the enlarged Union - Towards a European Constitution






Azzopardi (EPP-ED). - Mr President, humbled and honoured at the privilege granted to me as the first MEP from Malta to address this Assembly so soon after enlargement, I believe that the European Constitution should emphasise a union of citizens just as much as a union of sovereign states � a Union based on the value of 'personalism' and not of individualism.

There is no viable alternative to a Union of nation states, intertwined with a clear recognition of an unmistakable historical fact: Europe's Christian roots, values and heritage. Without such heritage we would not have had the works of Dante, Petrarch, Raphael, Michelangelo and others all inspired by a Christian leitmotif, or the labour of love and Christian faith involved in building the cathedrals and churches of our European cities, including Strasbourg. 'Yes' to European laicism, but 'no' to secularisation. I shall continue in Maltese.


(MT) Mr President, I believe in a Europe where it is essential for its legitimacy and credibility to speak categorically with one voice in the international arena.

We must have a European Constitution where the rule of law is the same for all, a Europe of the power of the law and not of the law of power or one which favours the strongest. A Constitution that confirms that every State is equal, even by acknowledging Malta�s right to have six seats in this Parliament. Malta must be represented effectively in the same manner as all other States.

Mr President, we created and moulded Europe. Now it is important that everyone feels equally European. This must be the crux of the European Constitution and Malta will be working to achieve all this.