On January 1, Malta and Cyprus officially adopted the euro. Both nations occupy key locations for controlling the Mediterranean, Northern Africa and Southern Europe. With these two island states joining the eurozone, the European Union’s influence in these important areas will become more deeply entrenched.

At the beginning of the new year, just after midnight, the countries’ leaders withdrew their first euros from cash machines amid fireworks and celebration. Both countries hope for great economic gains from increased investment and tourism thanks to the currency.

The EU, however, has its own reasons for wanting Malta and Cyprus in the eurozone.

Winston Churchill called the Mediterranean Europe’s “soft underbelly.” It was Malta’s heroic stand in the face of heavy Nazi bombing and a strong naval blockade that made the invasion of Italy possible in 1942. By cementing Malta into the Union, Europe is securing its southern border.

While courting Malta in 2000, then-European Commission President Romano Prodi said,

Malta and the Mediterranean are of the highest priority, even though they have been recently overtaken by the Balkan problems. The EU actively wants economic growth and cooperation in the southern Mediterranean, and Malta can contribute in this. Future peace depends on this development, and crisis would result if these efforts failed.

He went on to declare Malta to be “the southern pillar of Europe.” His views were echoed by former EU Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen:

For Europe, Malta has been described as a springboard to the whole Mediterranean region, and especially to the African and Middle Eastern shores. Malta will be at the heart of north-south relations. The goal is a stable and prosperous Mediterranean basin, with its southern and eastern flanks filling their true potential.

Europe is already thinking in terms of controlling the Middle East and Africa. To do this, it needs control of Malta, as well as Cyprus. As the Trumpet wrote in February 2003,

History shows that Cyprus has long been an attractive piece of real estate for Europe. Cyprus offers a political vantage point and a military stepping-stone, for influence and campaigns respectively, as the rising European phoenix once again spreads its wings to expand into the Middle East and beyond. In this vein, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres has stated publicly that Europeanization may not end in Cyprus, but extend into Israel to be welcomed even by the Israelis.

With their entrance to the eurozone, these two nations are becoming locked into the EU. Now that the two pillars of Malta and Cyprus are firmly in place within the Union, Europe will be better positioned to throw its weight around Africa and the Middle East.

For more information on Europe’s interest in Malta and Cyprus, read “Europe Marches South” and “Stepping-Stone to Mideast.”