Maltese European Union membership referendum, 2003
Encyclopedia
The 2003 Maltese European Union membership referendum took place on Saturday, 8 March 2003 to decide whether Malta
should join the European Union
(EU). A narrow majority voted in favour of joining but the opposition Labour Party
rejected the result of the referendum
. The victory of the Nationalist Party
in the 2003 general election
confirmed the result of the referendum and Malta joined the EU on 1 May 2004.
The Maltese referendum saw the highest turnout, and the lowest support for joining, of any of the 9 states which held referendums on joining the EU in 2003.
summit
in December 2002 and Malta was invited to join the EU in 2004.
The government of Malta announced in January 2003 that a non binding referendum on membership would be held on the 8 March 2003 at the same time as local election
s.
Do you agree that Malta should become a member of the European Union in the enlargement that is to take place on 1 May 2004?
. They said that Malta needed the EU in order to cope with globalisation and accused the opposition of scaremongering
.
The Labour opposition feared that EU membership would cost jobs due to the lowering of trade barrier
s and jeopardise Malta's independence. They preferred that Malta formed a partnership with the EU rather than seeking membership and called on Maltese votes to either spoil their ballot papers, abstain or vote no. One billboard
for the no campaign showed the Prime Minister
Eddie Fenech Adami
wearing a Diaper
made of the flag of Europe.
The small Democratic Alternative party
and the English language
newspapers supported membership. However the largest trade union
in Malta, the General Workers' Union
opposed membership.
did not concede defeat and said the issue would be settled at the upcoming general election
. He argued that only 48% of registered voters
had voted yes and that therefore a majority had opposed membership by voting no, abstaining or spoiling their ballot. The day after the referendum the Prime Minister called the election for the 12 April as expected, though it was not required until January 2004.
The main issue in the 2003 election
was EU membership and the Nationalist party's victory enabled Malta to join on the 1 May 2004.
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
should join the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU). A narrow majority voted in favour of joining but the opposition Labour Party
Malta Labour Party
The Labour Party is, along with the Nationalist Party, one of two major contemporary political parties in Malta. It is the party of opposition in the Maltese House of Representatives where it has thirty-four of the sixty-nine seats.- Party Structure :...
rejected the result of the referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
. The victory of the Nationalist Party
Nationalist Party (Malta)
The Nationalist Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in Malta, along with the Labour Party. It was founded by Fortunato Mizzi in 1880 as the Anti-Reform Party, opposing taxation decreed by the British colonial authorities and measures to Anglicise the educational and the...
in the 2003 general election
Maltese general election, 2003
General elections were held in Malta on 12 April 2003. They were won by the Nationalist Party on a pro-EU platform....
confirmed the result of the referendum and Malta joined the EU on 1 May 2004.
The Maltese referendum saw the highest turnout, and the lowest support for joining, of any of the 9 states which held referendums on joining the EU in 2003.
Background
After the Nationalist Party won the 1998 election they reactivated Malta's membership application, which had been suspended by the previous Labour government. Negotiations to join were finished at the CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
summit
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
in December 2002 and Malta was invited to join the EU in 2004.
The government of Malta announced in January 2003 that a non binding referendum on membership would be held on the 8 March 2003 at the same time as local election
Local election
Local elections vary widely across jurisdictions. In electoral systems that roughly follow the Westminster model, a terminology has evolved with roles such as Mayor or Warden to describe the executive of a city, town or region, although the actual means of elections vary...
s.
Referendum question
The question voted in on in the referendum was confirmed on the 3 January 2003. It was:Do you agree that Malta should become a member of the European Union in the enlargement that is to take place on 1 May 2004?
Campaign
In the run up to the referendum polls showed voters were evenly divided over EU membership. The Nationalist government argued that Malta would receive EU funds for the roads and tourist industryTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. They said that Malta needed the EU in order to cope with globalisation and accused the opposition of scaremongering
Fear mongering
Fear mongering is the use of fear to influence the opinions and actions of others towards some specific end...
.
The Labour opposition feared that EU membership would cost jobs due to the lowering of trade barrier
Trade barrier
Trade barriers are government-induced restrictions on international trade. The barriers can take many forms, including the following:* Tariffs* Non-tariff barriers to trade** Import licenses** Export licenses** Import quotas** Subsidies...
s and jeopardise Malta's independence. They preferred that Malta formed a partnership with the EU rather than seeking membership and called on Maltese votes to either spoil their ballot papers, abstain or vote no. One billboard
Billboard (advertising)
A billboard is a large outdoor advertising structure , typically found in high traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertisements to passing pedestrians and drivers...
for the no campaign showed the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Malta
The Prime Minister of Malta is the Head of Government of Malta.-Establishment of the office and developments:The office of "Head of Ministry" was created as soon as Malta was granted autonomous government in 1921. The 1921 constitution was suspended twice before being revoked...
Eddie Fenech Adami
Eddie Fenech Adami
Edward “Eddie” Fenech Adami is a Maltese politician who was Prime Minister of Malta from 1987 until 1996 and again from 1998 until 2004...
wearing a Diaper
Diaper
A nappy or a diaper is a kind of pant that allows one to defecate or urinate on oneself discreetly. When diapers become soiled, they require changing; this process is often performed by a second person such as a parent or caregiver...
made of the flag of Europe.
The small Democratic Alternative party
Democratic Alternative (Malta)
The Democratic Alternative is a Green political party in Malta, particularly dedicated to environmentalism.-History:Democratic Alternative was founded in 1989 when former Malta Labour Party President Toni Abela and former Labour MP and Parliamentary whip Wenzu Mintoff joined a number of...
and the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
newspapers supported membership. However the largest trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
in Malta, the General Workers' Union
General Workers' Union (Malta)
The General Workers' Union is a national trade union center in Malta.The GWU was founded in 1943 and has been politically identified with the Labour Party as the trade union is the major left-wing trade union in Malta...
opposed membership.
Results
| Electorate | Spoilt votes | Turnout (%) | For (%) | Against (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 297,881 | 3,911 | 270,650 (90.86) | 143,094 (53.65) | 123,628 (46.35) |
| Source: The Maltese EU Accession Referendum | ||||
Aftermath
Supporters of the Nationalist party celebrated the result of the referendum but the Labour leader Alfred SantAlfred Sant
Alfred Sant is a Maltese politician. He led the Labour Party from 1992 to 2008 and served as Prime Minister of Malta between 1996 and 1998 and as Leader of the Opposition from 1992 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2008....
did not concede defeat and said the issue would be settled at the upcoming general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
. He argued that only 48% of registered voters
Voter registration
Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed to vote in elections. An effort to get people to register is known as a voter registration drive.-Centralized/compulsory vs...
had voted yes and that therefore a majority had opposed membership by voting no, abstaining or spoiling their ballot. The day after the referendum the Prime Minister called the election for the 12 April as expected, though it was not required until January 2004.
The main issue in the 2003 election
Maltese general election, 2003
General elections were held in Malta on 12 April 2003. They were won by the Nationalist Party on a pro-EU platform....
was EU membership and the Nationalist party's victory enabled Malta to join on the 1 May 2004.