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Nationalist Party (Malta)
Encyclopedia
The Nationalist Party (PN, Maltese
: Partit Nazzjonalista) 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 judicial systems. The presence of Italian refugees from the Risorgimento gave the party a liberal
constitutionalist character (which caused friction between Mizzi and the Church in the Party's early days) and a pro-Italian stance which lasted until the Second World War.
Party officials include the Leader, Deputy Leader, Secretary-General, Presidents of the Party's three councils, Treasurer, International Secretary, Secretary of the Parliamentary Group, Deputy Secretary-General and President of the College of Local Councillors.
The General Council is made up of delegates and representatives from the other Party structure, the largest number being delegates elected by the Sectional Committees. The General Council elects and approves the Party Leader and Deputy Leader, approves the electoral programme, approves the Secretary-General's report on the state of the Party and amends the Party Statute. The Executive Council is made up of the Party's highest officials, representatives of the General Council, Parliamentary Groups, Sectional Committees and the Party branches and MEPs. The Executive Committee is the political and policy making body of the Party and, amongst other things, elects most of the Party officials, approves candidates, drafts the electoral programme and lays out the broad policy guidelines. The Administrative Council is made up of Party officials and deals with Party organisation.
The Party is organised geographically in Sectional Committees which are then organised in District Fora with special special provisions applying for Party organisation in Gozo
. The Parliamentary Group and the College of Local Councillors bring together the Party's elected representatives in parliament and local councils
. The Party's branches include youth, women's, seniors', workers' and entrapreneurs' sections.
Although not part of the Party structure, the Party owns a number of companies including a media company, Media.Link Communications. This company runs NET Television
and Radio 101
which broadcast free-to-air
nationally, newspapers in Maltese (In-Nazzjon and Il-Mument), a media library and the online news portal Maltarightnow.
.
Following the First World War a broader and more moderate coalition, the Maltese Political Union (UPM), was formed but a more radical and pro-Italian group, the Democratic Nationalist Party (PDN), split from the main party. The two groups contested the first legislative elections of 1921 but in separate constituencies so as not to damage each other's chances. However, after elections the UPM, which emerged as the largest Party in the Legislative Assembly, chose Labour as its coalition partner.
The parties again contested the 1924 elections separately although this time they did form a coalition, eventually merging in 1926 under the old name of Nationalist Party. It lost its first elections as a re-unified Party in 1927 to the "Compact", an electoral alliance between the Constitutional Party and Labour.
A constitutional crisis, resulting from a dispute between the Church and the Constitutional Party
, meant that elections were suspended in 1930. They were held again in 1932 when the Nationalists emerged victorious (21 seats out of 32). However, the Nationalists did not last long in government. The colonial authorities, concerned at the rise of fascist
Italy in the Mediterranean and Africa, suspended the government and the constitution on the pretext that government's measures to strengthen instruction of Italian in schools violated the Constitution.
The Nationalists received what could have been their coup de grâce during the War. Their association with Italy, the wartime enemy, antagonised them with the electorate and their leader, Enrico Mizzi
(son of Fortunato) was first interned and then exiled to Uganda
during the War along with other supporters of the Party. The Party did not even contest the 1945 elections for the Council of Government which for the first time raised the Labour Party from third-party
status to that of a major party at the expense of the Constitutionals.
Notwithstanding, the Nationalist Party survived and in its first major electoral test, the legislative elections of 1947
, it managed to stay ahead of various splinters that had formed from people who did not want to be associated with the main party. In the following 1950 elections
, a very damaging split occurred in the ranks of the governing Labour Party resulting in two parties: the Malta Labour Party
(MLP) and the Malta Workers' Party (MWP). This helped the Nationalists become the largest party in the Legislative Assembly and form a minority government which, though short-lived, re-established the Nationalist Party as a major political party. Enrico Mizzi
was sworn in as Prime Minister, but died after three months in December.
Two subsequent elections were held in 1951 and 1953 where the Nationalists formed short-lived coalitions with the Malta Workers Party
(which, over the years, eventually disintegrated). The Party lost the 1955 elections
to Labour and the following years it led the campaign against the Labour Government's proposal for Integration with Britain. Integration failed largely because Britain lost interest after the Suez fiasco and the constitution was again revoked in 1958 following massive disturbances over redundancies at the Malta Drydocks.
A new constitution was enacted in 1961. The Nationalists, led by George Borg Olivier won the 1962 elections, fought largely over the issue of independence and having as a backdrop a second politico-religious crisis this time between the Church and the Labour Party. Independence was achieved in 1964 and the Party was returned to office in elections in 1966. It lost the 1971 elections by a narrow margin and lost again in 1976.
In the elections of 1981 the party, now led by Eddie Fenech Adami
achieved an absolute majority of votes for the first time since 1933 but it did not gain a parliamentary majority and so remained in the opposition. A crisis followed with the party MPs refusing to take their seats. Amendments to the constitution in 1987 meant that the party was voted into office that same year.
In 1990 the government formally applied to join the European Community. A wide-raging programme of liberalisation and public investments meant the return to office with a larger majority in 1992. However, the party was defeated in the 1996 elections. The stint in opposition would last only 22 months as the government soon lost its one-seat majority. The party won the 1998 elections convincingly, a feat that was repeated in 2003 following the conclusions of accession negotiations with the European Union
in 2002. Malta joined the European Union
in 2004. The Nationalist Party won narrowly the general elections in 2008.
Since Independence in 1964, the Nationalist Party has democratically won the absolute majority of votes cast in five out of ten general elections, in 1981 (despite which they did not obtain a parliamentary majority), 1987, 1992, 1998 and 2003. In 1966 and 2008 it won with a relative majority.
.
It is a member of the European People's Party
(EPP) and it returned its two incumbent MEPs, Simon Busuttil
and David Casa
, in the European Parliament election
held in June 2009. Casa and Busuttil will sit with the EPP Group.
The party is led by Lawrence Gonzi
, who was elected Leader on 3 March 2004. He was confirmed Leader of the Party on 11 May 2008, after his victory at the polls held on the 8th March.
During the first years of the 21st century, the Nationalist Party embarked on a project to rebuild its headquarters in Pietà. This project was realized on 21 June 2008, when it was inaugurated by Lawrence Gonzi
.
Maltese language
Maltese is the national language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English,while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic...
: Partit Nazzjonalista) is one of two major contemporary political parties in Malta
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...
, along with the Labour Party. It was founded by Fortunato Mizzi
Fortunato Mizzi
Fortunato Mizzi was the founder of the Anti-Reform Party and also the one who started the process which eventually led to Malta's independence...
in 1880 as the Anti-Reform Party, opposing taxation decreed by the British colonial
Crown colony
A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....
authorities and measures to Anglicise the educational and the judicial systems. The presence of Italian refugees from the Risorgimento gave the party a liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
constitutionalist character (which caused friction between Mizzi and the Church in the Party's early days) and a pro-Italian stance which lasted until the Second World War.
Party structure
The Party structures are the General, Executive and Administrative Councils, the Parliamentary Group, the District Fora and Sectional Committees, the College of Local Councillors and a number of Party branches.Party officials include the Leader, Deputy Leader, Secretary-General, Presidents of the Party's three councils, Treasurer, International Secretary, Secretary of the Parliamentary Group, Deputy Secretary-General and President of the College of Local Councillors.
The General Council is made up of delegates and representatives from the other Party structure, the largest number being delegates elected by the Sectional Committees. The General Council elects and approves the Party Leader and Deputy Leader, approves the electoral programme, approves the Secretary-General's report on the state of the Party and amends the Party Statute. The Executive Council is made up of the Party's highest officials, representatives of the General Council, Parliamentary Groups, Sectional Committees and the Party branches and MEPs. The Executive Committee is the political and policy making body of the Party and, amongst other things, elects most of the Party officials, approves candidates, drafts the electoral programme and lays out the broad policy guidelines. The Administrative Council is made up of Party officials and deals with Party organisation.
The Party is organised geographically in Sectional Committees which are then organised in District Fora with special special provisions applying for Party organisation in Gozo
Gozo
Gozo is a small island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago...
. The Parliamentary Group and the College of Local Councillors bring together the Party's elected representatives in parliament and local councils
Local councils of Malta
Since 1993, Malta has been subdivided into 68 local councils or localities . These form the most basic form of local government and there are no intermediate levels between it and the national level...
. The Party's branches include youth, women's, seniors', workers' and entrapreneurs' sections.
Although not part of the Party structure, the Party owns a number of companies including a media company, Media.Link Communications. This company runs NET Television
NET Television (Malta)
NET Television is the television station owned by the Nationalist Party in Malta....
and Radio 101
Radio 101
Radio 101 may refer to:* Radio 101 * Radio 101 * Radio 101 * Radio 101 , owned by the Arnoldo Mondadori Editore group* Radio 101...
which broadcast free-to-air
Free-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
nationally, newspapers in Maltese (In-Nazzjon and Il-Mument), a media library and the online news portal Maltarightnow.
History
In its early years the party was divided between abstentionists and anti-abstentionists. The abstentionists would immediately resign their post in the Council of Government immediately upon election as a protest against the token representation of the electorate on the Council; the anti-abstentionists favoured co-operation with the colonial authorities in order to work for a better constitutionConstitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
.
Following the First World War a broader and more moderate coalition, the Maltese Political Union (UPM), was formed but a more radical and pro-Italian group, the Democratic Nationalist Party (PDN), split from the main party. The two groups contested the first legislative elections of 1921 but in separate constituencies so as not to damage each other's chances. However, after elections the UPM, which emerged as the largest Party in the Legislative Assembly, chose Labour as its coalition partner.
The parties again contested the 1924 elections separately although this time they did form a coalition, eventually merging in 1926 under the old name of Nationalist Party. It lost its first elections as a re-unified Party in 1927 to the "Compact", an electoral alliance between the Constitutional Party and Labour.
A constitutional crisis, resulting from a dispute between the Church and the Constitutional Party
Constitutional Party (Malta)
The Constitutional Party was a Maltese political party which had representatives in the Maltese Legislative Assembly and Council of Government between 1921 and 1945 and 1950 and 1953, forming a government between 1927 and 1930 with the support of the Labour Party. A splinter group, the Progressive...
, meant that elections were suspended in 1930. They were held again in 1932 when the Nationalists emerged victorious (21 seats out of 32). However, the Nationalists did not last long in government. The colonial authorities, concerned at the rise of fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
Italy in the Mediterranean and Africa, suspended the government and the constitution on the pretext that government's measures to strengthen instruction of Italian in schools violated the Constitution.
The Nationalists received what could have been their coup de grâce during the War. Their association with Italy, the wartime enemy, antagonised them with the electorate and their leader, Enrico Mizzi
Enrico Mizzi
Enrico "Nerik" Mizzi was a Maltese politician, leader of the Nationalist Party and Prime Minister of Malta....
(son of Fortunato) was first interned and then exiled to Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
during the War along with other supporters of the Party. The Party did not even contest the 1945 elections for the Council of Government which for the first time raised the Labour Party from third-party
Third party (politics)
In a two-party system of politics, the term third party is sometimes applied to a party other than the two dominant ones. While technically the term is limited to the third largest party or third oldest party, it is common, though innumerate, shorthand for any smaller party.For instance, in the...
status to that of a major party at the expense of the Constitutionals.
Notwithstanding, the Nationalist Party survived and in its first major electoral test, the legislative elections of 1947
Maltese general election, 1947
|-!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Party!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|%!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Seats|-...
, it managed to stay ahead of various splinters that had formed from people who did not want to be associated with the main party. In the following 1950 elections
Maltese general election, 1950
|-!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Party!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|%!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Seats|-...
, a very damaging split occurred in the ranks of the governing Labour Party resulting in two parties: the Malta 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 :...
(MLP) and the Malta Workers' Party (MWP). This helped the Nationalists become the largest party in the Legislative Assembly and form a minority government which, though short-lived, re-established the Nationalist Party as a major political party. Enrico Mizzi
Enrico Mizzi
Enrico "Nerik" Mizzi was a Maltese politician, leader of the Nationalist Party and Prime Minister of Malta....
was sworn in as Prime Minister, but died after three months in December.
Two subsequent elections were held in 1951 and 1953 where the Nationalists formed short-lived coalitions with the Malta Workers Party
Malta Workers Party
The Malta Workers Party was a political party in Malta in the 1950s.The Labour Party under the leadership of Paul Boffa had won 24 out of 40 seats in the Maltese general election, 1947. The party split in 1949 following disputes between Boffa and his deputy Dom Mintoff...
(which, over the years, eventually disintegrated). The Party lost the 1955 elections
Maltese general election, 1955
|-!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Party!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|%!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Seats|-...
to Labour and the following years it led the campaign against the Labour Government's proposal for Integration with Britain. Integration failed largely because Britain lost interest after the Suez fiasco and the constitution was again revoked in 1958 following massive disturbances over redundancies at the Malta Drydocks.
A new constitution was enacted in 1961. The Nationalists, led by George Borg Olivier won the 1962 elections, fought largely over the issue of independence and having as a backdrop a second politico-religious crisis this time between the Church and the Labour Party. Independence was achieved in 1964 and the Party was returned to office in elections in 1966. It lost the 1971 elections by a narrow margin and lost again in 1976.
In the elections of 1981 the party, now led by 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...
achieved an absolute majority of votes for the first time since 1933 but it did not gain a parliamentary majority and so remained in the opposition. A crisis followed with the party MPs refusing to take their seats. Amendments to the constitution in 1987 meant that the party was voted into office that same year.
In 1990 the government formally applied to join the European Community. A wide-raging programme of liberalisation and public investments meant the return to office with a larger majority in 1992. However, the party was defeated in the 1996 elections. The stint in opposition would last only 22 months as the government soon lost its one-seat majority. The party won the 1998 elections convincingly, a feat that was repeated in 2003 following the conclusions of accession negotiations with 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...
in 2002. Malta joined 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...
in 2004. The Nationalist Party won narrowly the general elections in 2008.
Since Independence in 1964, the Nationalist Party has democratically won the absolute majority of votes cast in five out of ten general elections, in 1981 (despite which they did not obtain a parliamentary majority), 1987, 1992, 1998 and 2003. In 1966 and 2008 it won with a relative majority.
Today
The party presently holds 35 seats in the 69 member House of RepresentativesPolitics of Malta
The politics of Malta takes place within a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Malta is the constitutional head of state. Executive Authority is vested in the President of Malta with the general direction and control of the Government of Malta...
.
It is a member of the European People's Party
European People's Party
The European People's Party is a pro-European centre-right European political party. The EPP was founded in 1976 by Christian democratic parties, but later it increased its membership to include conservative parties and parties of other centre-right perspectives.The EPP is the most influential of...
(EPP) and it returned its two incumbent MEPs, Simon Busuttil
Simon Busuttil
Simon Busuttil is a Maltese politician and Member of the European Parliament. He is a member of the Nationalist Party, a member of the bureau of the European People's Party, and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control and its Committee on Budgets.He is also a substitute...
and David Casa
David Casa
David Casa is a Maltese politician and Member of the European Parliament. He is a member of the Nationalist Party, which is part of the European People's Party....
, in the European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2009 (Malta)
The European Parliament election of 2009 in Malta was the election of the delegation from Malta to the European Parliament in 2009. The elections were held on June 6 on the same day as the Maltese local council elections, 2009....
held in June 2009. Casa and Busuttil will sit with the EPP Group.
The party is led by Lawrence Gonzi
Lawrence Gonzi
Lawrence Gonzi is a Maltese politician who has been Prime Minister of Malta since 2004. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malta from 1988 to 1996, Minister of Social Policy from 1998 to 1999, and Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2004...
, who was elected Leader on 3 March 2004. He was confirmed Leader of the Party on 11 May 2008, after his victory at the polls held on the 8th March.
During the first years of the 21st century, the Nationalist Party embarked on a project to rebuild its headquarters in Pietà. This project was realized on 21 June 2008, when it was inaugurated by Lawrence Gonzi
Lawrence Gonzi
Lawrence Gonzi is a Maltese politician who has been Prime Minister of Malta since 2004. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malta from 1988 to 1996, Minister of Social Policy from 1998 to 1999, and Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2004...
.
Leaders
- 1880-1905 Fortunato MizziFortunato MizziFortunato Mizzi was the founder of the Anti-Reform Party and also the one who started the process which eventually led to Malta's independence...
- 1926-1942 Sir Ugo Pasquale MifsudUgo Pasquale MifsudUgo Pasquale Mifsud son of Judge Gio Batta Mifsud and Philomena Marianna Muscat was the third and fifth Prime Minister of Malta. He held office from 1924 to 1927 and from 1932 to 1933. He was a member of the Nationalist Party and the Maltese Italians community.During the Second World War, Sir Ugo...
(Prime Minister: 1924-27, 1932–33) and Enrico MizziEnrico MizziEnrico "Nerik" Mizzi was a Maltese politician, leader of the Nationalist Party and Prime Minister of Malta.... - 1942-1944 Giorgio Borg OlivierGiorgio Borg OlivierGiorgio Borg Olivier was twice Prime Minister of Malta as the Leader of the Nationalist Party. He was also Leader of the Opposition between 1955 and 1958 and again between 1971 and 1977. He resigned from Leader of the Nationalist Party in 1977 and was succeeded by Eddie Fenech Adami...
(acting) - 1944-1950 Enrico MizziEnrico MizziEnrico "Nerik" Mizzi was a Maltese politician, leader of the Nationalist Party and Prime Minister of Malta....
(Prime Minister: 1950) - 1950-1977 Giorgio Borg OlivierGiorgio Borg OlivierGiorgio Borg Olivier was twice Prime Minister of Malta as the Leader of the Nationalist Party. He was also Leader of the Opposition between 1955 and 1958 and again between 1971 and 1977. He resigned from Leader of the Nationalist Party in 1977 and was succeeded by Eddie Fenech Adami...
(Prime Minister: 1950-1955, 1962–1971) - 1977-2004 Eddie Fenech AdamiEddie Fenech AdamiEdward “Eddie” Fenech Adami is a Maltese politician who was Prime Minister of Malta from 1987 until 1996 and again from 1998 until 2004...
(Prime Minister: 1987-1996, 1998–2004) - 2004- Lawrence GonziLawrence GonziLawrence Gonzi is a Maltese politician who has been Prime Minister of Malta since 2004. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malta from 1988 to 1996, Minister of Social Policy from 1998 to 1999, and Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2004...
(Prime Minister: 2004-2008, 2008-)