List of political parties in Malta

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This article lists political parties in Malta . Since World War II, Maltese political culture has developed into a two-party system dominated by the centre-left Labour Party (Maltese : Partit Laburista) and the centre-right Nationalist Party (Maltese : Partit Nazzjonalista). Although other political parties have presented candidates and, in some cases, elected MPs, in most cases these were splinter groups of the main parties and, on the rare occasions when they were successful, this success was short-lived.

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In the case of Local Councils however, independent candidates and village-dedicated parties have better chances of being elected. For example, Għarb l-Ewwel (en: Għarb First) is the only party of this kind to hold representation in a Local Council. There is a total of two elected independent councillors around Malta and Gozo, activist Steve Zammit Lupi in Ħaż-Żebbuġ (Malta) [1] and Nicky Saliba in Żebbuġ (Gozo). For Żebbuġ, Gozo, former PN Mayor Nicky Saliba ran in 2019 as an independent candidate and was elected, causing a deadlock for the mayorship in the 5-seat Żebbuġ council. He was re-elected mayor [2] all the same and remains in this post to this day.

Until 2015, there was no law in Malta requiring the registration and regulation of political parties; the General Elections Act made the necessary provisions for party participation in elections but no official list was maintained between elections. The Financing of Political Parties Act, which passed in 2015 and came into effect on 1 January 2016, introduced the requirement for political parties to register themselves with the Electoral Commission and declare all donations in order to be able to field candidates in general elections and European Parliament elections. [3] The Labour Party was the first party to attempt to register, on 3 June 2016, [4] however its statute was not compliant, [5] therefore making Moviment Patrijotti Maltin the first party to be officially registered, on 24 November 2016. The Labour Party was finally registered on 22 April 2017. [6]

Registered Parties

National parties represented in the Maltese Parliament and the European Parliament

NameFoundedIdeologyPolitical positionLeader House of Representatives MEPs Local Councillors European party EP group
in Government
Labour Party (PL)1920 Social democracy Centre-left Robert Abela
44 / 79
3 / 6
252 / 462
PES S&D
Independents [lower-alpha 1]
Various or N/A
1 / 79
N/A
in Opposition
Logo of the Nationalist Party (Malta).svg Nationalist Party (PN)1926 Christian democracy Centre-right Bernard Grech
35 / 79
3 / 6
208 / 462
EPP EPP

Parties represented in Local Councils

NameFoundedIdeologyPolitical positionLeaderLocal CouncillorsEuropean party
AD+PD logo.svg AD+PD 2020 Green politics Centre-left Sandra Gauci
2 / 462
EGP
Gharb l-Ewwel Logo.svg Għarb First (GĦ1) [8]
Għarb l-Ewwel
2019 Għarb localism [9]
Parish-Council collaboration
David Apap Għarb Local Council:
2 / 5
Floriana First (FL) [10]
Floriana l-Ewwel
2019 Floriana localism Nigel Holland Floriana Local Council:
1 / 5
IndependentsN/A
Various or N/A
6 / 462
Various or N/A

Unrepresented national parties

NameFoundedIdeologyPositionLeaderEuropean party
ABBA [10] 2021 Christian right Far-right Ivan Grech Mintoff (resigned) ECPM
Insigne imperii Europaeae.svg Imperium Europa (IE)2000 Neo-fascism Far-right Norman Lowell
People's Party of Malta 2022 statutes logo.svg People's Party (PP)
Partit Popolari
2020 Right-wing populism Right-wing Paul Salomone
Volt Malta logo.svg Volt Malta (VM)2021 Social liberalism Centre-Left Alexia DeBono

Arnas Lasys

Volt Europa

Unrepresented local parties

NameFoundedVillage/TownLeader
Residents of Valletta (RB)
Residents of Valletta
2021Flag of Valletta, Malta.svg  Valletta Billy McBee

Inactive, registered political parties

NameIdeologyPositionLeaderEuropean party
Maltese Patriots Movement
Moviment Patrijotti Maltin (MPM)
Euroscepticism Far-right Henry Battistino
Communist Party of Malta
Partit Komunista ta' Malta (PKM)
Marxism–Leninism Far-left Victor Degiovanni Initiative
Alleanza Bidla
Alliance for Change (AB) [lower-alpha 2]
Social conservatism Right-wing Ivan Grech Mintoff ECPM

Defunct parties

Diagram

Political Parties of Malta since 1883.svg

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nationalist Party (Malta)</span> Political party in Malta

The Nationalist Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Malta, along with the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labour Party (Malta)</span> Political party in Malta

The Labour Party, formerly known as the Malta Labour Party, is one of the two major political parties in Malta, along with the Nationalist Party. It sits on the centre-left of the political spectrum.

Fifteen general elections have been contested since the granting of universal suffrage in Malta. Only 73 women have contested in these elections. The number of men, on the other hand, has exceeded 1000. The number of women contesting general elections has, however, increased over the years. In fact, the 1998 elections saw 24 women candidates participating, the highest number to date, with six of these getting elected, registering a 25 percent success rate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Maltese local elections</span>

Local elections were held in 22 localities in Malta on 10 March 2007. The last round of elections held in 2004, on the same day of the national election for the Maltese Members for the European Parliament (MEPs). Approximately 68% of the eligible voters turned up on election day. With the locality of Safi with the highest percentage (86%); and the locality of Swieqi with the lowest percentage (53%). The largest locality was that of Mosta and the smallest one was that of San Lawrenz, Gozo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labour Youths</span> Youth wing of political party

Labour Youths, formerly known as the Labour Youth Forum until 2021, the Young Socialist League until 1992 and the Labour League of Youth until 1974, is the youth organisation of the Labour Party of Malta. ŻL is also active internationally and is an active member within the International Union of Socialist Youth and the Young European Socialists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Maltese local elections</span> Local election held in Malta in 2008

Local elections were held in Malta on 8 March 2008, the same day of the general election. This year, the election was held in 23 of the 68 Maltese localities. These 23 localities are: Valletta, Senglea, Żebbuġ, Żejtun, Balzan, Dingli, Fontana, Għajnsielem, Għasri, Iklin, Kirkop, Marsa, Mellieħa, Mqabba, Nadur, Pembroke, Qrendi, San Ġiljan, San Pawl il-Baħar, Santa Venera, Ta' Xbiex, Xewkija and Żurrieq. A separate local election was held on 24 May in Mtarfa, after the previous council was dissolved a monthly earlier. Of the candidates that ran for the Mtarfa May election, in which 3 councillors were elected for the Nationalist Party while 2 councillors were elected for the Malta Labour Party (MLP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Maltese local elections</span>

Local elections were held in Malta on 6 June 2009, the same day of the European elections. The elections were held in 23 of the 68 Maltese localities. These 23 localities are: Imdina, Bormla, Rabat, Gozo, Żabbar, Birkirkara, Fgura, Gudja, Għarb, Għaxaq, Kalkara, Lija, Marsaskala, Mġarr, Msida, Imtarfa, Naxxar, Pietà, Malta, Rabat, Malta, San Ġwann, Sannat, Tas-Sliema, Tarxien, and Xgħajra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Maltese general election</span>

General elections were held in Malta on Saturday, 3 June 2017 to elect all members of the House of Representatives. The elections were contested by the Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, the Nationalist Party, led by opposition leader Simon Busuttil, and four other parties, making it the elections with most parties participating since 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 European Parliament election in Malta</span>

The 2014 European Parliament election in Malta elected Malta's delegation to the European Parliament from 2014 to 2019. This was the third such election held in Malta. The elections were held on Saturday, 24 May 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyrus Engerer</span> Maltese politician

Cyrus Engerer is a former Maltese Member of European Parliament representing the Labour Party. A gay rights activist, he was the leading spokesperson for the Yes campaign at the 2011 Maltese divorce referendum. In 2021 he was tasked with negotiating the European Parliaments historic resolution on the declaration of the European Union as an LGBTQ Freedom zone, in reaction to the establishment of so called "LGBT-Free zones" in Poland. Engerer later went on to write the European Parliaments resolution which condemned the laws in Hungary which effectively banned "LGBT propaganda" in the vicinity of schools. From 2014 till 2019 Engerer was the Prime Minister's special envoy to the European Union. He was elected as a Member of the European Parliament in November 2020. After he joined the Labour Party the Police of Malta opened an investigation against him, leading to his father's arrest, the opening of a court case against him on spreading pornography and the arrest of his mother on election day. He himself was convicted for spreading revenge porn and received a suspended two years term imprisonment. He is the partner of Partit Laburista's Member of Parliament Randolph De Battista.

The Democratic Party was a centrist to centre-left political party in Malta. It was founded in 2016 after a split from the Labour Party. It elected Malta's first two third party MPs for the first time since the country's Independence. In August 2020 the party announced an agreement to merge with the green Democratic Alternative party to form a new party called AD+PD. The merger was conducted on 17 October 2020.

Marlene Farrugia is a Maltese former Member of Parliament and former leader of the Democratic Party. Previously she had been a member of the Nationalist Party, with whom she contested the General Elections in 1996 and 1998, and the Labour Party, with whom she was elected in 2008 and 2013, before resigning in 2015. She formed the Democratic Party in 2016, but left it in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Maltese general election</span>

General elections were held in Malta on 26 March 2022 to elect all members of the House of Representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alleanza Bidla</span> Political party in Malta

The Alliance for Change is a defunct right-wing Christian-democratic political party in Malta. It is eurosceptic and has expressed socially conservative stances. It was led by Ivan Grech Mintoff, who in 2021 founded ABBA Party. Although the party's social media has not been updated since 2019, as of 2022 Alleanza Bidla still remains a registered political party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosianne Cutajar</span> Maltese politician (born 1988)

Rosianne Cutajar is a Maltese politician who was formerly a member of the Labour Party. She is a member of the Parliament of Malta representing the Sixth District electoral division. Cutajar was Parliamentary Secretary for Civil Rights and Reforms within the Ministry for Justice, Equality and Governance. As a junior minister within Prime Minister Robert Abela’s government, she was responsible for Malta’s equality and civil rights policy and its implementation, together with the country’s legislative reforms across various sectors of government. Cutajar resigned from her position as parliamentary secretary in February 2021 after calls for her resignation due to links with murder suspect Yorgen Fenech.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 European Parliament election in Malta</span> 2019 election of members of the European parliament for Malta

The 2019 European Parliament election was held in Malta on 25 May 2019. 8 different political parties took part in the election, of which, only 2 won seats in the European Parliament; the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party, with 4 and 2 seats respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eve Borg Bonello</span> Maltese activist and politician

Eve Borg Bonello is a Maltese activist and politician who grew to prominence during the 2019-2020 Maltese protests for her vocal opposition to former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and the corruption scandals that triggered the 2019 Malta political crisis and Muscat's eventual resignation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABBA (political party)</span> Political party in Malta

ABBA is a far-right and Christian right political party in Malta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Għarb First</span> Localist political party in Malta

Għarb First, is a localist party located in and operating only in Għarb village, Gozo. It was founded by former PN Mayor David Apap to contest the 2019 Maltese local elections. It gained 2 seats out of the 5 total seats in the Għarb Local Council, and 42.86% of the popular vote, narrowly losing the popular vote to PL by 1.95%, or 19 votes. This makes Għarb l-Ewwel the first third party to gain representation in the local level in both the Republic of Malta at-large and on the island of Gozo. This also makes David Apap the first mayor of a village that comes from a third party. This was confirmed after a question on who the Mayorship of the Council was solved after the election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Maltese local elections</span>

Local council elections were held in Malta and Gozo on 8 June 2024, in tandem with the European Parliament elections. This is the second time that all local councils of Malta shall be elected simultaneously in a single election, following the 2015 reform abolishing the previous system of half-council elections.

References

  1. Rosianne Cutajar [7]
  2. Alleanza Bidla has been de-facto succeeded by another party, ABBA, also led by Grech Mintoff.
  1. Galea, Albert (30 May 2019). "Watch: Steve Zammit Lupi elected to Żebbuġ council as independent candidate". Malta Independent. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  2. Bonnici, Julian (2019-05-31). "Former PN Mayor Elected As Independent In Deadlocked Żebbuġ - PL Keeps Hold of Gżira". Lovin Malta. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  3. "Party Financing Law will come into effect in January 2016". TVM News. 15 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  4. "Party financing: PL registers itself with Electoral Commission". Times of Malta. Allied Newspapers. 3 June 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  5. "Labour's statute not in line with new party financing law". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  6. "Labour finally registered as political party". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  7. "Rosianne Cutajar resigns from Labour's parliamentary group". Times of Malta. Allied Newspapers Ltd. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  8. "'Għarb First' – Former Councillor Comes Back To Haunt PN; Sliema Is Set To Retain Its PN Majority". Lovin Malta. 2019-05-30. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  9. GĦARB L-EWWEL – STATUT https://electoral.gov.mt/Media/Default/Documents/PartyStatutes/G%C4%A7arb_L-Ewwel.pdf
  10. 1 2 Sansone, Kurt. "From Floriana l-Ewwel to ABBA, Malta has 12 registered political parties". MaltaToday. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  11. "Election Summary 2013". Electoral Commission Malta. Electoral Commission of Malta. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  12. "New independent political party for EP elections: 'Brain, not ego'". www.independent.com.mt. Retrieved 2021-11-19.