Nationalist Party (Malta)
The
Nationalist Party (PN,
Maltese:
Partit Nazzjonalista) is a
Maltese political party. It was founded by Dr
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.
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
constitution.
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
1923 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 (Malta), meant that elections were suspended in
1930. They were held again in
1932 when the Church interdiction on the Constitutional Party and Labour meant that the Nationalists won by a landslide (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 grace during the War. Their association with Italy, the wartime enemy, antagonised them with the electorate and their leader, Dr
Enrico Mizzi (son of Fortunato) was first interned and then exiled to
Uganda during the War along with other prominent members. 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 associated with the main party. In the following elections
1950, 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.
|
Lawrence Gonzi, party leader of the PN and Prime Minister of Malta (2004 - ) |
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 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 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 achieved an absolute majority of votes for the first time since
1933 but it did not gain a parliamentary majority and was relegated to the opposition. A crisis followed with the party MPs refusing to take their seats seeing they were kept out of office due to gerrymandering. 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.
The Nationalist Party owns a television channel,
NET Television, a radio channel,
Radio 101, and has recently set up an online newpaper,
Maltarightnow.
The party presently holds 35 seats in the 65 member
House of Representatives (reduced to 34 on appointment of a Speaker) and 2 MEPs in the European Parliament. It is led by Dr
Lawrence Gonzi.
*Leaders since 1926
**1926-1940 Sir
Ugo P. Mifsud (Prime Minister: 1924-27, 1932-33) and Dr Enrico Mizzi
**1940-1944
Giorgio Borg Olivier**1944-1950 Dr Enrico Mizzi (Prime Minister: 1950)
**1950-1977 Giorgio Borg Olivier (Prime Minister: 1951-1955, 1962-1971)
**1977-2004
Eddie Fenech Adami (Prime Minister: 1987-1996, 1998-2004)
**2004-
Lawrence Gonzi (Prime Minister: 2004- )
*
Enrico Mizzi*
Giorgio Borg Olivier*
Edward Fenech Adami*
Lawrence Gonzi *
Michael Frendo*
Joe Borg*
John Dalli*
Partit Nazzjonalista*
Media.Link Communications*
maltarightnow.com
