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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.

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

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See also: 2019 Maltese local elections and 2022 Maltese general election

National parties represented in the Maltese Parliament and the European Parliament

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Name Founded Ideology Political position Leader 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[a]
Various or N/A
1 / 79
N/A
in Opposition
Nationalist Party (PN) 1926 Christian democracy Centre-right Bernard Grech
35 / 79
3 / 6
208 / 462
 EPP EPP

Parties represented in Local Councils

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Name Founded Ideology Political position Leader Local Councillors European party
AD+PD 2020 Green politics Centre-left Sandra Gauci
2 / 462
 EGP
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
Independents N/A
Various or N/A
6 / 462
Various or N/A

Unrepresented national parties

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Name Founded Ideology Position Leader European party
ABBA[10] 2021 Christian right Far-right Ivan Grech Mintoff (resigned) ECPM
Imperium Europa (IE) 2000 Neo-fascism Far-right Norman Lowell —
People's Party (PP)
Partit Popolari 		2020 Right-wing populism Right-wing Paul Salomone —
Volt Malta (VM) 2021 Social liberalism Centre-Left Alexia DeBono

Arnas Lasys

Volt Europa

Unrepresented local parties

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Name Founded Village/Town Leader
Residents of Valletta (RB)
Residents of Valletta 		2021  Valletta Billy McBee

Inactive, registered political parties

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Name Ideology Position Leader European 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)[b] 		Social conservatism Right-wing Ivan Grech Mintoff ECPM

Defunct parties

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Diagram

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See also

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References

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  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. ^ a b 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.
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