Freedom in the World 1999 - Malta

1999 Scores

Status: Free
Freedom Rating: 1.0
Civil Liberties: 1
Political Rights: 1

Overview

Since becoming a republic in 1974, Malta has carefully maintained its neutrality, balancing its links with Europe to the north with ties to Arab nations to the south. The leading political parties, however, which have alternated in power with each other, have taken conflicting positions as to the direction in which Malta should lean: The currently ruling Nationalist party (PN) favors closer ties with Europe while the Malta Labor Party (MLP) formerly favored closer ties with Libya and Algeria but now favors strict neutrality. The PN won its most recent electoral victory in 1998 with the election of Eddie Adami as prime minister. In 1999, the PN-dominated parliament installed Guido de Marco as president after he had served 22 years as deputy chairman of the party.

The strategically located archipelago, of which Malta is the largest island, was occupied by a long succession of foreign powers. From independence in 1964 to 1971, Malta was governed by the PN, which pursued its policy of firm alignment with the West. In 1971, however, the MLP came to power and implemented its policy on nonalignment and special friendship with leftist governments in Libya and Algeria. The PN returned to power in 1987 and filed an application for membership in the European Union (EU) in 1991. But the MLP regained power in 1996 and suspended the application. The PN returned to power in 1998, when Eddie Adami led the party to another electoral victory, this time winning the party's largest majority ever. Following that victory, Adami and his government officially renewed Malta's application for membership in th EU. Membership negotiations are expected to start in 2000 and to lead to Malta's joining the union at the EU's earliest enlargement, expected to take place in 2003.

In 1999, the prospect of membership in the EU, has seemed to attracts foreign investment. In June, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation purchased Mid-Med, the island's largest commercial bank. The economy, however, remained sluggish throughout the year, with unemployment fluctuating around 5 percent.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

Citizens of Malta can change their government democratically. Members of the house of representatives, the country's unicameral legislature, are elected on the basis of proportional representation every five years. Parliament elects the country's president to a five-year term. Although the post is largely ceremonial, the president is charged with formally appointing a prime minister and the cabinet of ministers. In June 1999, Guido de Marco was elected president after serving for 22 years as deputy chairman of the Nationalist Party.

Since 1992, the government has sponsored programs to diversify the media. In addition to several Maltese-language newspapers, a few English-language weeklies are published. Malta's two main political parties own television and radio stations, as well as newspapers, which promote their political views. Italian television and radio are also popular. Malta has one of the lowest rates of Internet usage in Europe, with only an estimated four percent of the population having access to the Internet.

Roman Catholicism is the state religion, and an estimated 67 percent of the population attends mass at least once a week. The government grants subsidies only to Roman Catholic schools. Students in government schools may opt to decline instruction in Roman Catholicism. Freedom of worship by religious minorities is respected.

Workers have the right to associate freely and to strike. In August, the General Workers' Union organized a strike that paralyzed the Malta International Airport at the height of the tourist season. Forty-eight union employees were arrested and accused of breaching the peace, assaulting the police, and entering restricted zones of the airport.

The judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative branches. The chief justice and nine judges are appointed by the president on the advice of he prime minister. The constitution requires a fair public trial, and defendants have the right to counsel of their choice. In 1999, Malta abolished the death penalty for treason during wartime by members of the armed forces.

A constitutional amendment banning gender discrimination took effect in 1993. While women constitute a growing portion of the workforce, they are underrepresented in management positions and political leadership. There are no women judges, and women make up only about nine percent of the members of parliament.