Malta: Postkolonyalizmin Gölgesinde Referandumlar

Since 2003, Malta has held three referendums concerning EU membership, divorce, and spring hunting, all of which touched upon themes of national honor, identity, and sovereignty. These votes reflect a socio-political landscape dominated by a two-party system—the Labour Party (PL) and the Nationalist Party (PN)—where voters often align with party stances rather than the specific issue. The 2003 EU referendum saw high turnout but low support, while the 2011 divorce referendum signaled a decline in the Catholic Church's influence. The 2015 spring hunting referendum highlighted a divide between those seeking alignment with liberal European democracies and those viewing traditional hunting as a matter of national pride. The author argues that patriotic rhetoric and claims of protecting national traditions from foreign pressure are used by the government to maintain support amidst international scrutiny over corruption and the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

• Malta's political environment is characterized by a two-party system established during the colonial era, dominated by the Labour Party (PL) and the Nationalist Party (PN), both of which embrace economic liberalism and maintain patronage networks.
• The 2003 EU membership referendum in Malta was marked by the highest turnout (nearly 91%) and the lowest support (54% in favor) among the nine countries voting at that time.
• The 2011 referendum to legalize divorce, which passed with 53.2% of the vote, demonstrated a weakening of the Catholic Church's influence on Maltese social life and a shift toward a more secular national identity.
• The 2015 referendum on spring hunting for thrushes and quail revealed a conflict between a 'Eurocentric' camp seeking alignment with liberal democracies and an 'authentic' camp that views being the only EU country allowing spring hunting as a point of national pride.
• The Maltese government utilizes patriotic discourse and conspiracy theories regarding foreign interference to retain voter support, particularly while facing international investigations into corruption and the killing of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

APA

Galea, R. (2021). Malta: Postkolonyalizmin Gölgesinde Referandumlar. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/malta-postkolonyalizmin-golgesinde-referandumlar/

Chicago

Galea, Raisa. Malta: Postkolonyalizmin Gölgesinde Referandumlar. Green European Journal, 2021. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/malta-postkolonyalizmin-golgesinde-referandumlar/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Galea |first1=Raisa |title=Malta: Postkolonyalizmin Gölgesinde Referandumlar |publisher=Green European Journal |date=13 December 2021 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/malta-postkolonyalizmin-golgesinde-referandumlar/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{galea2021malta, author = {Galea, Raisa}, title = {{Malta: Postkolonyalizmin Gölgesinde Referandumlar}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/malta-postkolonyalizmin-golgesinde-referandumlar/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }