Yearbook 2008
Malta. On 1 January, Malta introduced the euro and thus
became the fifteenth country to participate in EU currency
cooperation.
In the election campaign ahead of the March 8
parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi
pressed on the reigning Nationalist Party's successful
economic policies, including reducing the budget deficit and
reducing unemployment. The Labor Party promised measures
against the corruption. According to
Countryaah reports, the Nationalist Party, which has
ruled since 1998, was re-elected. But this time the margin
was minimal; The Nationalist Party received 49.3 percent of
the vote compared to 48.8 for the Labor Party, a difference
of approximately 1,500 votes. As usual, turnout was high, 93
percent.
As a consequence of the Labor Party's third election loss
in succession, Alfred Sant, who has led the party since
1992, resigned immediately after the election. In June, EU
parliamentarian Joseph Muscat was elected new leader of the
Labor Party.
In May, Sir Anthony Mamo, who was the last Governor
General of the country (1971-74) and who became its first
president in 1974 (until 1976) passed away when the
constitution was changed and Malta became a republic. Mamo had
also played an important role before Malta's independence from
Britain in 1964.
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