The history of Malta is entwined with political events shaped on the Italian and Sicilian mainlands. As far back as 218 B.C. Rome declared Malta "civitas foederata". Again in 60 A.D. it became entangled in the affairs of Rome. With St. Paul's shipwreck came Christianity, and the start of full integration with Western Europe. In 117-138 A.D. Malta was declared a Roman municipality under Emperor Hadrian. The advent of Roman rule brought with it the introduction of the modern alphabet. In 395 A.D. the cross currents of Mediterranean history nudged the island in different directions towards Asia Minor. The Maltese language has Middle East Arabic and North African roots dating back to the 8th century A.D. when many islanders converted to the Muslim faith. Today the vocabulary has been expanded to include Romance and English elements. Malta holds the unique distinction of being the only country in Europe, whose independent branch of spoken Arabic is written in Roman script.
A succession of events followed which helped mold Malta's unique character. Over the millennium Malta became a war bounty of European and Arab conquerors who fought over it, for control of trade routes in the Central Mediterranean. Its conquest by foreign powers became a repetitive pattern of subjugation, from which much was gained from its occupiers' civilizations and economics, until the recent withdrawal of British forces in 1979. A milestone in Maltese history took place in 1530, when the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, ceded Malta to the Order of St. John. The histories of Malta, Sicily and Italy, were fabricated from the same traditional, cultural and religious roots. This reality holds true to this very day.
Italian political influence over Malta peaked in the early 1900's when Italy under Benito Mussolini, flexed its muscles as a regional Mediterranean power. Emboldened by its proximity to an assertive Italy and ever aware of shared values, pro-Italian Maltese turned bolder in their opposition to British rule. Their political agenda was abetted by increased contacts with like minded irredentist compatriots on the Italian mainland, who viewed Malta as a territory historically and ethnically related to Italy, but controlled by Britain. The Italian Risorgimento brought with it renewed interest in Italy's way of life and literature. Beset by the lack of any significant voice in their own destiny, the Maltese brought matters to a boil and rioted in 1919 against the British administration. When four young protesters were killed by ill-trained British soldiers, pro-Italian nationalists were further incited to revolt. In 1926 the National Party (NP) was formed. Led by Dr. Enrico Mizzi and with strong vocal support from the Catholic church, it promised to protect the use of Italian in education and within the legal system. In 1932 the Nationalists, whose members mostly came from the professional middle class, became engaged in disseminating fascist propaganda.
At about this time two schools of thought prevailed in Malta. On the one hand stood the Constitutional Party led by Lord Gerald Strickland Party whose members benefited through association with Britain. Made up largely of blue collar workers, they toiled for the colonial establishment in subordinate civilian and military related positions. On the other side of the political spectrum was the Nationalist Party. Its ranks consisted of de-franchised professionals and merchants, whose affinity for Italian culture and language was matched only by their wholesome disdain of being second class British subjects. Most every one agrees, the nationalists love of Italy was more an expression against colonialism and international communism than a vote of confidence for fascism.
As a consequence of WWII the dynamics of Maltese politics took a sharp turn away from Italian influence, but only for the relatively short duration of the global war. The tradition of Malta then as now is Italianate. With the departure of the British in 1979, and the demise of Soviet communism, Malta as a sovereign and independent state, has once again started to reassess its close ties with Italy. The Maltese even today hold privileged treatment under the Italian Constitution, for specialized work they can carry out in Italy. Though not much talked about, Malta is militarily protected by Italy as a member of NATO, while cultural heritage exchanges between the two countries have attained new heights.
It has always been a goal of Malta's intelligentsia to be associated with Italy, not so much due to political sensibilities, but because of a strong sense of kinship. Some will assert that Malta is the southernmost island of the Italian archipelago, its last port of call headed east or south. They are mindful also of a shared Catholic heritage. How this unshakable sense of identification with Italy will impact Malta's contemporary crisis, in deciding its choice of nationalism over culturalism in respect to E.U. membership, remains to be seen. Odds are Italy will assume a pivotal role in Malta's future, no matter the outcome.
Clearly there is mutual affection between the people of Malta and Italy, even as their respective government institutions are not exactly bastions of virtue. This strong bond shows in strange ways. At the height of WWII Italian intransigence against Malta was subdued, compared to unrelenting and barbaric German aggression. Had it not been so, Malta would have suffered greater death and destruction through aerial bombing. Malta's participation in warfare against Italy was precipitated by Britain's interests rather than its own. Whatever distrust resulted from the conflict was short lived and quickly dissipated at war's end. The attachment to the Italian language and culture has since resurfaced and gained momentum. Brother met brother and together they broke bread. In the end blood is thicker than water.
No study of Malta is complete without taking a closer look at the issue of language. It represents the blueprint of its political fortunes. Malta has always had its own vernacular, whose roots are Semitic and not Italian. Yet the island clearly circles around the Italophone orbit. Multi-lingualism is central to the island's existence . In 1934 Maltese and English became dual official languages. Before the advent of British colonial rule, Italian was the primary language of education, law and commerce. In the 1930's English began to replace Italian, abetted by colonial authorities. In a futile bid to further alienate the Maltese from Italian influence the British propagated the myth that the islanders were direct descendents of the Phoenicians. Since WWII English has become the language of choice by a large cross section of the Maltese population, especially the educated classes. With the departure of Britain from Maltese shores, Italian is once again regaining popularity as more young people tune in to Italian TV broadcasts, beamed from nearby Sicily.
The Maltese are remarkable in their command of languages. The majority are born and raised trilingual, but more than a few others are conversant in French and other tongues. Of all the languages spoken, Italian remains the most cherished, because of the affinity many Maltese hold for their larger neighbor to the North. Some would say the pendulum has swung back, to where English is being given short rift in favor of Malta's "third" language. There are subtle yet important undertones which helped create this linguistic shift. They involve for the most part an ingrained desire by the Maltese to cement further the already strong Maltese-Italian connection.
E-mail to Joseph Vella: vellajoseph@msn.net
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