British cultural influence was sweeping the world in 1964 filling the music airwaves and commanding the screens of movie theatres. Beatlemania was in full swing, the Rolling Stones were launched onto the world music scene and the Merseybeat was dominating the radio. Movie audiences were flocking to the cinemas to watch James Bond 007 and Peter Sellers. But while Britain was ruling the airwaves and filling movie theatres, in 1964 it lost its control of Malta, with Malta gaining its independence.
Like all things concerning Malta, gaining independence from Britain was a hard fought and controversial path. Within Malta and in Britain, the differing views were debated over many years, till Malta formally gained independence on September 21, 1964.
60 years ago Malta became a sovereign nation within the Commonwealth, with Queen Elizabeth II remaining as the head of state. This year, 2024, is also a 50 year anniversary in Malta’s path of nationhood towards carving its own place on the international stage. Ten years after Malta achieved independence it became a republic, in December 1974 having its first president and replacing the Queen as head of state.
Malta’s strategic importance, underlined during the Second World War, coupled with the island’s stern resistance against the Nazis and Fascist Italians was acknowledged by the British. The King gave the people of Malta the George Cross and raised the prospect of giving the Maltese people independence. Limited local rule was given in 1947 but considering its economic dependence on Britain, independence became a distant prospect even when the push for independence formed in the 1950s.
Sir Herbert Brittain of the British Treasury remarked in mid-1955 that Malta could ‘never be given Commonwealth status, because of defence considerations’. The British government was hesitant to grant full integration, leading to frustration among Maltese leaders and citizens. Malta even flirted with the idea of integration with the UK in the 1956 referendum. After the failure of the referendum the focus again shifted towards full independence.
Independence was seen by the Maltese as an opportunity to assert their national identity, culture, and heritage. While there was a general sense of hope, there were also feelings of apprehension and uncertainty. Malta faced economic challenges and had limited natural resources, leading some to worry about the nation’s economic future.
The turning point came in 1961, when a new constitution was drafted granting Malta full internal self-government, setting the stage for subsequent negotiations for complete independence. This was still not a certain pathway. Within the population frustrations built and there arose an anti-British and pro-Independence sentiment.
Malta’s independence was granted through a series of political and constitutional developments, culminating in formal negotiations between Maltese leaders and the British government till the Independence referendum was held in May 1964. The referendum was successful and opened the way for a new constitution to be enacted. It provided for a parliamentary democracy with the British monarch as the head of state, represented in Malta by a Governor-General.
Malta formally gained independence on September 21, 1964. The transition was peaceful and marked by official ceremonies. A large celebration was held, with the lowering of the Union Jack and the raising of the Maltese flag.
The next step along the pathway to full autonomy via a republic began. Another momentous decision awaited the country and of course there were political differences within Malta and scepticism in Britain.
Writing at the beginning of 1965, Britain’s high commissioner in Malta, Sir Edward Wakefield, recorded:
‘For the moment … the change from dependence to independence appears to have been one of form rather than of substance.
Before independence the Maltese were managing – or mismanaging – their own internal affairs. They are still doing so. Before independence their economy was sustained by British Services’ expenditure in the island, coupled with British financial aid. It is still being sustained by the same means’.
With Malta gaining independence the British grip on the island had loosened to open a new path for the nation, just as the Beatles and the Merseybeat had given way to the next wave of musicians.
It would take ten years till Malta’s first President, Sir Anthony Mamo, was installed. Mamo having been the last Governor General, was appointed President on December 13, 1974 and helped make the transition a relatively smooth affair.
With 2024 marking the 50 and 60-year anniversaries, it should be remembered that Malta’s independence was a significant and complex moment in its history, marked by a blend of hope, pride, and uncertainty.
The island nation further developed its own political and cultural identity, through becoming a republic and navigating its place on the international stage to later become a European Union member state.
This is the fifth article in a series on significant anniversaries marking Malta’s pathway along nationhood.
This article was published in the Maltese Journal #532
