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Malta – Youth Political Participation

#Research on Youth Political Participation

Malta is a small island country located in the Central Mediterranean with a total population of over 519,000 people1. Malta is a multi-party state with only two dominant political parties – the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party2. As of 2021, the youth population in Malta stands at 113,085 – representing 21.77% of the country’s total population. Malta has a vibrant youth population, who work significantly and contribute to the country’s socio-political and economic growth. This is largely due to the country’s investment in the education of its youth population – from pre-primary school to the tertiary level3. The Maltese educational system is focused on building young people’s technical capacity to advance the country’s economic and development aspirations. Through several policy initiatives and programmes Malta is advancing youth participation in its political and civic engagement, making them a key stakeholder in driving the country’s developmental priorities.

Understanding youth-focused policies and initiatives

Young people are important stakeholders in Malta’s political, economic, and social development. This demographic population does not only represent the active citizenry in the country, but it is also one of the most significant players in Maltese public affairs, including politics, elections, and civic engagement. This informed the reason why the CEO of Malta’s National Youth Agency (also known as Agenzija Zghazagh), Ms. Miriam Teuma, stressed that the Maltese government engage the youth as a key player in its development agenda and systematically integrated them into the country’s public affairs4. The Maltese government and its agencies have implemented several policy programmes and initiatives, as well as constitutional reforms, creating a pathway for improving youth participation in the country’s public affairs.

National Youth Policy: The National Youth Policy is the official and overarching policy framework of the Maltese government that outlines the country’s priorities in engaging its young population between the ages of 13 and 30 years old. Since the development of its first National Youth Policy in 1993, Malta has had five consecutive National Youth Policies, which is due to the government’s commitment to ensure that the youth policies reflect the national priorities and the reality of its young population5. The new National Youth Policy was adopted in 2021 after a series of consultations with young people across Malta, reflecting the changing socio-political landscape in Malta and Europe. The policy document is titled “National Youth Policy – Towards 2030 – Reaching out to, working with, and supporting young people” and it focuses on advancing youth-focused policies in Malta. Building on the successes of previous National Youth Policies in Malta, this policy framework presents eight strategic goals and action plans that seek to advance youth voices and proactively integrate them into the socio-political and economic priorities of the country. 

The Ministry for Inclusion and Voluntary Sector is primarily in charge of implementing the National Youth Policy (NYP) in Malta, while the National Youth Agency (Agenzija Zghazagh) is responsible for strategic planning and day-to-day matters6. Established in 2010, Agenzija Zghazagh has the constitutional mandate to implement and coordinate the NYP, while also advancing the interests of young people through enhancing political and civic engagements7. Agenzija Zghazagh has 10 key functions, including developing programmes and initiatives that empower young people and facilitate the registration of youth-led organisations, among others. The agency is responsible for promoting, coordinating, and facilitating cross-sectoral initiatives that promote youth inclusion in Malta’s public affairs. Agenzija Zghazagh is also in charge of monitoring the progress of National Youth Politics through its annual reports.  To further identify the progress made thus far, a comprehensive mid-term review of the policy and its implementation will be conducted by 2025/2026. This review will also ensure that the policy will remain relevant and responsive to the needs and aspirations of young people and that any proposed amendments or additions will be incorporated as part of the policy. 

Vote 16 Legislation: In 2018, the Maltese parliament unanimously voted to reduce the voting age to 16 years. This law allows young people aged between 16 and 18 years old to now participate in national and European parliamentary elections, and in referendums8. With this legislation, Malta became the second European country to reduce the age of the voting population to 16 years old. Under this law, young people cannot be elected as mayors until they turn 18 years old9. This legislation has not only increased the participation of young people in national and European elections but also improved their relevance in national and regional political stability and development priorities. This landmark legislation was only possible due to the relentless efforts of young people in the country, specifically “The Vote 16 Committee” – a committee of young persons across different political parties and different non-partisan youth groups that campaigned vigorously for the Vote 16 agenda10. Agenzija Zghazagh also played a significant role in the Vote 16, consistently providing platforms for young people to have their voices heard, as well as publishing periodic papers that unpack youth’s position demands11. 

The Degree Plus Initiative: This is an initiative of the University of Malta in partnership with the Bank of Valletta and supported by Agenzija Zghazagh, where young graduates and undergraduates are encouraged to engage in extracurricular activities that will enhance their personal growth and development. The initiative is designed to encourage young people to engage in civic activities, such as volunteering work and entrepreneurship, which help build the necessary skills for personal growth and development12. The Degree Plus initiative helps young people become assets to the country’s development and regional stability and enhances their ability to obtain highly skilled and well-paying jobs.

Simulation programmes: Funded by the Maltese government, the National Youth Council organises simulation programmes that introduce young people to the activities of the Maltese parliament as well as the EU parliament. The simulation programmes help students understand the activities and processes of these parliaments and improve their knowledge and technical ability to constructively debate public affairs issues. The National Youth Parliament is an annual programme that allows young people to simulate the activities of the Maltese parliament by researching and debating key socio-political and economic issues13. The Malta University recently hosted the Debating Union in 2022, where students participated in European Union Council simulation events. Unlike the civic education programme, the simulation initiatives provide students with practical experience.

Policy Implementation

Resource Support for Young People: In implementing the policy framework and the initiatives mentioned above, the Maltese government – through its agencies and ministries – provides financial and non-financial support for young people who are actively involved in the country’s public affairs. This funding is to support young people’s initiatives relevant to the country’s overall growth. There is also non-funding support from the government, such as facility donation and technical support. Ms. Teuma of Agenzija Zghazagh, hinted that “we usually provide opportunities for young people that are working on civic projects and relevant advocacy. We also help young people’s programmes by providing them with venues, trainers, scholarships, and so on14”. Mr. Matteo Clinton, from Young European Federalists (JEF) Malta, also acknowledged government support for the youth, however, he noted that “there is huge bureaucracy and red tape before young people can access these funds15”. He also stressed “there are funding opportunities from the European Union that are dedicated for youth projects, and we have also benefited from a few”.

Civic Education in School Curriculum: As highlighted in Strategic Goals 4 and 5 of the National Youth Policy, the Maltese government is using formal education to drive youth inclusion into the country’s public affairs. From primary to tertiary education levels, students are taught the fundamental values of civic engagement and the need for active participation in politics, elections, and civic life. This civic education programme helps young people understand their significant roles in nation building and regional stability. However, Mr. Matteo hinted that quality civic education should improve in Malta16.

Registration and Documentation of Youth-led Organisations: To improve young people’s participation in civic engagement, the Agenzija Zghazagh provides registration and documentation support for young people who seek to set up civil society organisations. With proper documentation and registrations with Agenzija Zghazagh, young people can access financial and non-financial support from the government and EU. This gives youth-led organisations the legitimacy to actively engage government officials, private institutions, and intergovernmental organisations on issues relevant to Malta’s public affairs.

Key Successes

Increasing Young Voters in Malta: Vote 16 legislation provides opportunities for young people to be a part of political processes and allows them to participate in political decisions that will directly and indirectly affect their lives and future. The law has significantly improved young people’s participation in elections, which is evident in the youth accounting for 72.7% of the 2019 local council and European parliamentary elections. Young people are contesting for political positions at local and national levels, and this is evident in the 2022 general elections in Malta, when 18-year-old Borg Bonello was elected to the Maltese parliament through gender quotas, making her the youngest MP in Malta17. It is also worth noting that the Vote 16 law has increased young people’s interest in socio-political issues, such as the promotion of human rights, social inclusion of LGBTQI+ people, environmental protection, and geopolitical dynamics. With this law, young people are increasingly being integrated into public affairs issues in Malta.

Increasing efforts to improve the National Youth Policy: Since its first National Youth Policy in 1993, Malta has reviewed its youth policy document on five occasions; 1993, 1999, 2004, 2010, and 202118. A cursory review of these national youth policies shows that each new policy builds on the success of the previous once. As mentioned by the Parliamentary Secretary for Sport, Recreation, and Voluntary Organisations, Dr Clifton Grima, who noted the 2021 National Youth Policy “is a policy that builds on the successes of the past five years, while focusing on the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead19”. This means that the Maltese government pays adequate attention to the changing priorities of young people.

Increasing Youth-led Organisations in Malta: Another success is the increasing number of youth-led civil society organisations in Malta. Ms. Teuma, of Agenzija Zghazagh, noted that the agency is now seeing “increasing registration of youth-led civil society organisations in Malta20”. Our respondents argued that the growth in youth-led organisations is a result of several factors including effective civic education, the need for young people to speak up, and the growth of social media. Social issues, such as climate change and LGBTQI+ issues, are driving young people to set up civic organisations that are focused on advancing these causes.

This case country is taken from a comprehensive examination of successful youth-led policy initiatives drawing from the insights of a scoping study “A comparative analysis on National Youth Policies”.

Read the full scoping study on Youth Political Participation here

This study is supported by a European Union-funded project called WYDE Civic Engagement led by EPD that aims to improve the inclusion of Youth in all levels of democratic participation at the national, regional and global scales.  The opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and should not be considered as representative of the European Commission’s official position.

  1. Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, “Population Ration of Young People in Malta,” March 21, 2023, https://youth.gov.mt/census-2021/#:~:text=Population%20ratio%20of%20young%20people,13%20and%2030%20being%20113,085. ↩︎
  2. Politico, “Malta – National parliament voting intention,” July 20, 2023, https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/malta/. ↩︎
  3. European Union, “Malta: Education and Training Monitor 2021,” European Union, https://op.europa.eu/webpub/eac/education-and-training-monitor-2021/en/malta.html. ↩︎
  4.  Interview with Ms. Miriam Teuma, the CEO of Agenzija Zghazagh (the Maltese National Youth Agency) ↩︎
  5.  Agenzija Zghazagh, “National Youth Policy,” https://youth.gov.mt/national-youth-policy/. ↩︎
  6. The Maltese Government, National Youth Policy (2021 -2030) (2021), https://online.fliphtml5.com/rqmms/wbuk/#p=1. ↩︎
  7. Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, “Our Agency,” https://youth.gov.mt/our-agency/. ↩︎
  8. DW, “Malta grants 16-year-olds right to vote,” June 3, 2018, https://www.dw.com/en/malta-lowers-voting-age-to-16-with-unanimous-backing-from-parliament/a-42838643.
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  9. Times Malta, “16-year-olds granted the vote in national elections,” March 5, 2018, https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/16-year-olds-granted-the-vote-in-national-elections.672453 ↩︎
  10. Keith Micallef, “Vote 16 campaign still alive,” Times Malta, August 3, 2014, https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/Vote-16-campaign-still-alive.530471.
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  11.  Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, Democratic Participation: Listening to the voices of young people (2014), https://youth.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Democratic_Participation_Make_Your_Choice_Through_The_Ballot_Box-compressed.pdf?80b578&80b578.
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  12. University of Malta, “DegreePlus,” https://www.um.edu.mt/study/degreeplus/#:~:text=DegreePlus,%20an%20initiative%20of%20the,academic%20and%20non-academic%20horizons. ↩︎
  13. Camilia Halli, “The National Youth Parliament 2022,” Citizens Lab, September 27, 2022, https://citizenslab.org.mt/events/the-national-youth-parliament-2022/. ↩︎
  14.  Interview with Ms. Miriam Teuma, the CEO of Agenzija Zghazagh (the Maltese National Youth Agency) ↩︎
  15.  Interview with Matteo Clinton, a former member of JEF, Malta ↩︎
  16. Interview with Matteo Clinton, a former member of JEF, Malta ↩︎
  17. Karl Azzopardi, “PN candidate Eve Borg Bonello becomes youngest MP in Malta’s history,” Malta Today, April 12, 2022, https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/election-2022/116236/pn_candidate_eve_borg_bonello_becomes_youngest_mp_in_maltas_history._ ↩︎
  18.  Agenzija Zghazagh, “National Youth Policy (1993 – 2015),” Agenzija Zghazagh, https://youth.gov.mt/national-youth-policy-1993-2015/#:~:text=In%201993,%20the%20newly%20established,in%20the%20light%20of%20changing. ↩︎
  19. The Maltese Government, National Youth Policy (2021 -2030) (2021), https://online.fliphtml5.com/rqmms/wbuk/#p=1 ↩︎
  20. Interview with Ms. Miriam Teuma
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