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YouthWiki

EACEA National Policies Platform
Malta

Malta

5. Participation

5.2 Youth participation in representative democracy

Last update: 26 March 2024
On this page
  1. Young people as voters
  2. Young people as political representatives

Young people as voters

The voting age in Malta is 16 years across the board.

The voting age in Malta has been split into two phases; in 2015, 16-year-olds were given the right to vote in local council elections, and in 2018, this was extended to all elections/referenda in the nation.

16 and 17-year-olds can vote and be voted for, but since December 2023 the law was amended so that they cannot take the role of mayor and deputy mayor if elected.

When young people voted in 2015, 62.3% turned out, whereas in 2019, the youth turnout for local council and European Parliament elections was not accounted for by age; nevertheless, the Electoral Commission claims that 72.7% of the voting population participated in the process.

 

Young people as political representatives

Malta has 2 major political parties the Partit Laburista – the Labour Party and the Partit Nazzjonalista – the Nationalist Party. There are also smaller parties, namely Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party, as well as the Partit Demokratiku.

Forum Żgħażagħ Laburisti is the youth organisation of Partit Laburista. It encourages the participation of Maltese young people in politics, and ensures that the voice of younger generations is represented in the Labour Party’s policies. Members of the Labour Party aged between 16 and 35 years old are automatically members of Forum Żgħażagħ Laburisti.The Moviment Żgħażagħ Partit Nazzjonalista (MZPN) is the youth movement within the Nationalist Party. MŻPN works on its own initiative mainly to involve young people within the party; it pushes forward the needs and aspirations of young people within party policy and promotes the policies agreed by the party. Any PN member between the age of 16 and 30 years old is automatically a Moviment Żgħażagħ Partit Nazzjonalista member. 

Alternattiva Demokratika (AD) Żgħażagħ – Green Youth is the youth wing of AD - The Green Party is committed to green principles, environmental protection, social justice and social cohesion principles with special emphasis on respect for human and civil rights. Members of Alternattiva Demokratika aged between 16 and 35 years of age are members of Alternattiva Demokratika Żgħażagħ.

There are no special provisions or quotas reserved for young people that facilitate their candidature for local, national or European elections. Any person who is a registered voter over the age of 18 can submit nominations to be considered to be candidates in elections.

Currently there are 4 young people (under the age of 30) among the members of the representative assembly in the current term.