Maltese Patriots Movement Moviment Patrijotti Maltin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | MPM |
| Leader | Simon Borg |
| Founded | 8 April 2016 (2016-04-08) |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| House of Representatives | 0 / 67 |
| European Parliament | 0 / 6 |
| Local Council Seats | 0 / 462 |
| Website | |
| patrijottimaltin | |
TheMaltese Patriots Movement (Maltese:Moviment Patrijotti Maltin,MPM) is an inactiveright-wing populistpolitical party inMalta. It was formed in April 2016 as a political wing of the Maltese Patriotic Association.[1]
The MPM was founded on the 8 April 2016 and immediately announced its application to the Electoral Commission as a new political party under theFinancing of Political Parties Act.[2][3] In the 2017 Maltese general election, the party failed to elect any candidate in parliament.[4] Shortly after the2019 European Parliament election, the party became inactive, while itssocial media accounts went inactive later in 2020.
The Maltese Patriots Movement is oriented towards far-right politics.[5][6] It has expressedright-wing populist rhetoric by stating opposition to immigration andcriticizing Islam.[5][7] It has called forEuropean Union funds allocated to Malta for the purpose be instead allocated for the benefit of Maltese people and for Malta to no longer be a member of theSchengen Area.[8] It also opposes the Maltese government's endorsement of the non-bindingGlobal Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.[9] It has also expressedethnic nationalist,[10] andsocially conservative stances.[11]
At an October 2016 protest led by the party against the possible opening of a Muslim prayer room inBuġibba, leaderHenry Battistino called for a national registry of Muslims and compared Muslim immigrants to rabbits breeding excessively.[12]Stephen Florian, an MPM party official, also spoke at the protest and stated that any religion other thanRoman Catholicism should only have one place of worship in the country.[13] Florian later caused controversy when heouted a counter-protester from the Buġibba protest as transgender.[14]
MPM is frequently hostile toward media and the Maltese establishment, with Battistino referring to the media as traitors that are trying to "force [integration] down everyone's throats".[12] The party's sister organisation, Għaqda Patrijotti Maltin, was the subject of a complaint from the Institute of Maltese Journalists for protesters obstructing reporters from doing their job.[15]
| Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Henry Battistino | 1,117 | 0.36 | 0 / 67 | New | 5th | extra-parliamentary |
| Election | Party leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Simon Borg | 771 | 0.30 | 0 / 6 | New | 7th |
