Malta becoming an Independent State and later a Republic

In 1947, another constitution was granted to Malta but the people were still unhappy and the Maltese pushed for independence.

Malta was finally granted independence on 21st September 1964, after many discussions and negotiations with the United Kingdom. Under the new constitution Queen Elizabeth II was still head of state with a governor – general exercising executive authority on her behalf. Independence day is now commemorated with a national holiday.

Malta as a new Independent State

Dominic Mintoff led the Malta Labour Party in 1971 and also won the general elections which pushed Malta to become a republic on 13 December 1974.  Dominic Mintoff also weakened the ties with the United Kingdom so that the last British military men left Malta in 1979. In 1980 Malta adopted a policy of neutrality.
The Malta Labour Party were running Malta for several years until 1987 when the Nationalist party came to power with Eddie Fenech Adami as prime minister. In 1989 Malta became a place of a summit between U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, during which the two leaders declared the end to the Cold War.

Malta's membership in the European Union

Malta applied to join the European Union in 1990 with the help of the foreign minister Guido de Marco.

This issue divided the Maltese population in half; and after negotiations and a intensive referendum campaign, Malta joined the EU on the 1st of May 2004. On the 1st January 2008 Malta joined the Eurozone.

(EU countries that have adopted the euro as their common currency and sole legal tender).