newsare.net
The centenary of the Sette Giugno riots which is being marked today was a milestone in Malta's political history, giving the island its Legislative Assembly, which later became the modern-day parliament. Simmering political and economic troubles at the turn oHow the Sette Giugno led to Malta's first ‘responsible’ government
The centenary of the Sette Giugno riots which is being marked today was a milestone in Malta's political history, giving the island its Legislative Assembly, which later became the modern-day parliament. Simmering political and economic troubles at the turn of the century had eased somewhat during the first world war but then returned with a vengeance and reached a boiling point on June 7, 1919. An increasing number of Maltese found that their pay simply could not keep up with rampant inflation. The situation was made worse as many lost their jobs in a wave of post-war discharges, particularly from the dockyard. It was a situation which fuelled calls by the Maltese to be granted a constitution and hence, self-government. Malta at the time was, first and foremost, a fortress and naval base. “The Duke of Wellington once said: can you give a Constitution to a battleship? The same way, you cannot give it to Malta,” professor Godfrey Pirotta, author of a book on Malta’s parliamentary history, said. In the late 1820s, Britain started sending commissions to enquire about the demand of the Maltese for autonomy in internal affairs. However, it seemed quite an impossible feat from... Read more
03:45
03:24
15:50
