2003 Maltese European Union membership referendum

October 2019 Do you agree that Malta should become a member of the European Union in the enlargement that is to take place on 1 May 2004? Malta 8 March 2003 143094 123628 270633 297881 A referendum on European Union membership was held in Malta on 8 March 2003.Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1302 978-3-8329-5609-7 The result was 54% in favour. The subsequent April 2003 general elections were won by the Nationalist Party, which was in favour of EU membership, the opposition Labour Party having opposed joining. Malta joined the EU on 1 May 2004. The referendum saw the highest turnout in an EU membership referendum (91%) and the lowest support for joining of any of the nine countries that held referendums on joining the EU in 2003.Briguglio Michael Post-Script: The Malta Labour Party after 1998 Michael Briguglio http://www.michaelbriguglio.com/PostscriptJanuary2004.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20110714082940/http://www.michaelbriguglio.com/PostscriptJanuary2004.pdf 14 July 2011 deadStajano, Attilio 2006 Chapter 3.5 An Overview of the Ten Accession Countries of the 2004 Enlargement Research, Quality, Competitiveness: European Union Technology Policy for the Information Society second Springer Verlag New York 60–85, page 78 978-0-387-28741-6 Background Malta's first relations with the European Economic Community (EEC) saw the signing of an Association Agreement in December 1970. This agreement called for the creation of a customs union based on free trade between Malta and the Bloc.Malta and the EU: History of Malta's EU Membership https://www.eu2017.mt/en/Pages/Malta-and-the-EU.aspx 28 March 2019 EU2017.MT Maltese Presidency of the EU 2017 2016 en Malta submitted a formal application to join the European Community in July 1990, which was met with a positive opinion from the European Commission. However the application was suspended in 1996 with a new Labour government. After the Nationalist Party won the 1998 election, the new government reactivated Malta's membership application. Appendix D - Chronology of EU enlargement 27 February 2008 Parliament of Australia http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jfadt/CentralEurope/ce_report/appendixd.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20040204173338/http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jfadt/centraleurope/ce_report/appendixd.pdf 4 February 2004 dead Negotiations to join were finished at the Copenhagen summit in December 2002 and Malta was invited to join the EU in 2004. The outcome of the Copenhagen Summit 15 January 2003 Efficacité et Transparence des Acteurs Européens http://www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/outcome-copenhagen-summit/article-110360 https://web.archive.org/web/20120212080348/http://www.euractiv.com/enlargement/outcome-copenhagen-summit/article-110360 12 February 2012 live The government of Malta announced in January 2003 that a non-binding referendum on membership would be held on 8 March 2003 at the same time as local elections. https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2707317.stm Malta first in EU referendum race 29 January 2003 BBC Online Campaign In the run up to the referendum polls showed voters were evenly divided over EU membership. Malta voting on EU membership 8 March 2003 CNN http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/08/malta.euvote.ap/index.html https://web.archive.org/web/20080205103605/http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/08/malta.euvote.ap/index.html 5 February 2008 dead The Nationalist government argued that Malta would receive EU funds for the roads and tourist industry. They said that Malta needed the EU in order to cope with globalisation and accused the opposition of scaremongering.Owen Richard Malta to join EU after knife-edge referendum 10 March 2003 The Times London http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article1117985.ece 27 February 2008 September 2024 medicmedic The Labour opposition feared that EU membership would cost jobs due to the lowering of trade barriers and jeopardise Malta's independence. They preferred that Malta should form a partnership with the EU rather than seeking membership and called on Maltese votes to either spoil their ballot papers, abstain or vote no. One billboard for the no campaign showed the Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami wearing a Diaper made of the flag of Europe. Malta awaits EU membership verdict 9 March 2003 CNN http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/09/malta.euvote.ap/ https://web.archive.org/web/20031001010154/http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/09/malta.euvote.ap/ 1 October 2003 dead The largest trade union in Malta, the General Workers' Union opposed membership. Referendum question The question voted in on in the referendum was confirmed on 3 January 2003. Referendum briefing No 2: The Maltese EU accession referendum 8 March 2003 Opposing Europe Research Network https://www.sussex.ac.uk/webteam/gateway/file.php?name=epern-ref-no-2.pdf&site=266 https://web.archive.org/web/20140526050903/https://www.sussex.ac.uk/webteam/gateway/file.php?name=epern-ref-no-2.pdf&site=266 26 May 2014 live It was "Do you agree that Malta should become a member of the European Union in the enlargement that is to take place on 1 May 2004?" Results 143094 123628 3911 297881 Nohlen & Stöver Aftermath Supporters of the Nationalist party celebrated the result of the referendum but the Labour leader Alfred Sant did not concede defeat and said the issue would be settled at the upcoming general election. Malta votes 'yes' to EU membership 9 March 2003 CNN http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/09/malta.yes/ https://web.archive.org/web/20030313220750/http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/09/malta.yes/ 13 March 2003 dead He argued that only 48% of registered voters had voted yes and that therefore a majority had opposed membership by voting no, abstaining or spoiling their ballot. The day after the referendum the Prime Minister called the election for 12 April as expected, though it was not required until January 2004. Malta PM hopes to ride EU success 10 March 2003 CNN http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/10/malta.prime.minister.reut/index.html https://web.archive.org/web/20041226075354/http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/10/malta.prime.minister.reut/index.html 26 December 2004 live The main issue in the 2003 election was EU membership and the Nationalist party's victory enabled Malta to join on 1 May 2004. https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9900E2D7133BF937A25757C0A9659C8B63 Election Results Move Malta Closer to European Union 14 April 2003 The New York Times Further reading Rudolf Uwe Jens Berg Warren G. 2010 Historical Dictionary of Malta https://books.google.com/books?id=nwuUOVkaMB0C&pg=PA17 Scarecrow Press 17–20 9780810873902 Fenech Dominic July 2003 The 2003 Maltese EU referendum and general election West European Politics 26 3 163–170 10.1080/01402380312331280638 References Malta Category:Referendums in Malta Category:Referendums related to European Union accession European Malta Malta Category:Malta and the European Union Malta