The rivalry between Maltese sympathies to the UK and Italy has deep roots in Malta’s history, so much so that it is still felt in our culture today.

Today, we’re looking at the period in Malta’s political history that is known as ‘The Language Question’. At the same time, we note how, while everybody was focusing on this rivalry between two superpowers, the language used ‘in the kitchen’ flourished into an official language and an integral part of Maltese identity.

The Rivalry

It’s the 11th of June, 2021. Italy and England are sharing the biggest European football stage as they face each other in the final of Euro 2020. The whole of Europe is watching, but tensions run highest in London, Rome…and Malta. (sound: turntable scratch)

But why do we care so much about these two countries? 

The Language Question

This rivalry has deep political roots in Maltese history. Before the arrival of the British, Italian was the official language in Malta. Italian was widely used for administrative purposes.

By 1836, however, the British placed English alongside Italian as the joint official language of Malta.

The Language question, as it became known, unleashed a bitter political dispute. The spoken language became a political tool of the elite to make Malta more pro British, or in an act of defiance, to cling to the Italian ‘patria’. 

By the time of the language question, English was more common in harbour towns, where there was a strong presence of British servicemen. Meanwhile, since Law Courts and the University still used Italian, it was more common among lawyers and other professionals.

What about Maltese? For centuries, it has been  the language of the populace. However,  it lacked any sort of standardisation and could not be used in an official context.

The State of Education 

The Keenan Report was a ruthless study attacking the language education system at the time. Critics of the report believed that the report was biased and had only one intention: making Malta more pro British by introducing English at the expense of Italian.

Surprise, surprise – Its conclusion was that English should be taught in primary schools, while Italian should be limited to the Faculty of Theology.

Another conclusion was that a change in the Director of Education was required. Enter Sigismondo Savona. 

The First Political Parties

The language question was so intense that it led to the birth if the first Maltese political parties 

The Reform Party was set up by Sigismondo Savona in 1879. Those who supported this party wanted to substitute Italian for English as the administrative language (the University, in the Council of Government, and in Law courts.). 

Among its main supporters were civil service employees and dockyard workers…ring any bells? 

The Partito Anti-Riformista was founded in 1880 by Fortunato Mizzi, (President of the Chamber of Advocates). As the name implies, the party opposed the language reforms which Keenan and Savona were proposing. The name of the party was changed in 1884 to Partito Nazionale, while its supporters were called…you guessed it…Nationalists.

The Illusion of Free Choice

In 1888, Chief Secretary of the Colony, Gerald Strickland, decided that parents should decide whether their children should learn English or Italian. In the meantime, the British Government launched a propaganda campaign encouraging parents to choose English, saying that this would give their children more opportunities to find work in other English-speaking countries.

The British Government eventually had to cancel the reforms in law courts, under pressure from King Edward VII himself who wished to keep good relations with Italy.

The End

Fast forward to 1927 when, after years of countless elections, resignations and propaganda, the Labour Party supported the proposals of the pro-British  prime minister Gerald Strickland. Through this alliance, English officially superseded Italian.

In 1932, when Nationalists returned to government, they tried to reintroduce Italian in primary schools. The British Government immediately intervened by suspending the constitution, fearing the use of Italian as a means to spread Italian Fascist propaganda.

In 1940, the first Italian bomb dropped on Malta, understandably bringing with it an official end to the language question.

An Unlikely Winner

Amid this chaos and conflicts of superpowers, the Maltese budded. It replaced Italian as the language of the Law Courts, and became a requirement for employment in the Civil Service. Why? Did our rulers suddenly remember we had a language?

During this whole time, while everyone was focused on Italian and English, there were some Maltese that were working hard to develop a standard orthography of the Maltese language (the Maltese Academy). L-Akkademja tal-Malti had already published a standard Maltese alphabet in 1921. These unsung heroes paved the way for Maltese to become our official language.

From their part, the British had been pushing the Maltese language alongside English, in an effort to get the Maltese public on their side. Needless to say, the motivation behind this was purely political.

Language and the Maltese Identity

The language question had nothing to do with how everyday people spoke to each other, and more a means to shape Malta’s identity for political purposes. But just as Maltese took its rightful place as the official language, so did the sense of unique national identity. 

In a world that continues to be dominated by global forces, Maltese is what makes us truly unique. It is a powerful metaphor of how the Maltese found their place in the modern world. More than the flag, more than the Maltese Cross, it is the single most powerful symbol of who we are as a nation.