Prime Minister and leader of the Partit Nazzjonalista
Enrico or Nerik, son of Fortunato Mizzi*, founder of the Nationalist movement, and Maria Sofia Folliero de Luna, was born in Valletta and educated at the Gozo Seminary, Flores College, and the University of Malta where he graduated in literature and science in 1906.
He read law at the universities of Rome and Urbino from where he obtained his LLD degree in 1911.
Mizzi was first elected to the Council of Government from Gozo in 1915 as member of the Comitato Patriottico. While Mizzi was striving to obtain a liberal Constitution, he was arrested at his residence on 7 May 1917 and court-martialled on charges of sedition in 1917 under the Malta Defence Regulations for writings and statements against the British. He was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment with hard labour, the loss of civil rights, and the withdrawal of the lawyer’s warrant. The sentence was commuted by Governor Methuen to a ‘severe censure’, while his civil rights and warrant were restored following the cessation of hostilities in 1918.
Mizzi founded the Circolo Giovane Malta and was life president of the Società’ Dante Alighieri. In 1919 Mizzi was elected secretary of the National Assembly and was also to serve as delegate to the National Assembly between 1945-1947.
In 1921 he formed the PDN to contest the elections for Malta’s first self Government. Mizzi’s party formed a coalition government with the UPM in 1924 and he became minister of agriculture. Later the PDN merged with the UPM to form the Partit Nazzjonalista. He was co-leader of the PN with Sir Ugo P. Mifsud* (1926-1942).
In the Nationalist government of 1932, he was minister of industry and commerce (Sept 1924-Aug 1927, and Jun 1932-Aug 1933); minister of posts and agriculture (Aug 1924-Aug 1927); of posts (Jun 1932-Aug 1932); minister of public instruction (Jul 1932-Nov 1933); and minister of justice (Sept 1950-Dec 1950).
He was member of the Legislative Assembly (1921-1924), (1924-1927); (1927-1932), (1932-1933); of the Council of Government (1939-1945); and of the Legislative Assembly (1947-1950) and (1950) from the 1st and 8th Divisions, and leader of the PN (1942-1950), and leader of the opposition (1947-1950).
On 30 May 1940, while Mizzi was at the Malta Printing Press, he was arrested and together with other 47 Maltese was interned for their alleged Italian sympathies and later deported illegally to Uganda in 1942. He was repatriated on 8 March 1945 and resumed his seat in the Council of Government.
After the 1950 elections, Mizzi was asked to form a minority government and, in September 1950 he became prime minister, but died only three months later, at his residence in Valletta and was given, on 20 December state funeral.
Mizzi founded the Eco di Malta e Gozo, the organ of the PDN, in 1921 and founded and edited Malta, organ of the PN (1926-40).
Mizzi married Bice Vassallo, daughter of Maestro Paolino Vassallo*, in 1926 and had one child, Dun Fortunato*.
This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.