The decade known as the 2010s has come to an end. The last 10 years have seen some dramatic changes to Malta’s economy, demography, geography and politics. Here are some of the major developments.
Libyan jet lands
On February 21, 2011, two Libyan Air Force Mirage jet fighters unexpectedly landed at Luqa airport, beginning an eight-month period in which Malta would help those caught up in Libya’s revolution. In the months that followed the overthrow of dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Malta became a key logistical base where people were treated for injuries or evacuated for safety. After the crisis, some key recommendations were made to help those working in Malta better deal with future emergencies.
Divorce introduced
On May 28, 2011, Malta held a referendum on divorce. At that time, it was one of only three countries in the world – along with the Philippines and Vatican City – which prohibited divorce. The referendum was passed by 53 per cent of voters, resulting in a law allowing divorce under certain conditions being enacted later that year. As of October 2019, 2,859 couples have become divorced in Malta.
New parliament
On May 4, 2015, members of parliament gathered at the chamber at the Grandmaster’s Palace and – accompanied by the police force band – walked to their new building at Freedom Square. It is the first purpose-built Parliament House and was opened almost a century after Malta got its first Legislative Assembly. The €90m building was commissioned by former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in 2008 and designed by architect Renzo Piano.
Same-sex marriage
On September 1, 2017, same-sex couples were allowed to get married for the first time in Malta. All the House’s MPs, with the exception of Nationalist MP Edwin Vassallo, voted in favour of the law, after both the government and Opposition publicly declared their support for the bill. It made Malta the 15th nation in Europe and 25th in the world to allow gay people to tie the knot.
Journalist bombed
The 2010s were the deadliest decade when it came to car bombings, not only because they claimed the lives of several people but because among them was the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. She was killed on October 16, 2017, as she drove away from her house that afternoon, in a murder whose alleged mastermind is the Electrogas director and owner of 17 Black, Yorgen Fenech. He was allegedly set to pay millions in kickbacks to OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri and then minster Konrad Mizzi. The existence of 17 Black was first revealed by Ms Caruana Galizia.
Capital of culture
Valletta became the European Capital of Culture in January 2018, with more than 140 projects and 400 events planned around the three main themes of Island Stories, Future Baroque and Voyages. While new life was breathed into the city in the form of the Tritons Fountain and MUZA, others say it will be remembered more for its controversies, such as comments made by Valletta 2018 Foundation chairman Jason Micallef seen as mocking murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Migration crisis
The 2010s was a decade which saw hundreds of thousands of people, mainly from the Middle East and Africa, arrive in Europe seeking refuge. Figures show that while just 28 people landed in Malta in 2010, the number rose dramatically to 1,577 in 2011 and 2,023 in 2012. By 2013, 2,008 people had arrived here from Libya by boat and another spike was seen in 2018 following further unrest in that country, with 1,455 people reaching Malta. This year, up to October, the figure reached 2,804. European Commission efforts to establish a system of fairer distribution of migrants among member states have been largely unsuccessful.
Labour wins power
On March 11, 2013, Joseph Muscat was elected Prime Minister of Malta, promising an earthquake to politics. He was re-elected in June 2017. He has been widely praised for growing the economy, creating thousands of new jobs for both locals and foreigners, which in turn boosted the population, and introducing new civil liberties and social measures. He is now viewed as having allowed corruption to fester and stifling institutional independence.
Azure Window collapses
At around 9.40am, on March 8, 2017, Gozo’s iconic Azure Window collapsed after being battered by an overnight storm. Roger Chessell saw the stack come down. “There was a big, raging sea beneath the window. Suddenly, the arch collapsed with a loud whoomph, throwing up a huge spray. By the time the spray had faded, the stack had gone too.” The 28m-high limestone arch was one of the island’s key tourist destinations. It was immortalised in TV shows such as Game of Thrones as well as the 1981 movie Clash of the Titans. News of the collapse spread around the world and was featured in the BBC and The Guardian.
Political turmoil
The end of this year saw political events come to a dramatic head, with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announcing on December 1, 2019, that he would step down in mid-January. Amid evidence of close ties between his chief of staff and the alleged mastermind in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder, huge protests were held calling on him to make way immediately to carry political responsibility and ensure justice is done.
Hunting approved
On April 11, 2015, Malta held a referendum on hunting asking the question: “Do you agree that the provisions of the ‘Framework for Allowing a Derogation Opening a Spring Hunting Season for Turtle Dove and Quail Regulations’ should continue to be in force?” Turnout was high at 74.8 per cent with people narrowly voting 50.4 per cent for keeping the law in place.
Other deaths that shocked the island
Sliema double killing
On January 1, 2012, Malta started the year with the gruesome news that Duncan Zammit (left) and Nicholas Gera had died of multiple stab wounds at a penthouse in Sliema. Detectives believe Mr Zammit, 32, had been asleep in his bedroom with his wife Claire and their three-month-old twins, when Mr Gera entered and a violent fight ensued. Both men died of knife injuries – with Mr Zammit receiving 30 stab wounds. In the days and weeks that followed, investigators tried to piece together what had happened, while public speculation flew about the motives behind the deaths.
Carnage on double decker
On April 9, 2018, a 62-year-old Belgian man and a 37-year-old Spanish woman died and 50 passengers were injured when an open-top, double-decker bus hit the branches of an overhanging tree. Among the wounded were two boys aged six. The bus operators City Sightseeing Malta subsequently filed a judicial protest against Transport Malta in September that year, claiming it had not observed its own regulations. Despite some survivors losing limbs, they have yet to receive any compensation as the incident is still tied up in a magisterial inquiry.
Amended January 1 - A previous version of this article stated that Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in 2016, rather than 2017.