Editing History of Malta (section)

=== Malta in the European Union (2004–present)===
Malta's accession to the European Union in 2004 had important implications for the state's foreign policy. Notably, Malta was required to withdraw from the [[Non-Aligned Movement]] of which the state had been an active member since 1971.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Cini|first=Michelle|date=September 2004|title=Culture, institutions and campaign effects: Explaining the outcome of Malta's EU accession referendum |journal=West European Politics|volume=27|issue=4|pages=584–602|doi=10.1080/0140238042000249911|s2cid=154334621|issn=0140-2382}}</ref>[[File:Welcome-Europe.jpg|thumb|Celebrations at [[Fort Saint Angelo]] commemorating Malta's entry into the EU in 2004]]

In the context of EU membership, Malta joined the [[Eurozone]] on 1&nbsp;January 2008;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/articles/euro/change_over_cyprus_and_malta_en.htm|title=Cyprus and Malta: Welcome to the euro area! - European Commission|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref> the [[2008 Maltese general election|2008 election]] confirmed Gonzi in the premiership,<ref>{{cite news|title=Gonzi Beats them all - The Malta Independent|url=https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2008-03-13/newspaper-letters/Gonzi-Beats-them-all-204973|work=[[The Malta Independent]]|date=13 March 2008|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref> while in 2009 [[George Abela]] became President of Malta.<ref>{{cite news|title=Abela to be nominated President tomorrow|url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/abela-to-be-nominated-president-tomorrow.240259|work=Times of Malta|date=11 January 2009|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref>

On 28 May 2011, the Maltese voted 'yes' in the consultative [[2011 Maltese divorce referendum|divorce referendum]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Sharrock|first=David|title=Malta votes yes to legalising divorce|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/may/29/malta-votes-yes-legalising-divorce|work=The Guardian|date=29 May 2011|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref> At that time, Malta was one of only three countries in the world, along with the [[Philippines]] and the [[Vatican City]], in which divorce was not permitted. As a consequence of the referendum outcome, a law allowing divorce under certain conditions was enacted in the same year.<ref>{{cite news|title=MPs in Catholic Malta pass historic law on divorce|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-14285882|work=[[BBC News]]|date=25 July 2011|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref>

Following a corruption scandal [[John Dalli]] had to resign and was replaced by [[Tonio Borg]] as Maltese commissioner in 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title=Malta's Tonio Borg appointed EU Health Commissioner|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-20523924|work=BBC News|date=28 November 2012|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref> A [[2013 Maltese general election|snap election was called for March&nbsp;2013]] after the Gonzi government lost the Parliamentary majority. The Nationalist Party lost the election after having governed Malta more than 15 years since 1987 (except for a period from 1996 to 1998).<ref>{{cite news |title=Malta general election vote ends|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-21722936|work=BBC News|date=9 March 2013|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref> Labour Party leader [[Joseph Muscat]] was elected as Prime Minister.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/Muscat-sworn-in-as-PM.461157|last=Sansone|first=Kurt|title=Muscat sworn in as PM|work=Times of Malta|date=12 March 2013|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Labour returns to power in Malta after 15 years|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-21734277|work=BBC News|date=10 March 2013|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref>

In April 2019, the parliament elected [[George Vella]] as the 10th [[President of Malta|President of the Republic of Malta]] to succeed [[Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Watch: George Vella - Who is Malta's new President of the Republic?|date=4 April 2019|newspaper=The Malta Independent|url=https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2019-04-04/local-news/Watch-George-Vella-Who-is-Malta-s-new-President-of-the-Republic-6736206151|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref>

On 16 October 2017, Maltese [[journalist]] and anti-corruption activist [[Daphne Caruana Galizia]] was assassinated in a car bomb near her residence in [[Bidnija]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Malta car bomb kills Panama Papers journalist|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/16/malta-car-bomb-kills-panama-papers-journalist|last=Garside|first=Juliette|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=16 October 2017|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref> Her murder caused an uproar of criticism for the Labour government and the judicial system on the islands. Following evidence of implication between Joseph Muscat's close circle and the arrest of [[Yorgen Fenech]], a long series of protests on the islands and international criticism precipitated the [[2019–2020 Maltese protests|2019–2020 political crisis]]. This resulted in the resignation of Prime Minister [[Joseph Muscat]], Minister [[Konrad Mizzi]], and Prime Minister's Chief of Staff [[Keith Schembri]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Malta's PM quits in crisis over Daphne Caruana Galizia murder|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/01/malta-pm-joseph-muscat-quits-daphne-caruana-galizia|last=Garside|first=Juliette|work=The Guardian|date=1 December 2019|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref> An internal election on 11&nbsp;January 2020 within the [[Labour Party (Malta)|Maltese Labour party]] elected [[Robert Abela]], son of former president George Abela, as party leader, and Prime Minister of Malta.<ref>{{cite news|title=Robert Abela elected Labour Party leader and will be Malta's new PM|date=11 January 2020|newspaper=Times of Malta|url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/robert-abela-elected-labour-party-leader-and-will-be-maltas-new-pm.762714|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Malta: Robert Abela elected new PM after crisis over journalist's murder|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51080574|work=BBC News|date=12 January 2020|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref>

Malta became the first country in the European Union to legalize [[cannabis (drug)|recreational use of cannabis]] on 14 December 2021.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bubola |first=Emma |date=2021-12-15 |title=Malta Becomes First E.U. Country to Legalize Marijuana |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/15/world/europe/malta-eu-marijuana-legalize.html |access-date=2023-04-02 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In March 2022, the ruling Labour party, led by Prime Minister Robert Abela, won its third successive [[2022 Maltese general election|election]]. It gained even bigger victory than in 2013 and in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |title=Labour Party claims victory in Malta elections|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/27/malta-elections-ruling-labour-party-claims-victory|work=[[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]]|date=27 March 2022|access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref> On 4 April 2025, [[Myriam Spiteri Debono]] was sworn in as the President of Malta.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dr Myriam Spiteri Debono has been sworn in as the President of Malta |url=https://maltaembassy.orderofmalta.int/en/news/dr-myriam-spiteri-debono-has-been-sworn-in-as-the-president-of-malta/ |work=Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta to Malta}}</ref>