A few years before the beginning of the First World War, a young, dynamic yet combative young man, eloquent and having a flare for writing and politics arrived on the political horizon of the island. This young man was Enrico Mizzi, a worthy son of his father, Fortunato Mizzi, the Maltese
Pater Patria.
Enrico Mizzi was attending the first year of the Literature course in the Royal Malta University (R.M.U), and it was here that he started his glorious political career. On the occasion of the
Otto Settembre of 1904, Mizzi gave his first speech. Here he described the to his fellow students the importance of the “
patriotic ceremonies, which besides rekindle our love of the homeland are also, and by far most important, the source of our love for liberty.”
After the R.M.U., Mizzi went abroad, to Italy, where he completed his studies. He stayed for 5 years in Italy, saying that “
I have dedicated myself not only to the study of Law at the University of Rome, but also to the fierce journalistic battles in the Italian newspapers”. Indeed Mizzi wrote in various newspapers in Rome, Florence and Milan.
Mizzi’s political philosophy, influenced by his Italian friends, can be summed up in one of his frequently used phrases: “
My activities, both public and private, were always true to my beliefs of loyalty and frank nationalism, tenacious yet incorruptible.”
In the 1915 elections, Enrico Mizzi decided too place his candidacy for the VIII district (Gozo and Comino) and, backed by the
Comitato Patriottico Maltese, he succeeded and achieved a large victory [certain sources give it at 560/ others at 500 votes].
On the 7th of May 1917, Enrico Mizzi was arrested by the Military Authorities, while he was still representing the VIII district. The accuse was of disloyalty to the British Crown, an accuse born because of Mizzi’s speech in the Council of the Government. He was also accused of having in his possession certain documents that could seriously jeopardise Italy’s relations with Britain – these documents were in fact some old articles of Mizzi’s student days in Italy. After three months under arrest held up in the Military Barracks of Verdala, he was Court-martialled, however during the jury “
the defendant had shown courage and calmness, and his sincerity was extraordinary.” The Court at first condemned him for one year in prison, but the sentence was then changed into a reprimand.
On the 25th of February 1919, the first
Assemblea Nazionale was called, many prominent leaders of the nationalistic movement in the island took part in the meeting, while Enrico Mizzi was chosen as secretary. In the second meeting, held on the 7th of June 1919, the meeting hall was occupied by a crowd of people bearing a stricken youth. Before this scene, Mizzi exclaimed “Silenzju, ghaddejja l-Istorja!” In the streets of Valletta a riot of Maltese insurgents was taking place.
After the suppression of the riots, a Commission was held to investigate the causes of the riots, and it became clear from its start that the Commission intended to blame Mizzi, who quickly replied that:
“
…bene, io che, nelle parole del Conte Strickland, simboleggio anzi personifico il movimento anti-Inglese a Malta, dichiaro che queste sono solo bugie, e dichiaro apertamente che a Malta non esiste, e non è mai esistito un partito anti-Britannico. Esiste invece il Partito Nazionalista che, però nella sua battaglia è animato con sentimento puro della lealta’, e non ha niente anti-Britannico nei suoi metodi e nel suo intento finale...”
(Debates – 20/4/1921)
Up to early 1921, Enrico Mizzi felt the need to establish a new party – up till then there was only a group of people around him, and therefore Mizzi decided to formally and officially establish the
Partito Democratico Nazionalista on the 10th of May 1921, having the newspaper
L’Eco di Malta e Gozo as its official organ. Another date worthy of taking note is the First National Congress called by the party on the 5th of October in Valletta. (44, sda. Stretta). During this Congress, the basic constitution, first written in May 1921 was finalised along with an electoral programme, whilst Enrico Mizzi declared –
“
Il Partito Democratico Nazionalista, che e in unione ideological con il vecchio Parttito Nazionale, mentre finalizza il suo programme elettorale, tiene e usera come base la religione Cattolica Romana, la nostra civiltà Latina, sempre con fedelta alla bandiera Britannica...”
The first election that Enrico Mizzi faced as the leader of the P.D.N was in 1921, when his party achieved 12.0% of the votes for the
Assemblea Legislattiva (One must note that all the candidates the P.D.N. presented, that is, the 4 candidates in the VIII district, Gozo, were elected).
For the next legislation, elected in 1924, the P.D.N. formed a coalition government with the U.P.M (Unione Politica Maltese), bringing about the possibility of a union between the Maltese nationalistic fronts.
Indeed, after the Sixth National Congress of the P.D.N .approved a possible union with the U.P.M, on the 16th of January 1926, the P.D.N and the U.P.M merged and formed a new party, the
Partito Nazionalista having as its headquarters (sede) in 79, Strada Forni, Valletta.
The loss of the 1926 elections and the Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici trial were a setback to the P.N. However the political-religious question which was in full swing during the 1930s, heralded an improvement in the P.N.’s political power, with Dr. Enrico Mizzi’s party achieving a 65.6% majority with 21 members for the P.N. against 11 Strickland/Labourites. During this administration Mizzi held the Ministry for Industry and Commerce, along with the Ministry for Post.
However this absolute victory was short lived – The Imperial authorities, realising that the Maltese Nationalist movement would probably lead to a revolution, even if this was not the P.N.’s policy, quickly started to take over fundamental parts of the Maltese Government. Enrico Mizzi quickly condemned such happenings, even if that meant that he would probably be in the eye of the storm.
In face of the weary political situation, the P.N. called for a new Congress. Here we see Mizzi’s decleration that “
…il Partito Nazionalista, è realmente come è sempre stato: un interpreto fedele e genuino del sentimento nazionale...” The
Partito Nazionalista and the
Constitutional Party were locked in a political stalemate. During the 1939 election, this stalemate was broken through pressures from the part of the Governor which led the electorate to a state described by Mizzi as “
psicosi bellica”, while he declared that “
…con tutta la mia coscienza, posso dire che non mi sono mai involuto in un’elezione condotta meno liberamente…”
Indeed war was soon declared over all of Europe. Enrico Mizzi was arrested on the 30th of May 1940, while the “
Malta” was closed the day before. Mizzi, along with other Maltese deemed to be pro-Italian, were interned. The British Authorities then passed a special warrant to be able to deport Maltese citizens from the island. During the debate in Parliament against their deportation, Sir Ugo Mifsud, the ex-P.N. Prime Minister, started to speak against such acts, when suddenly during his eloquent speech, he felt sick and fell stricken on his chair – to die two days afterwards of a heart attack.
Unfortunately the British Authorities still deported the Maltese citizens, repudiating a sentence from the Civil Court who had stated that such deportations where unlawful. On the 13th of February 1942, 6 days after the Council of the Government voted in favour of the deportations. (George Borg Olivier being the only P.N. member that remained voted against the motion).
From the Internment Camps in Uganda, Enrico Mizzi sent various letters to his family and to George Borg Olivier, telling him how he should behave in the Council of the Government. On the 8th of March, after roughly 3 years of internment, Enrico Mizzi arrived to Malta with the last remaining group of deportees. Immediately after his return, Mizzi took an active role in politics, taking part in the
Assemblea Legislattiva immediately with his return.
During the 1947 election, the P.N. achieved 7 seats out of 40, with the majority going to the Labour Party, (27/40). However the inability and the lack of experience of the L.P. led to a severe crisis due to the resignation of the Finance Minister. To face this crisis, the P.N. called a National Congress on the 18th of November 1949, were Mizzi confirmed George Borg Olivier as Deputy Leader of the P.N. However few party members knew that Mizzi had had a cardiac attack on the preceding 12th of October, and he retired from politics for some time.
The crisis in the L.P. lead to an internal schism in the party – the new M.L.P headed by Dom Mintoff on one side, and the M.W.P headed by the former L.P leader, Paolo Boffa on the other. Mintoff tried to align himself with the P.N. to achieve more votes. Enrico Mizzi’s voices, fresh out retirement retorted that: “
…anche se ci sono dei contrasti fondamentali tra la politica Nazionalista e quella di Mintoff, i nostri avversari stanno confondendo il nostro partito con quello di Mintoff. Noi l’abbiamo detto e ripetuto diverse volte...non c’è nessuna relazione o connessione fra il Partito Nazionalista e quello di Mintoff: siamo diversi come è diviso il Polo Nord dal Polo Sud, anche se noi non possiamo condannare alcun individuo o organizzazione che accetta parti del nostro programma elettorale...”
The P.N. won the election by a narrow majority of 1 seat, having 12, while the M.L.P and the M.W.P each had 11, the C.P. 4 and 1 for the D.A.P. and 1 Independent. The P.N. had no choice but to form a minority government.
It is without any doubt that one of Dr. Enrico Mizzi’s most glorious moments was when Malta recognized him as her Prime Minister. It was a solemn moment which culminated his long political and patriotic career. Unfortunately his time as Prime Minister was not long. On the 20th of December 1950, the Maltese patriot “
par-excellence” died. His last words where:
“
Chiedo il perdono a Dio di tutti i miei peccati. Se questa è la volonta del Signore io accetto volentieri la Morte. Dite a tutti che ho fatto sempre il mio dovere e ho la coscienza tranquilla di aver fatto tutto per la Patria. Perdono a tutti come voglio che tutti perdonino me...”
Enrico Mizzi was really and truly a Maltese patriot. His life, his thoughts, his ideology can be described in one phrase. He was a real Maltese Nationalist. Today a simple marble slab on the family memorial commemorates the Nationalist hero:
"Qui riposa in pace Enrico Mizzi, Primo Ministro di Malta che la sua vita dedicò alla Patria."