ABSTRACT
The geographic location of Malta and the island’s historical trajectory in the crossroads between Europe, Africa and the Middle East have left their marks on the Maltese polity identity (Mitchell 1998). In that respect two competing constructions of Maltese identity have emerged, one focusing on the “non-aligned Mediterranean identity” and the second emphasizing the European vocation of the Maltese state (Cini 2000). This problematic dichotomous self-identification process has led to ideological and political polarization as a result of which “identity politics” have largely prevailed in the domestic partisan constellation and power competition (Cini 2002, Lane 2000).
