The political violence in Malta 1981 - 1987 : narrative and counter narrative

Abstract

Through a cross-referencing approach, this political research study attempted to understand the nature of political violence in a post-colonial, independent, republican state. Such a study faced the challenge of a recent, complex period for which time has not yet shown the political maturity needed to address and write about it objectively. The absence of historical research on the period between the 1970s and 1980s created a vacuum and probable misinformation on the events occurring in Malta's recent history. Hence, this thesis attempted to bring forward aspects of social and political occurrences in Maltese society. The limitations on length made it impossible to mention each and every incident; for instance, the gutting of the Times of Malta building in 1979 would have required a chapter for itself. As local political researchers once stated, if history is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon, significantly more work is required for a broader consensus on the turbulent, sensitive years reviewed here.