Attempts to reach consensus on one national day are bound to fail in view of Malta’s highly-polarised society where every aspect of life is either tinged in red or blue, Prof. Oliver Friggieri believes.

“Probably the only option is to declare February 31 as Malta’s national day as this is impossible to materialise,” the academic jokingly said.

Ironically, Prof. Friggieri made this remark when The Sunday Times of Malta sought his reaction following his appointment as head of a committee tasked to oversee next year’s Sette Giugno centenary celebrations.

The poet and philosopher says that it is still early days to decide how to best commemorate this event which is widely recognised as Malta’s first step towards self-determination. In this respect he immediately flags one recurring issue which he says must be addressed once and for all – that relating to the number of victims.

Probably the only option is to declare February 31 as Malta’s national day

For nearly 100 years it was wrongly assumed that Manwel Attard, Guze Bajada, Wenzu Dyer and Karmenu Abela were the sole victims of these riots. In reality, Ċikku Darmanin and Toni Caruana had also paid the ultimate price but their names were forgotten for the simple reason that they had succumbed to injuries at a later stage.

READ: US' million-dollar question: what is Malta's national day?

In 2011, Speaker Michael Frendo in his annual Sette Giugno address flagged the issue, but to date these two victims are still waiting to be given official recognition by the State. 

In his remarks, Prof. Friggieri quickly dwells on the long-running debate on whether Malta should have one single national day which would really serve to unite all of its citizens under one flag regardless of their political backgrounds and beliefs.

Prof. Friggieri notes that a quick analysis of the various national days being commemorated throughout the year reveals a common denominator.

“Celebrations associated with the Nationalist Party always include pontifical Mass at St John’s Co-cathedral like Independence Day, the Great Siege and even Sette Giugno, while others like Freedom Day and Republic Day do not,” he points out.

The academic makes the point that such a pattern was no coincidence but testament to the historic links which the PN had with the Church and the more secular approach adopted by the Labour Party.

“While there have been attempts in recent years to find common ground and establish one national day, none of the events currently being commemorated stand a chance due to their political connotations,” Prof. Friggieri remarks.

Such a ‘phenomenon’ is palpable across all strata of society and is evident in one’s choice of band clubs, patron saints and the football rivalry between English and Italian sympathisers, he said.

Prof. Friggieri noted that more than 50 years following independence, Malta’s parochialism is as rife as ever.

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