Alfred Sant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alfred Sant KUOM
Sant in 2012
11th Prime Minister of Malta
In office 28 October 1996 – 6 September 1998
President	Ugo Mifsud Bonnici
Preceded by	Eddie Fenech Adami
Succeeded by	Eddie Fenech Adami
Leader of the Labour Party
In office 26 March 1992 – 6 June 2008
Deputy	George Vella Charles Mangion
Preceded by	Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici
Succeeded by	Joseph Muscat
Leader of the Opposition
In office 6 September 1998 – 5 June 2008
President	Ugo Mifsud Bonnici
Prime Minister	Eddie Fenech Adami Lawrence Gonzi
Preceded by	Eddie Fenech Adami
Succeeded by	Charles Mangion (Acting); Joseph Muscat
In office 26 March 1992 – 28 October 1996
President	Ċensu Tabone Ugo Mifsud Bonnici
Prime Minister	Eddie Fenech Adami
Preceded by	Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici
Succeeded by	Eddie Fenech Adami
Member of the European Parliament for Malta
In office 1 July 2014 – 8 June 2024
Personal details
Born	(1948-02-28) 28 February 1948 (age 77) Pietà, Crown Colony of Malta
Political party	Labour
Education	University of Malta (BSc, MSc) École nationale d'administration (MPA) Boston University (MBA) Harvard University (DBA)

Alfred Sant (born 28 February 1948) is a Maltese politician and a writer. He was the leader of the Labour Party from 1992 to 2008. He also served as the Prime Minister of Malta from 1996 to 1998. Later, he became a Member of the European Parliament for Malta.

About Alfred Sant

Early Life and Education

Alfred Sant was born in Pietà, Malta. He studied at the University of Malta, where he earned degrees in Physics and Mathematics. He continued his studies in public administration in Paris, France.

Later, he moved to the United States for more studies. He earned a Master's degree in Business Management from Boston University in 1976. In 1979, he received a doctorate in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Early Career and Politics

Before becoming a well-known politician, Sant worked in different roles. He was a diplomat for Malta in Brussels, Belgium, from 1970 to 1975. He also worked as an advisor and managing director for various companies.

In 1982, Sant joined the Labour Party. He quickly became important in the party, leading its information department. He also served as the party's President from 1984 to 1988. In 1987, he became a member of the Maltese Parliament. In 1992, he was chosen as the leader of the Labour Party.

Time as Prime Minister

Leading the Country (1996-1998)

In October 1996, the Labour Party won the general election, and Alfred Sant became the Prime Minister of Malta. One of his main promises was to remove the Value Added Tax (VAT), which had been introduced earlier. His government replaced VAT with a similar tax called the Customs and Excise Tax (CET).

During his time as Prime Minister, Malta's application to join the European Union was put on hold. The previous government had started this process.

Challenges and New Elections

Sant's time as Prime Minister lasted only 22 months. His government had a very small majority in Parliament, meaning they had only one more seat than the other parties. This made it difficult to pass laws.

In 1998, a disagreement with a former Prime Minister, Dom Mintoff, led to a vote in Parliament that the government lost. Because of this, Sant felt his government could no longer lead effectively. He asked the President to call new elections. In September 1998, the Labour Party lost the election, and Sant's time as Prime Minister ended.

After Being Prime Minister

EU Referendum and Election (2003)

After the 1998 election, the Nationalist party returned to power and restarted Malta's plan to join the European Union. Alfred Sant remained the leader of the opposition and spoke against Malta joining the EU.

In March 2003, Malta held a vote (called a referendum) to decide if it should join the EU. Sant encouraged Labour supporters to vote "No," not vote at all, or spoil their ballot. The "Yes" side won the referendum. However, Sant argued that fewer than half of all eligible voters had voted "Yes." Because of this disagreement, new elections were called in April 2003. The Labour Party lost again.

After this second defeat, Sant offered to resign as party leader. However, he ran for the position again and was re-elected by the Labour Party delegates.

General Election (2008)

In the 2008 general election, Alfred Sant led the Labour Party with a new plan for Malta. They called for "A Need for Change" after many years of Nationalist government. Their plan included changes to education, reducing electricity fees, and tax breaks for overtime work.

However, Sant's party lost the election by a very small number of votes. After this third loss, he resigned as the leader of the Labour Party in March 2008. He also stepped down as Leader of the Opposition in June 2008. Joseph Muscat became the new party leader.

European Parliament (2014-2024)

In 2014, Alfred Sant decided to run as a candidate for the European Parliament. This was a notable decision because he had previously been against Malta joining the EU. He received a very large number of votes and was elected. He was re-elected in 2019 and served until June 2024.

Literary Works

Alfred Sant is also a well-known writer. He has written many novels, short stories, and plays.

Plays

• Min Hu Evelyn Costa? (1979)
• Fid-Dell tal-Katidral (1994)
• Qabel Tiftaħ l-Inkjesta (1999)

Short Story Collections

• Kwart ta' Mija (1995)
• Pupu fil-Baħar (2009)

Novels

• L-Ewwel Weraq tal-Bajtar (1968)
• Bejgħ u Xiri (1981)
• Silġ fuq Kemmuna (1982)
• La Bidu, La Tmiem (2001)
• L-Għalqa tal-Iskarjota (2009)
• George Bush f'Malta (2013)

Non-fiction Works

• L-Impenn għall-Bidla (1986) - a collection of political essays
• It-28 ta' April 1958 (1988) - a political story
• Malta's European Challenge (1995)
• Confessions of a European Maltese (2003) - his autobiography
• Is-Soċjaliżmu fi Żminijietna (2004)

Honours

National Honours

•  Malta : Companion of Honour of the National Order of Merit (1996) - This honour is given to Prime Ministers of Malta.

See also

In Spanish: Alfred Sant para niños

• Prime Minister of Malta
• List of prime ministers of Malta