Enrico Mizzi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Enrico Mizzi
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| 6th Prime Minister of Malta | |
| In office 26 September 1950 – 20 December 1950 |
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| Monarch | George VI |
| Governor General | Gerald Creasy |
| Preceded by | Paul Boffa |
| Succeeded by | Giorgio Borġ Olivier |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 September 1885 Valletta, Malta |
| Died | 20 December 1950 (aged 65) |
| Political party | Nationalist Party |
| Other political affiliations |
PDN until 1926 |
| Spouse |
Bice Mizzi
(m. 1926) |
| Children | 1 |
Enrico Mizzi (born September 20, 1885 – died December 20, 1950) was an important Maltese politician. He led the Nationalist Party from 1926 and was briefly the Prime Minister of Malta in 1950.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Enrico Mizzi was born in Valletta, Malta, on September 20, 1885. His father, Fortunato Mizzi, was also a politician who supported Italy. His mother was Maria Sofia Folliero de Luna. Enrico was quite young when both his parents passed away.
He studied at the Gozo seminary and later went to universities in Italy, like the University of Rome La Sapienza and the University of Urbino. He also studied at the Royal University of Malta. He earned degrees in literature, science, and law.
In 1926, Enrico Mizzi married Bice Vassallo. They had one son, Fortunat Mizzi, who later became a priest.
Starting in Politics
Even though Enrico Mizzi studied law, he spent most of his time in politics and journalism. In 1915, he joined the Comitato Patriottico Maltese (Maltese Patriotic Committee). He also started a newspaper called L'Eco di Malta.
He ran for parliament in Gozo in 1915 and was elected. He worked hard to create a new Constitution for Malta that would give the country more independence from British rule.
Challenges and Arrests
Enrico Mizzi faced difficulties because of his strong views. In 1916, he was arrested for saying he represented the "Italian nationality of Malta." His sentence was later reduced.
In May 1917, he was arrested again and put on trial by a military court. He was found guilty of speaking against the British during wartime. He was sentenced to a year in prison and lost his right to work as a lawyer. However, this sentence was also reduced, and his rights were given back after the war ended.
Leading the Nationalist Party
Enrico Mizzi followed in his father's footsteps, supporting the idea of Malta having strong ties to Italian culture and language. He believed Italian should be an official language in Malta.
After World War I, Mizzi was part of a large political group called the Maltese Political Union (UPM). He later formed his own group, the Democratic Nationalist Party (PDN), which was more strongly pro-Italian.
These two parties worked together in the 1921 and 1924 elections. After the 1924 elections, Mizzi's party formed a government with the UPM. During this time, Mizzi served as a minister, looking after things like postal services, agriculture, fisheries, and industry.
On January 23, 1926, the two parties officially joined to form the Partit Nazzjonalista. Mizzi became a co-leader alongside Sir Ugo Mifsud until Mifsud's death in 1942.
Mizzi was known for promoting Maltese pride and identity when Malta was a British colony. He also strongly supported the Roman Catholic faith, which was different from the Protestant faith of the British rulers.
Exile During World War II
On May 30, 1940, Enrico Mizzi was arrested because he was thought to have sympathies with Italy during World War II. He and 47 other Maltese people were sent away to Uganda in February 1942.
While in exile, Mizzi tried to stay informed about what was happening in Malta. He kept in touch with other members of the Nationalist Party.
Rebuilding the Party
The exiled group was allowed to return to Malta on March 8, 1945. Mizzi quickly got back into politics. He worked to rebuild the Nationalist Party. His support for Italian culture and language was sometimes used against him by his political opponents. Some newspapers even called him a "quisling," meaning someone who helps an enemy.
Prime Minister of Malta
In the 1950 elections, the Partit Nazzjonalista did very well. Enrico Mizzi was appointed Prime Minister. However, he died in Valletta just three months later, on December 20, 1950. He was given a state funeral. He is the only Maltese prime minister to have died while still in office.
Legacy and Remembrance
Enrico Mizzi is remembered by the Maltese as someone who helped shape Malta's national and European identity.
I hope that when I pass from this life to become a memory to posterity I hope no one will slander me... for party reasons.... As I had been declared by the Nationalist Party some thirty years ago, I am still, thank God, before the Party, before the people, and above all else before my own conscience 'senza macchia e senza paura'.
In 2001, the Central Bank of Malta released a special silver coin with Enrico Mizzi's image on it. This was part of a series honoring important Maltese people. In 2010, a foundation was created to help people learn more about the lives and work of Enrico Mizzi and his father, Fortunato.
See also
- List of prime ministers of Malta
- Italia irredenta
- Italian irredentism in Malta
