page_title: 2017 Maltese general election
section_title: Participating parties
hierarchical_section_title: 2017 Maltese general election / Participating parties
caption_attribution_description: English: Mgarr
context_page_description: General elections were held in Malta on Saturday, 3 June 2017. The elections were contested by the Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, the Nationalist Party, led by opposition leader Simon Busuttil, and four other parties; making it the elections with most parties participating since 1962. The result was a victory for the Labour Party, with 55% of the popular vote. Voter turnout reached 92%.
context_section_description: The Maltese political landscape is regarded as one of the most pure two-party systems of the 21st century, and has been dominated by moderate centre-left and centre-right groups for decades; no third parties had elected MPs since the 1962 election. Six parties fielded candidates in the 2017 election, the first time since 1962 that Maltese voters had that many parties on the ballot:
  The Labour Party (PL) of incumbent Prime Minister Joseph Muscat held a majority in the legislature since the 2013 election, with 38 MPs at dissolution. The Labour Party traditionally pursues social democratic ideals, and is rooted in the mainstream European centre-left.
  The Nationalist Party (PN) of opposition leader Simon Busuttil is the major opposition party in parliament, with 29 MPs at dissolution. The party's last prime minister was Lawrence Gonzi, who also served as prime minister from 2004 to 2013. For much of its history, the PN has embraced conservatism and Christian democracy, as well as European integration.
  The Democratic Party (PD) which was founded when Labour MP Marlene Farrugia left her party on 4 June 2016. It had 1 MP (Farrugia herself) at dissolution. On 28 April 2017, the PD formed the Forza Nazzjonali coalition with the PN. Under the agreement candidates contested the election as Nationalist candidates, with the additional descriptor "tal-oranġjo", and any elected PD members would have participated in a potential Nationalist-led government.
  The Democratic Alternative (AD), led by Carmel Cacopardo , is a contemporary party in Malta. It is, however, not represented in parliament.Established in 1989, the party stresses green politics and sustainable development.
  Moviment Patrijotti Maltin (MPM), an offshoot of the anti-immigration group Għaqda Patrijotti Maltin led by Henry Battistino which campaigns against illegal immigration, Malta's participation in the Schengen Area, and Islam in Malta.
  Alleanza Bidla (AB), a conservative Christian and Eurosceptic party led by Ivan Grech Mintoff.
caption: Moviment Patrijotti Maltin driving with loud speaker in Mġarr
exif: {"Image Make": "Apple", "Image Model": "iPad Air", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "10.3.1", "Image DateTime": "2017:05:28 15:00:21", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image ExifOffset": "206", "GPS GPSLatitudeRef": "N", "GPS GPSLatitude": "[35, 55, 1359/100]", "GPS GPSLongitudeRef": "E", "GPS GPSLongitude": "[14, 22, 113/4]", "GPS GPSAltitudeRef": "0", "GPS GPSAltitude": "93", "GPS GPSTimeStamp": "[13, 0, 1637/100]", "GPS GPSSpeedRef": "K", "GPS GPSSpeed": "0", "GPS GPSImgDirectionRef": "T", "GPS GPSImgDirection": "59081/512", "GPS GPSDestBearingRef": "T", "GPS GPSDestBearing": "59081/512", "GPS GPSDate": "2017:05:28", "GPS Tag 0x001F": "61729/562", "Image GPSInfo": "1028", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1432", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "9835", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/1506", "EXIF FNumber": "12/5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "32", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2017:05:28 15:00:21", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2017:05:28 15:00:21", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "12045/1141", "EXIF ApertureValue": "4845/1918", "EXIF BrightnessValue": "6260/599", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "No flash function", "EXIF FocalLength": "33/10", "EXIF SubjectArea": "[1295, 967, 1425, 851]", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "486", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "486", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "2592", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "1936", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "32", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF LensSpecification": "[33/10, 33/10, 12/5, 12/5]", "EXIF LensMake": "Apple", "EXIF LensModel": "iPad Air back camera 3.3mm f/2.4"}