Malta’s divorce referendum

In 2011, Maltese voters were called to the polls to decide whether Malta should remain one of the few places in the world where divorce was not permitted.

The referendum divided the country. Supporters of divorce, including a group of MPs and civil rights campaigners, argued that couples should have the right to end a marriage that had irretrievably broken down. Opponents, led by the Catholic Church and backed by the government, argued that divorce would weaken family values.

The campaign was triggered by a private member's bill introduced by Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, then a Nationalist MP. He spoke to Stefania Gozzer about the fierce debate his proposal sparked across Maltese society and the consequences that followed.

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(Photo: A young boy's face on a billboard that says: "Vote in my name Vote NO." Credit: Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images.)