People's Party (Malta)

The People's Party (Partit Popolari, PP), also erroneously called the Popular Party by Maltese English-language media,  is a conservative political party in Malta. It was founded in July 2020 and is currently headed by Paul Salomone. The party has never obtained any seats in local councils or the Maltese parliament. It does not contest European elections. It is considered right-wing to far-right by certain journalists and portals, however the party protests against the latter characterisation.

History
The People's Party was registered in July 2020 and would be launched later in November of the same year. In the first annual general meeting held on 4 August 2020, Paul Salomone, who had previously contested the 2008 election on the list of National Action, was confirmed leader of the party. In the 2022 general election, the first election the party participated in, contested with a total of 8 candidates in all 13 districts. They received 1,533 votes (0.53%) and did not elect any of their candidates, coming in second place amongst the third parties after ADPD and fourth nationwide.

Even if it shares the same name as that of People's Party of 1895 that was founded by Sigismondo Savona, the party in 1895 did not inspire the newer one. The party also remembered Enrico Mizzi in the 72nd anniversary of his death.

Ideology and activity
Ideologically, it is a right-wing populist and conservative party, and it opposes immigration, opposing "the abuse of the asylum system to facilitate economic migration". The party's founding document, entitled Il-Pilastri tal-Partit Popolari (The Founding Principles of the People's Party), described it as seeking the "wider use of the referendum", promoting the principle of subsidiarity locally and at the European level, supporting "the traditional family without prejudice to the rights of non-traditional families", and seeking to "represent Malta in Europe rather than Europe in Malta". The party has coupled together traditional-conservative positions with Eurosceptic and anti-immigration stances. The party is mainly active through press conferences and statements sent to national television. It has also been jointly participating in press conferences on cost of living and social values with Catholic social teaching-inspired think tank Moviment Solidarjetà (Solidarity Movement), led by former Nationalist MP Edwin Vassallo.

LGBTQ
The party proposes preference of heterosexual couples over non-heterosexual couples in adoption. It has also proposed the removal of government funding for gender affirming care for all ages and the raising of the minimum age to 21, despite the medical age of consent being 16 in Malta. The party made a Facebook post on 13 January 2023 disapproving of the government's strengthening of a law which strengthens bans on gay conversion therapy, claiming that it tramples on individual liberty. On 7 February 2023 another Facebook post by the party claimed that they are against "Indoctrination of our children at school", in reference to an article by tabloid newspaper LovinMalta regarding new government policy aimed at making schools more inclusive.

COVID-19 politics
On the 16 January 2022 It organized anti-green pass protests. Furthermore, the party also protested against preventive measures against COVID-19, such as lockdowns and the distribution of vaccines.