Marlene Mizzi Calls For Reform Of Malta’s Gender Corrective Mechanism

Former MEP Marlene Mizzi has renewed criticism of Malta’s Gender Corrective Mechanism, arguing that the system is unfairly allowing some MPs to enter Parliament despite failing to secure enough votes to be elected directly.

In a Facebook post, Mizzi said it was wrong that certain MPs who entered Parliament through the mechanism in the previous legislature were granted seats through the same system again following the latest election.

“Those who have been given a golden seat in Parliament had a chance to prove themselves as worthy representatives for four years,” Mizzi wrote. “Yet again the electorate have not voted them in, but they have been given a golden seat again against the will of the electorate.”

The Gender Corrective Mechanism was introduced to address Malta’s historically low representation of women in Parliament. The constitutional mechanism adds seats to Parliament when election results fail to produce a minimum level of gender balance.

However, Mizzi argued that the current system disadvantages both voters and other female candidates who may be seeking entry into Parliament.

“If the powers that be do not do the right thing and scrap this obscene law before the sunset clause is applied in 2041, at least amend the law to state that the mechanism can only apply to the same person once,” she said.

Mizzi went on to question whether the current framework risks encouraging politicians to rely on the mechanism rather than securing a seat through the electoral process.

“Or are we going to encourage women to make a career of exploiting a flawed system where, even if they don’t open their mouth in Parliament, they will be forced on the electorate as their representatives?” she asked.

Anticipating criticism, Mizzi stressed that her comments were aimed at the mechanism itself rather than any individual female politician.

“Please note: this is a criticism of the system, not of any woman,” she added.

The Gender Corrective Mechanism remains one of the most debated electoral reforms in recent Maltese politics, with supporters arguing it is necessary to address structural barriers facing women in politics, while critics contend it distorts the electorate’s verdict and undermines democratic representation.

What do you think? Should Malta retain the Gender Corrective Mechanism, reform it, or scrap it altogether?