A bill to officially enshrine Valletta as Malta's capital city, as well as to formally designate 27 December as the National Anthem Day in the Constitution, was presented in Parliament on Monday, with both sides of the House expressing support for the constitutional amendments.

Presenting the bill, Culture Minister Owen Bonnici said that the proposed amendments reflect broad national consensus on two pillars of Maltese identity; the historic city of Valletta, and the "Innu Malti" penned by Malta's national poet Dun Karm Psaila and composed by Robert Sammut.

Bonnici said that Valletta's heritage, architecture, and historical role merited the highest form of legal recognition.

He described Valletta as "the humblest capital in Europe," yet one with an incredible history, containing 320 monuments in just 55 hectares, one of the highest concentrations of historic sites in the world.

"This is the city that has seen Malta grow from a people into a nation," he said, recalling its monuments, cathedrals, fortifications, palaces and the civic moments witnessed in its squares: from festivities to struggles for freedom, independence and republicanism.

Bonnici said it was time to not only recognise, but safeguard Valletta by making it constitutionally protected alongside Malta's language and national flag.

"It is the beating heart of Malta. The best way to honour it is by protecting it in the supreme law," Bonnici said.

He said that Valletta is not the oldest Maltese city, and Mdina and Birgu have previously served as Capital City and administrative centres, but it was founded after the Great Siege by the Knights under Jean Parisot de Valette, and went on to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an Urban Conservation Area under Maltese law.

Bonnici said that Valletta's fortifications, bastions, palaces and auberges were built to withstand the most catastrophic attacks and to symbolise Malta's resilience.

"These are buildings and walls that witnessed Malta's story being written," he said. "They protected our people, shaped our identity and became the backdrop to our national milestones."

The Minister also recalled Valletta's transformation from the "ghost town" it was after 5pm in his youth, into a vibrant cultural, commercial and residential hub, a revival he attributed to cultural revitalisation, restoration projects and improved access, including the government's decision to introduce free maritime transport for Maltese residents between Cottonera, Sliema and Valletta, which brought the city back to life.

Bonnici said that progress brings challenges, and spoke of ongoing work with the Valletta UNESCO Committee, investment in cleanliness and restoration, and the need to safeguard the city's living community alongside its heritage.

Bonnici spoke Valletta's central role in centuries of Maltese life, a place where citizens celebrated victories, fought for rights, and experienced historic transformations.

"It is the heart of Malta. Not only historically, but spiritually and culturally," Bonnici said.

He said that Valletta holds different meanings for different people: shop owners, carnival enthusiasts, families who have lived in the capital for generations, and others who associate it with childhood memories.

"For every Maltese and Gozitan, the city is part of who we are, whether or not we were born there," Bonnici said.

Bonnici argued that it was time to "recognise and safeguard" Valletta not only culturally, but legally, by entrenching its status as Malta's capital into the supreme law of the country.

He said the Constitution currently has no reference to Valletta at all, and the only city mentioned is Athens, because Malta signed its EU membership treaty there.

"It is peculiar that our Constitution mentions a foreign city but not our own capital," he said.

By inserting Valletta, Bonnici said Malta would be elevating the city to the level of the Maltese language and national flag, both of which are also protected by constitutional clauses.

"This is the highest honour we can give our capital, and we owe it to future generations," he said.

"We are investing in cleanliness, maintaining the promenade, and safeguarding heritage buildings. Valletta is not only stone and monuments, it is a living community we must protect," he said.

Turning to the second amendment, Bonnici spoke of the legacy of Dun Karm Psaila, author of the Innu Malti, and Robert Sammut, its composer.

He said the anthem, originally written as a prayer, had helped unify Malta culturally and linguistically.

"It was written in simple Semitic Maltese, easily understood by anyone who speaks Arabic. It is a prayer to God that binds us as one people," he said.

Bonnici recalled the enormous literary and cultural impact of Dun Karm, including how writer Oliver Friggieri dedicated much of his work to studying and expanding the poet's legacy.

When Friggieri's monument was inaugurated, it was placed opposite Dun Karm's as a symbolic dialogue between two giants of Maltese letters, he said.

Bonnici said the government is proposing that 27 December be officially declared National Anthem Day, as it was on 27 December 1922 that the anthem was sung publicly for the first time.

"It is a beautiful date, two days after Christmas, a moment of unity and renewal for the nation," Bonnici said.

He noted that the Prime Minister had embraced the idea earlier this year and expressed hope that Parliament would pass it unanimously.

"Let us emerge with one united voice that celebrates what makes us Maltese, our capital city and our national anthem," Bonnici said.

PN supports amendments, but says symbolism must be matched in practise

PN MP Julie Zahra confirmed that the Opposition agrees with both constitutional amendments, describing Valletta and the Innu Malti as "fundamental elements of our identity".

However, she warned that honouring the anthem's message of unity should extend beyond symbolism to political behaviour.

"The words of Dun Karm must be lived, not only recited," Zahra said, quoting passages about unity and common good. "Where is that unity today?" she asked.

She said that government must demonstrate the values expressed in the anthem in its everyday conduct, making reference to recent scandals, including allegations regarding the Affordable Housing Minister's ownership of multiple properties as well as his purchase of a €140,000 duplex penthouse in Rabat, Gozo.

"Good governance is what allows people to believe in a united nation. It is not enough to celebrate the anthem once a year," Zahra said.

Zahra also praised Valletta's unique heritage and acknowledged the PN's historical contribution to its regeneration, including fortification restorations, the restoration of St James Cavalier - now known as Spazju Kreattiv, and laying the groundwork for Valletta's successful European Capital of Culture 2018 bid.

She said the city's current challenges - affordability, over-commercialisation, and rising living pressures - require urgent solutions.

"Residents are the living heart of Valletta. Without them, it becomes a museum without a soul," Zahra said.

She stressed that beyond constitutional recognition, Valletta needs practical measures that protect its community and ensure sustainable cultural and tourism activity.

"Words are beautiful, but they are not enough. If the government truly believes in Valletta's value, it must move from words to deeds," Zahra said.