A 16-year-old girl, Nina Briffa, has received approval from the Nationalist Party to stand as a candidate for the local council in Qrendi, making her the youngest candidate endorsed by the PN to date.
Briffa currently holds the position of president in the PN youth wing Teamstart, a role she was elected to in May, having previously served as the organization’s public relations officer.
However, Briffa is not the youngest candidate nationwide; Izak Catania De Giovanni, who turns 16 soon, is set to run as a Labour candidate for Fgura’s local council. Catania De Giovanni, the son of Labour MP Katya De Giovanni, also aims to make history as one of the youngest councillors ever elected.
This distinction is currently held by Carlos Zarb, who was 17 when elected to the St Paul’s Bay council in 2019.
Briffa shared her gratitude for the opportunity to run for public office on Facebook, acknowledging Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech and the party’s executive for their support.
Additionally, Briffa was recently elected to the student council of De La Salle sixth form, where she is a student.
Malta made headlines in December as the first EU country to permit 16 and 17-year-olds to become mayors and deputy mayors following unanimous parliamentary approval of new legislation. Under this law, councillors under 18 who secure the most votes from the majority party can assume the roles of mayor or deputy mayor.
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