Marlene Farrugia

Following disagreements with the Labour Party, Farrugia tendered her resignation from the party on 17 November 2015, becoming the only independent MP in the Maltese House of Representatives.[2] She later founded the Democratic Party becoming its first leader and only sitting MP.[3] Her re-election to Parliament in the 2017 general election made her the first elected Member of Parliament from a third party since 1962.[11] She continued to fight against the excesses of the Labour administration and supported the civil society activists' march for truth and justice in April 2018.[12] She criticised the government's handling of the Egrant inquiry, in which attempts were made to sweep other corruption allegations under the carpet.[13] She resigned as leader of the party in 2017[14] and resigned from the party entirely in 2019[15]

Farrugia is known for her outspoken nature and has been a vocal critic of her party on a number of issues, including the introduction of divorce, environmental issues and over-development, and good governance. She defines her political position as centre-left,[16] however she is also influenced by her Roman Catholic faith (such as in the run-up to the 2011 referendum on the introduction of divorce, which she initially opposed on religious grounds).[17] Farrugia has also been vocal on issues related to environmental protection (particularly throughout the controversy related to the American Institute of Malta[18]) and good governance, and was highly critical of Minister Konrad Mizzi's and the Maltese Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Keith Schembri's involvement in the Panama Papers leaks.[19]