Why did Malta describe the British military withdrawal in 1979 as “real” independence?

The Maltese government described the 1979 withdrawal of British forces as "real" independence because it marked the end of a long-standing reliance on foreign military presence that had fundamentally shaped the nation's economy and sovereignty.12

Although Malta gained formal independence from Britain in 1964, the Labor Party, led by Dom Mintoff, argued that the initial independence agreement was flawed. They contended that the conditions tied to British financial and defense interests infringed upon Malta’s true sovereignty, effectively rendering the country a "neocolony".1

For decades, the Maltese economy had been heavily dependent on the British military and its dockyards. By negotiating the total withdrawal of these forces and the closure of British bases by 1979, the government sought to break this cycle of dependency, assert full control over its national affairs, and transition toward a policy of nonalignment. Consequently, the departure of the military was viewed as the final step in achieving genuine self-determination.3214