The prime minister of Malta (Maltese: Prim Ministru ta' Malta) is the head of government, which is the highest official of Malta. The Prime Minister chairs Cabinet meetings, and selects its ministers to serve in their respective portfolios. The Prime Minister holds office by virtue of their ability to command the confidence of the Parliament, as such they sit as Member of Parliament.
- Top left: Joseph Howard was the first prime minister of Malta.
- Top right: Giorgio Borġ Olivier was the 7th prime minister and presided over Malta's achievement of independence.
- Bottom left: Dom Mintoff was the longest-serving prime minister in Maltese history and presided over Malta's transition to a republic.
- Bottom right: Robert Abela is the current prime minister of Malta.
The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, in doing so, the President is of the opinion that the appointed individual is the most able to command the majority of the House of Representatives; typically, this individual is the leader of a political party or coalition of parties that hold the largest number of seats in the House of Representatives.
Fourteen people have served as prime minister of Malta since the office was established in 1921. The post did not exist in the period between 1933 and 1947 and also in the period between 1958 and 1962. Joseph Howard was the inaugural holder of the role, while Robert Abela is the incumbent. As of 2022, there have been 5 Nationalist Party prime ministers, 6 Labour Party prime ministers, 2 Political Union-affiliated prime ministers, 1 Constitutionalist prime minister and one Workers Party-affiliated prime minister.
List of officeholders edit
- Political parties
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Election | Term of office | Political party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||
| 1 | .jpg)
|
Joseph Howard (1862–1925) |
1921 | 26 October 1921 | 13 October 1923 | 1 year, 352 days | Political Union |
| 2 | 
|
Francesco Buhagiar (1876–1934) |
— | 13 October 1923 | 22 September 1924 | 345 days | Political Union |
| 3 | 
|
Ugo Pasquale Mifsud (1889–1942) |
1924 | 22 September 1924 | 1 August 1927 | 2 years, 313 days | Nationalist Party |
| 4 | .jpg)
|
Gerald Strickland (1861–1940) |
1927 | 9 August 1927 | 21 June 1932 | 4 years, 317 days | Constitutional Party |
| (3) |
|
Ugo Pasquale Mifsud (1889–1942) |
1932 | 21 June 1932 | 2 November 1933 | 1 year, 134 days | Nationalist Party |
| Office Abolished (2 November 1933 – 4 November 1947) | |||||||
| 5 | 
|
Paul Boffa (1890–1962) |
1947 | 4 November 1947 | 15 October 1949 | 2 years, 326 days | Labour Party |
| (5) | — | 15 October 1949 | 26 September 1950 | Workers Party | |||
| 6 | 
|
Enrico Mizzi (1885–1950) |
1950 | 26 September 1950 | 20 December 1950 | 85 days | Nationalist Party |
| 7 | .jpg)
|
Giorgio Borġ Olivier (1911–1980) |
— | 20 December 1950 | May 1951 | 4 years, 81 days | Nationalist Party |
| 1951 | May 1951 | December 1953 | |||||
| 1953 | December 1953 | 11 March 1955 | |||||
| 8 | .jpg)
|
Dom Mintoff (1916–2012) |
1955 | 11 March 1955 | 26 April 1958 | 3 years, 46 days | Labour Party |
| Office Abolished (26 April 1958 – 5 March 1962) | |||||||
| (7) |
|
Giorgio Borġ Olivier (1911–1980) |
1962 | 5 March 1962 | March 1966 | 9 years, 108 days | Nationalist Party |
| 1966 | March 1966 | 21 June 1971 | |||||
| (8) |
|
Dom Mintoff (1916–2012) |
1971 | 21 June 1971 | 18 September 1976 | 13 years, 184 days | Labour Party |
| 1976 | 18 September 1976 | 12 December 1981 | |||||
| 1981 | 12 December 1981 | 22 December 1984 | |||||
| 9 | Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici (1933–2022) |
— | 22 December 1984 | 12 May 1987 | 2 years, 141 days | Labour Party | |
| 10 | .jpg)
|
Eddie Fenech Adami (born 1934) |
1987 | 12 May 1987 | 22 February 1992 | 9 years, 169 days | Nationalist Party |
| 1992 | 22 February 1992 | 28 October 1996 | |||||
| 11 | 
|
Alfred Sant (born 1948) |
1996 | 28 October 1996 | 6 September 1998 | 1 year, 313 days | Labour Party |
| (10) |
|
Eddie Fenech Adami (born 1934) |
1998 | 6 September 1998 | 12 April 2003 | 5 years, 199 days | Nationalist Party |
| 2003 | 12 April 2003 | 23 March 2004 | |||||
| 12 | 
|
Lawrence Gonzi (born 1953) |
— | 23 March 2004 | 10 March 2008 | 8 years, 353 days | Nationalist Party |
| 2008 | 10 March 2008 | 11 March 2013 | |||||
| 13 | .jpg)
|
Joseph Muscat (born 1974) |
2013 | 11 March 2013[1] | 3 June 2017 | 6 years, 308 days | Labour Party |
| 2017 | 3 June 2017 | 12 January 2020 | |||||
| 14 | 
|
Robert Abela (born 1977) |
— | 12 January 2020[2] | 26 March 2022 | 4 years, 100 days | Labour Party |
| 2022 | 26 March 2022[3] | Incumbent | |||||
Timeline edit
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Joseph Muscat sworn in, goes to Castille, as huge crowd celebrates". timesofmalta.com. 11 March 2013. Archived from the original on 27 November 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- ^ Balmer, Crispian; Elgood, Gils (13 January 2020). "Robert Abela sworn in as Malta's new prime minister". Thomson Reuters. Archived from the original on 14 January 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ "Watch: Robert Abela sworn in as thousands cheer". Times of Malta. 28 March 2022. Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2022.