On Wednesday (today), the Parliament is set to vote to formally appoint Myriam Spiteri Debono as the next President of Malta.

In a joint statement from the Office of the Prime Minister and the Office of the Opposition leader, they explained that voting will take place on Wednesday's Parliamentary session. This was preceded by Parliamentry group meetings, which took place seperately on Tuesday. 

"This vote will be taken after discussions between the Prime Minister [Robert Abela] and the Leader of the Opposition [Bernard Grech]," the statement read. 

For the first time in its history as a republic, Malta’s next President will only be appointed by a resolution of the House of Representatives, by at least two-thirds of all members of Parliament.

Despite the fact that, in this case, both Parliamentary groups seem to approve Dr Spiteri Debono as President, in the future, if a majority is not achieved, then the present President should remain in office until the required majority is secured.

Should Dr Spiteri Debono get the green light by the Parliament, she will be succeeding President George Vella, whose tenure officially expires on 4th April.

It was Prime Minister Robert Abela that initially proposed the name to Opposition leader Bernard Grech, which he had no objection to.

Earlier Dr Grech had made it clear to Dr Abela that the Opposition would prohibit any politician who was in former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s 2017 cabinet from becoming President. This included current European Commissioner Helena Dalli and former Minister Evarist Bartolo, who had been rumoured to be nominated for the role.  

The parties are also said to have agreed on an Acting President, the person who steps in instead of the President, when needed. Former PN MP, Minister and MEP Francis Zammit Dimech was named for the role.

Both the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader agreed that "when needed" the Acting President shall be appointed according to the Constitution of Malta. 

Who’s Myriam Spiteri Debono?

Myriam Spiteri Debono, a notary by profession, was appointed as Malta’s first female speaker in 1996 up until 1998, during the Alfred Sant administration. In addition, she had contested different elections within the Labour Party and led its women’s section.

Prior to her name being proposed for the role of President of the Republic, Dr Spiteri Debono was one of the three names proposed by the Nationalist party to be considered for the role of Standards Commissioner, which she had turned down.

At the time, she told the media that she did not feel like she was the ideal person for the position, hence her lack of interest.

“I never did anything in my life unless I was absolutely sure I was ideal for the position. In that case, I do not feel I am the best person to fill this role, so I’m not interested,” she remarked.

Dr Spiteri Debono has been vociferous on the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination. In a speech made on Victory Day in 2021, she recalled that Raymond Caruana and Karin Grech – who were killed amid tense political periods– were “victims of the prevailing situations in the times, when their blood was spilled, and their lives cut short.”

“The killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia was different – it was a brutal and ghoulish murder,” she insisted.

For that reason, she appealed that the country must redeem itself a new, to come together as it had done in the past and make necessary changes.