The politics of Malta takes place within a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic,whereby the president of Malta is the constitutional head of state. Executive authority is vested in the president of Malta,with the general direction and control of the Government of Malta remaining with the prime minister of Malta,who is the head of government and the cabinet. Legislative power is vested in the Parliament of Malta,which consists of the president of Malta and the unicameral House of Representatives of Malta with the speaker as the presiding officer of the legislative body. Judicial power remains with the chief justice and the judiciary of Malta. Since independence,the party electoral system has been dominated by the Christian democratic Nationalist Party and the social democratic Labour Party.
Malta has been inhabited since 5900 BC. The first inhabitants were farmers;their agricultural methods degraded the soil until the islands became uninhabitable. The islands were repopulated around 3850 BC by a civilization that at its peak built the Megalithic Temples,which today are among the oldest surviving buildings in the world. Their civilization collapsed in around 2350 BC;the islands were repopulated by Bronze Age warriors soon afterwards.
Dominic Mintoff was a Maltese socialist politician,architect,and civil engineer who was leader of the Labour Party from 1949 to 1984,and was 8th Prime Minister of Malta from 1955 to 1958,when Malta was still a British colony,and again,following independence,from 1971 to 1984. His tenure as Prime Minister saw the creation of a comprehensive welfare state,nationalisation of large corporations,a substantial increase in the general standard of living and the establishment of the Maltese republic,but was later on marred by a stagnant economy,a rise in authoritarianism and outbreaks of political violence.
Edoardo "Eddie" Fenech Adami is a Maltese politician and Nationalist politician who served as the prime minister of Malta from 1987 until 1996,and again from 1998 until 2004. Subsequently,he was the seventh president of Malta from 2004 to 2009. He led his party to win four general elections,in 1987,1992,1998 and 2003,as well as the majority of votes in 1981. Staunchly pro-European,Fenech Adami was fundamental for Malta's accession to the European Union.
The Labour Party,formerly known as the Malta Labour Party,is one of the two major political parties in Malta,along with the Nationalist Party. It sits on the centre-left of the political spectrum.
Lawrence Gonzi is a Maltese politician,retired Nationalist politician and lawyer,who served for twenty-five years in various critical roles in Maltese politics. Gonzi was Prime Minister of Malta from 2004 to 2013,and leader of the Nationalist Party. He also served as speaker of the House from 1988 to 1996,and Minister of Social Policy from 1998 to 2004,as well as Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2004. He served in practically all positions in Parliament,being also Leader of the House,an MP and Leader of the Opposition.
Alfred Sant,is a Maltese politician and a novelist. He led the Labour Party from 1992 to 2008 and served as Prime Minister of Malta between 1996 and 1998 and as Leader of the Opposition from 1992 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2008. Sant is an established writer and playwright and has published several books.
Louis Grech is a Maltese politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of Malta,as well as Minister of European Affairs. He also served as Deputy Leader for Parliamentary Affairs of the Labour Party. He currently serves as consultant to the Prime Minister Robert Abela and attends Cabinet.
Joseph Muscat is a Maltese politician who served as the 13th prime minister of Malta from 2013 to 2020 and leader of the Labour Party from 2008 to 2020.
Carmelo "Carm" Mifsud Bonnici is a Maltese politician who has served in a number of Ministerial posts in the Government of Malta.
Alfred Pisani is a Maltese businessman and hotelier,among the founders of the Corinthia Group of Companies,and its chairman and chief executive since the company's inception in 1966.
Joseph Cuschieri is a Maltese politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2011 - 2013. Previously he served in the House of Representatives of Malta from 1998 to 2008. In 1994 he was elected and nominated first Deputy Mayor of St Julian's. He was born in a working-class family and joined the Labour Party at a very early age.
George William Vella is a Maltese politician who served as the 10th president of Malta from 2019 to 2024. A member of the Labour Party,he previously served as deputy prime minister of Malta and foreign affairs minister from 1996 to 1998 under prime minister Alfred Sant. In 2013,he returned as foreign affairs minister,an office he held until 2017 under prime minister Joseph Muscat.
Mario Vella is a Maltese philosopher,economist and politician. He was Governor of the Central Bank of Malta from 2016 to 2020.
Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici,was a Maltese politician who served as Prime Minister of Malta from December 1984 to May 1987.
Leo Brincat is a Maltese politician,since 2016 member of the European Court of Auditors.
Lino Spiteri was a Maltese writer and politician. He served as Finance Minister from 1981 to 1983,and again from 1996 to 1997.
Francis Zammit Dimech is a Maltese politician who served in domestic Maltese politics as a member of the House of Representatives of Malta between 1987 and 2017 and as a Member of the European Parliament from 2017 till 2019. During his tenure within Maltese politics,Zammit Dimech held office as Minister for Foreign Affairs in the government of Lawrence Gonzi from 28 November 2012,until the defeat of Gonzi's government in the 2013 Maltese general election. He previously held numerous other ministerial responsibilities including communications,infrastructure,tourism,culture,and environment. Before being appointed Foreign Affairs Minister he served as Chair of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee. Prior to entering politics,Francis Zammit Dimech worked as a lawyer and broadcaster.
Lorry Sant was a Maltese activist,trade unionist and Malta Labour Party politician who held a number of ministerial offices between 1971 and 1987. Sant was a controversial figure who had an aggressive leadership approach. In the 1980s he was involved in incidents of political violence,and he has been held responsible for violating the human rights of his employees.
Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi is a Maltese politician. He serves as Minister of Public Works and Planning in Prime Minister Robert Abela’s cabinet. He was first elected Member of Parliament for the 5th Electoral District in 2017.
