Sir Anthony Mamo (Independent) – Presidency 1974 – 1976
He was Malta’s first President and the only one with no political party affiliation. He was also the last Governor-General, representing Elizabeth II prior to Malta becoming a republic and the only Maltese national to ever be appointed as such. In 1976, he left office and died 32 years later at the age of 99.
Dr Anton Buttigieg (Labour) – Presidency 1976 – 1981
He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1955 and got elected at every election thereafter until his resignation in October 1976. Between 1959 and 1961, he served as the President of the Malta Labour Party, and between 1962 and 1976, as its Deputy Leader. He was appointed President of the Republic of Malta in 1976 and was the first President to serve a full five-year term. He was also a distinguished poet and a writer for the Times of Malta. He died at the age of 71 in 1983.
Agatha Barbara (Labour) – Presidency 1982 – 1987
She was Malta’s first female President and one of the country’s first female politicians. Between 1955 and 1958, in fact, she served as the Education Minister under Dom Mintoff, and she is remembered for hiring hundreds of new teachers. She took to the President’s office in 1982 (a year after she left Parliament). She died in 2002 at the age of 79.
Dr Vincent Tabone (Nationalist) – Presidency 1989 – 1994
Better known as ‘Censu’ was the fourth president of Malta and the first to come from the Nationalist Party. Before he was appointed President in 1989, in fact, he had been both the Nationalist Party’s Secretary General (1962-1972) as well as its deputy leader (1972-1977). He was later elected to Parliament where he was Minister for Labour, Employment and Welfare (1966-1971) and Minister for Foreign Affairs (1987-1989). He died at the age of 98, not long after he and his wife, Maria Tabone, had celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.
Dr Ugo Mifsud Bonnici (Nationalist) – Presidency 1994 – 1999
He was Malta’s fifth President. Prior to that, he had also served as Minister of Education (1987-1990) and Minister of Education and the Interior (1900-1992). Between 1992 and 1994, he served as Minister of Education and Human Resources before being appointed President in 1994. His term in office ended in 1999.
Prof. Guido De Marco (Nationalist) – Presidency 1999 – 2004
He held many roles before and after becoming President. During his political career he was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Justice and Foreign Affairs. In 2004, right after his term in office ended, he was elected Chairman of the Commonwealth Foundation in 2004 and in 1990, he was appointed President of the 45th session of the United Nations General Assembly. On top of that, he was also a renowned criminal lawyer and his legacy lives on through his children. He died at the age of 79 in 2010.
Dr Edward Fenech Adami (Nationalist) – Presidency 2004 – 2009
He is the only President who was previously the Prime Minister of Malta (1987-1996 and 1998-2004). He is probably best remembered for the work he did that led Malta to join the European Union, as well as his iconic political career during the late 70s and early 80s. His term in office was between 2004 and 2009.
Dr George Abela (Labour) – Presidency 2009 – 2014
Probably Dr Abela has the most colourful history of all of Malta’s presidents. In 1982, he was appointed Chairman of the Malta Football Association, and 10 years later he joined the Malta Labour Party, as its Deputy Leader. In 1997, he left the party. In 2008, he contested to become the new Leader of the MLP and came second and just a year later he was appointed President by a Nationalist government – the first inter-party presidency!
Ms Marie Louise Coleiro Preca (Labour) – Presidency 2014 –
She is Malta’s second female president and the only woman who has served as a member of the National Executive, Assistant General Secretary and General Secretary for any political party in Malta. She has also served as an MP (1998 to 2013) and was the Minister for Family and Social Solidarity between 2013 and 2014. She is now the President incumbent.
