The prime minister of Malta ( mt, Prim Ministru ta' Malta) is the

head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, ...

, which is the highest official of

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. 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

Members of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

. 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 House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

; 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. The Prime Minister is '' ex officio'' an appointee to the grade of Companion of Honour - K.U.O.M. (''Kumpanju tal-Unur'') of the National Order of Merit.

Establishment of the office and developments

The office of "Head of Ministry" was created as soon as Malta was granted autonomous government in 1921. The 1921 constitution was suspended twice before being revoked. On the first occasion (1930–33), the head of ministry (at the time,

Gerald Strickland Gerald Paul Joseph Cajetan Carmel Antony Martin Strickland, 6th Count della Catena, 1st Baron Strickland, (24 May 1861 – 22 August 1940) was a Maltese and British politician and peer, who served as Prime Minister of Malta, Governor of the L ...

) and his cabinet were retained. Following the second suspension in 1934, the cabinet was dismissed. The constitution was revoked in 1936 and the post did not exist for as long as Malta was under direct

colonial administration Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

. The office was re-established with the grant of self-government in 1947 with the post being renamed as "Prime Minister of Malta". The post was again suppressed when the 1947 constitution was again suspended between 1958 and 1962 but was retained largely unchanged in the 1964 independence constitution and the subsequent amendments of 1974 which transformed the form of government into a republic.

Constitutional functions

The president of Malta, who nominally heads the executive branch, appoints as Prime Minister the member of parliament who, in the opinion of the president, is best able to command a majority of the members of the

. The prime minister advises the president on the appointment of the other ministers. Auberge de Castille, Valletta, Malta - 2018-05-29

The prime minister is constitutionally obliged to keep the president fully informed on the general conduct of the government. Whenever the prime minister is away from Malta, the president may authorise any other member of the Cabinet to perform those functions and that member may perform those functions temporarily. It is usually the deputy prime minister who fills in this role as acting prime minister. Constitutionally, the prime minister is also responsible for appointing permanent secretaries as well as tender advice to the president on the appointment of members to the

judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

and constitutional bodies.

Office of the Prime Minister of Malta (OPM)

As minister in his own right, the Prime Minister is responsible for a number of departments of government. The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has been based at the

Auberge de Castille The Auberge de Castille ( mt, Berġa ta' Kastilja) is an auberge in Valletta, Malta. The auberge is located at Castile Place, close to Saint James Cavalier, the Malta Stock Exchange, and the Upper Barrakka Gardens. It sits at the highest poin ...

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 wa ...

since 1972, playing a central role in decision-making apart from being the administrative headquarters of the government. The OPM's mission is to support the prime minister in providing leadership and direction for a stable and effective government. The core departments of OPM include the Cabinet Secretariat, the Management and Personnel Office and the Department of Information.

Official residences

Villa Francia, situated in the village of Lija is the official residence of the prime minister, while the

Girgenti Palace Girgenti Palace ( mt, Palazz tal-Girgenti) is a palace near Siġġiewi, Malta. It was built in 1625 as the summer residence of Malta's inquisitor, and is therefore also known as the Inquisitor's Palace ( mt, Palazz tal-Inkwiżitur). It is now an ...

, situated in Siġġiewi is the prime minister's summer residence. They are predominantly used for public ceremonies, including receiving notable people, and are considered symbolic buildings.

List of prime ministers

As of 2022, there have been fourteen prime ministers of Malta, four of which are still living.

Living former prime ministers

References

{{Prime Minister Government of Malta 1923 establishments in Malta