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Myriam Spiteri Debono is Malta's 11th President
Follow us live as we give a blow by blow account of what is happening today as Myriam Spiteri Debono takes the Oath of Office to become Malta's 11th President
4 April 2024, 9:03am
Matthew Farrugia
Matthew Farrugia
2 min read
Myriam Spiteri Debono was unanimously approved by parliament to become the 11th President of the Republic
15:05 This blog will end here. Continue following MaltaToday for the latest reactions to Myriam Spiteri Debono’s investiture as the new president. Goodbye and thank you for following.
Kurt Sansone
14:53 At San Anton, the President will now receive courtesy calls from the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader. This will be the first official exchange between the two main political leaders and the new President.
Kurt Sansone
14:48 Spiteri Debono: “I thank the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader, first for changing the law [to introduce the two-thirds majority vote] and then for agreeing again [to appoint me] because it would not have been nice had there been no agreement.”
Kurt Sansone
14:46 President Spiteri Debono is giving her first comments to journalists at the Palace.
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14:38 The President is greeted with flowers by the palace staff.
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14:37 President Myriam Spiteri Debono and her husband Anthony arrive at the official residence at San Anton Palace in Attard.
Kurt Sansone
14:36 Good afternoon. We are back.
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13:42 This live blog will pause for now and continue when the President enters San Anton Palace.
Kurt Sansone
13:39 President Myriam Spiteri Debono’s first official job will be to inspect the guard of honour at St George’s Square in Valletta. She will then be accompanied by the mounted police to the War Memorial in Floriana where she will lay a wreath. She then heads to San Anton Palace in Attard, the official residence, where she will receive the country’s highest authorities.
Kurt Sansone
13:27 QUICK RECAP: Myriam Spiteri Debono’s first speech touched on several issues including, the need for electoral reform and wider parliamentary representation; constitutional reform; the need to integrate immigrants rather than simply tolerate them; the need to implement the recommendations for greater protection of the media made in the aftermath of the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry; the importance of non-violent protests in a democracy; the need to cherish human rights even by working for peace on the international stage; the need to heal the national wound caused by Caruana Galizia’s murder by seeking closure on unresolved issues; the importance of good governance; the need to foster a critical thinking mentality in children and young people.
Kurt Sansone
13:15 The President’s first speech is pointed and down to earth.
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13:09 Spiteri Debono closes off her speech by harping on the need for change. “These are things that I have long believed are needed but I don’t give up, just like you do not give up… [because] We love our children and grandchildren.”
Kurt Sansone
13:05 In a nod to her Gozitan roots, she says that during the five years she wants to be accessible to her Gozitan brothers and sisters.
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13:04 She recalls Caruana Galizia’s murder and says it remains an open wound that has to be healed so the country can move ahead. “Even the murders of Karin Grech and Raymond Caruana never had closure,” she adds.
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13:02 Spiteri Debono says she agrees with the work on the constitutional convention done by her predecessor.
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13:00 She says there is nothing wrong for politicians to admit mistakes and change direction. “This should not be used against them.”
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12:58 Spiteri Debono says that recommendations to strengthen the media made in the aftermath of the Caruana Galizia inquiry have remained unfulfilled. She salutes the media as the fourth pillar of democracy and says protests bereft of violence are part of democracy.
Kurt Sansone
12:56 She also mentions the recommendations made in the public inquiries into the death of Jean Paul Sofia and the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. She says work is being done to implement the proposals made in the Sofia inquiry but says more has to be done to implement recommendations from the Caruana Galizia inquiry.
Kurt Sansone
12:54 Spiteri Debono speaks of a new problem: Greed. “Greed for money leads to corruption… good governance must never be side-lined.”
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12:51 She refers to the Constitution’s wording that proclaims Malta as a country that actively seeks and works for peace. She urges the country to be more proactive in this mission at the United Nations, which she says has to be strengthened into an effective force.
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12:49 The President says human rights should be cherished “not because they form part of the Constitution but because we truly believe in them.”
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12:48 With a smile, she addresses Education Minister Clifton Grima. “This is for you Clifton… We need to train our children in the science of thinking.”
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12:47 She adds: “We have to continuously work for unity, tranquillity and serenity. No single president has the magic wand to achieve this single-handedly.”
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12:44 Spiteri Debono mentions immigrants who come to Malta to seek a better life and calls for their integration. “We have to move away from passive tolerance… or simply contribute with generosity and money donations to support those in need. Generosity should manifest itself in the wider sense.”
Kurt Sansone
12:43 “I augur that the consensus required of us in the past to make the necessary constitutional changes will be found for other changes.”
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12:41 She gives a nod to political parties not represented in parliament and speaks on the need to make constitutional changes to ensure wider parliamentary representation of society.
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12:39 Spiteri Debono insists that the new requirement to have a president chosen by a two-thirds vote is not a hindrance. “It is a way of fostering compromise and consensus-building.”
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12:38 She salutes Francis Zammit Dimech, who was nominated by bi-partisan agreement to serve as acting president whenever Spiteri Debono is away or unable to discharge her duty.
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12:37 She emphasises her duty to safeguard the Constitution.
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12:36 “I thank the members of the House, especially the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader for trusting me with this role… I have been given the privilege of serving this country.”
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12:35 Myriam Spiteri Debono is delivering her first speech as President of the Republic.
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12:33 The Speaker adjourns the parliamentary sitting.
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12:24 Malta now officially has a new head of state. President Myriam Spiteri Debono is Malta’s 11th president since 1974 when the country became a Republic.
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12:23 Myriam Spiteri Debono takes the Oath of Office as President of Malta. She swears to serve to the best of her ability as the defender of the Constitution.
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12:21 The Speaker escorts the outgoing president and the incoming head of state to the Throne Room and the parliamentary sitting resumes accordingly.
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12:20 The Commander of the Armed Forces accompanies Vella to the Pages’ Chamber where he meets with the Speaker and the president-elect. George Vella and Myriam Spiteri Debono exchange a few words.
Kurt Sansone
12:14 Vella will shortly pass on the baton of the presidency to Myriam Spiteri Debono.
Kurt Sansone
12:13 George Vella will be accorded the national salute by members of the AFM in St George’s Square. This is the last time Vella will inspect the AFM’s guard of honour.
Kurt Sansone
12:11 Anglu Farrugia reminds MPs and guests the reason for the special sitting. He temporarily suspends the sitting to go out and greet President George Vella, who is being escorted down Republic Street accompanied by the police cavalry.
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12:08 Speaker Anglu Farrugia opens the parliamentary sitting inside the Grand Master’s Palace and the Clerk of the House recites the prayers.
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11:45 The special parliamentary session inside the Throne Room at the Grand Master’s Palace is scheduled to start at noon.
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11:43 The guard of honour of the Armed Forces of Malta accompanied by the military band marches down Republic Street to St George’s Square where they will salute the Commander of the AFM, the Prime Minister and later President George Vella.
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11:29 Elsewhere, in a Facebook post ADPD leader Sandra Gauci does not take kindly to not being invited to the investiture ceremony of the new president but finds a silver lining in that she did not have to wear “a flying saucer” on her head. She wishes the president-elect well. Is Gauci’s rant a case of sour grapes? We’ll let you decide that.
Kurt Sansone
11:17 Myriam Spiteri Debono and her husband are now walking down Republic Street accompanied by the Speaker and security personnel. She is shaking hands and waving to people gathered along Valletta’s main street.
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11:02 Protocol dictates that President George Vella is the first to exit the cathedral and will depart from Valletta until guests and MPs assemble at the Grand Master’s Palace where the investiture ceremony of the new president takes place.
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10:58 The Mass at St John’s Co-Cathedral ends with the national anthem.
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10:48 It is interesting to note that the investiture ceremony of a new president takes place in a special session of parliament inside the Grand Master’s Palace.
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10:45 After the Mass ends, Myriam Spiteri Debono and her family, accompanied by the Speaker of the House will proceed on foot from St John’s Co-Cathedral to the Grand Master’s Palace on foot along Republic Street.
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10:31 The Archbishop refers to the words of the national anthem and prays that God endow the president-elect with discernment, strength and compassion to act as the defender of the weak, champion the good of the country and represent the nation in moments of happiness and sorrow.
Kurt Sansone
10:25 Meanwhile, the Archbishop is now delivering the homily.
Kurt Sansone
10:24 Vella’s presidency was also characterised by his discomfort with key legislative changes – the introduction of pre-implantation genetic testing on embryos; the legalisation of cannabis and amendments that made it possible for an abortion to take place if a mother’s life is in danger. On the latter, Vella had also threatened to resign unless the original proposal that also included health was amended. The government avoided a constitutional crisis and backtracked on its original plan by removing health from the wording of the law.
Kurt Sansone
10:24 During his term, Vella faced unprecedented moments. He had to deal with the resignation of prime minister Joseph Muscat following massive protests in December 2019 in the wake of implications that people close to Castille could have been involved in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. But Vella also had to face an attempt by Nationalist MPs to depose then Opposition leader Adrian Delia.
Kurt Sansone
10:15 The presidential term is five years. Outgoing president, George Vella, took oath of office on 4 April 2019 succeeding Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.
Kurt Sansone
10:08 The Mass gets underway. Archbishop Scicluna shakes hands with the front row dignitaries – President George Vella, the Prime Minister, Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti, Speaker Anglu Farrugia and president-elect Myriam Spiteri Debono and her husband.
Kurt Sansone
10:01 Meanwhile, St John’s Co-Cathedral is filling up with dignitaries. Opposition leader Bernard Grech, Prime Minister Robert Abela and Speaker Anglu Farrugia have arrived. They are followed by President George Vella and his wife Miriam, who proceed to greet the president-elect.
Kurt Sansone
09:58 Spiteri Debono is the first president to be chosen after constitutional changes in 2020 required a two-thirds majority vote in parliament. Previously, the president only required a simple majority. Spiteri Debono’s nomination was unanimously approved with 75 votes in favour and 0 against.
Kurt Sansone
09:45 The Mass is scheduled to start at 10am.
Kurt Sansone
09:42 The first stop for the president-elect will be at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta where Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna will celebrate what is officially termed as a ‘Mass for Our Country’ in the presence of the country’s highest dignitaries.
Kurt Sansone
09:35 Spiteri Debono, 71, is married with three children. She had been active in the Labour Party during the 1980s and early 1990s but has been out of active politics for more than a decade.
Kurt Sansone
09:31 A notary by profession, Spiteri Debono was the first woman to occupy the role of Speaker of the House of Representatives between 1996 and 1998.
Kurt Sansone
09:28 She is greeted by well-wishers outside her house and in her first comments to waiting journalists she thanked them for their work and said she will need "everybody's help" throughout the next five years.
Kurt Sansone
09:27 Spiteri Debono has just left her house in Birkirkara, accompanied by her husband Anthony.
Kurt Sansone
09:26 It's a big day for Malta as the country gets a new president today. Myriam Spiteri Debono will be taking the oath of office to become the 11th President of the Republic.
Kurt Sansone
09:24 Good morning.
Kurt Sansone
Myriam Spiteri Debono has taken the Oath of Office to become Malta's 11th President since 1974.
The notary takes over the baton from George Vella, whose term came to an end today.
Spiteri Debono was unanimously approved by parliament to become president. In a lengthy ceremony characterised by the diktats of protocol, Spiteri Debono took the Oath of Office during a special parliamentary sitting held in the Throne Room of the Grand Master's Palace.
Myriam Spiteri Debono acknowledging the people gathered outside St John's Co-Cathedral to follow proceedings (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)
In her first speech as President, Spiteri Debono touched on several issues. She referenced the need for electoral reform and wider parliamentary representation and said she agreed with the work on the constitutional convention carried out by her predecessor George Vella.
Myriam Spiteri Debono was greeted with flowers by well-wishers outside her house in Birkirkara (Photo: DOI)
The president-elect was given a warm sendoff by neighbours (Photo: DOI)
People following proceedings outside St John's Co-Cathedral (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)
Significantly, she spoke of the need to integrate immigrants rather than simply tolerate them. The President welcomed the reforms in the construction sector as a result of the Jean Paul Sofia inquiry but insisted that reforms to introduce greater protection for the media have not been implemented. The latter reforms were proposed in the aftermath of the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry.
She also spoked on the importance of non-violent protests in a democracy and the need to cherish human rights even by working for peace on the international stage.
Like she did in her Victory Day speech in 2021, Spiteri Debono said the country had to heal the national wound caused by Caruana Galizia’s murder by seeking closure on unresolved issues. She also insisted on the importance of good governance and the need to foster a critical thinking mentality in children and young people.
Earlier, she was greeted by well-wishers and neighbours outside her residence before being accompanied to St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, where Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna celebrated Mass.
Spiteri Debono walked down Republic Street where she shook hands and greeted people who gathered along the barriers.
Spiteri Debono is the third woman to occupy the role of president after Agatha Barbara and Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.
Matthew Farrugia is a staff reporter at MaltaToday
