Government & politics — Malta

• history: many previous;
• latest adopted 21 September 1964 amendments: proposals (Acts of Parliament) require at least two-thirds majority vote by the House of Representatives; passage of Acts requires majority vote by referendum, followed by final majority vote by the House and assent of the president of the republic; amended many times, last in 2020

• chief of state: President
• Prime Minister Robert ABELA (since 13 January 2020) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on
• the advice of the prime minister election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by the House of Representatives for a single 5-year term; following legislative elections, the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister for a 5-year term; deputy prime minister appointed by the president
• on the advice of the prime minister most recent election date: 27
• March 2024 election results: 2024: Myriam Spiteri DEBONO (PL) elected president;
• House of Representatives vote - unanimous 2019: George VELLA (PL) elected president; House of Re
• presentatives vote - unanimous expected date of next election: by March 2029

Description

unicameral House of Representatives or Il-Kamra Tad-Deputati, a component of the Parliament of Malta (65 seats statutory, 79 for 2022-2027 term; members directly elected in 5 multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

Elections

last held on 26 March 2022 (next to be held in 2027)

Election Results

• percent of vote by party - PL 55.1%, PN 41.7%, other 3.2%
• seats by party - PL 38, PN 29;

Composition

men 57, women 22, percent of women 27.8%;

Note

due to underrepresentation by women in the combined general on 26 March and two casual elections on 7 and 12 April (10 seats or 14.9%), an additional 12 seats were awarded because their percentage did not meet the 40% threshold required by the Malta Constitution or the General Elections Amendment Act 2021

• highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of either 1 or 3 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 3 judges); Court of Criminal Appeal (consist
• s of either 1 or 3 judges) judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president, usually upon the advice of the prime minister;
• judges of both courts serve until age 65 subordinate courts: Civil Court (divided into the General Jurisdiction Section, Family Section, and Voluntary Section); Criminal Court; Court of Magistrates; Gozo Courts (for the islands of Gozo and Comino)

68 localities (Il-lokalita); Attard, Balzan, Birgu, Birkirkara, Birzebbuga, Bormla, Dingli, Fgura, Floriana, Fontana, Ghajnsielem, Gharb, Gharghur, Ghasri, Ghaxaq, Gudja, Gzira, Hamrun, Iklin, Imdina, Imgarr, Imqabba, Imsida, Imtarfa, Isla, Kalkara, Kercem, Kirkop, Lija, Luqa, Marsa, Marsaskala, Marsaxlokk, Mellieha, Mosta, Munxar, Nadur, Naxxar, Paola, Pembroke, Pieta, Qala, Qormi, Qrendi, Rabat, Rabat (Ghawdex), Safi, San Giljan/Saint Julian, San Gwann/Saint John, San Lawrenz/Saint Lawrence, Sannat, San Pawl il-Bahar/Saint Paul's Bay, Santa Lucija/Saint Lucia, Santa Venera/Saint Venera, Siggiewi, Sliema, Swieqi, Tarxien, Ta' Xbiex, Valletta, Xaghra, Xewkija, Xghajra, Zabbar, Zebbug, Zebbug (Ghawdex), Zejtun, Zurrieq

• AD+PD or ADPD [Carmel CACOPARDO] (formed from the merger of Democratic Alternative or AD and Democratic Party (Partit Demokratiku) or PD)
• Labor Party (Partit Laburista) or PL [Robert ABELA]
• Nationalist Party (Partit Nazzjonalista) or PN [Bernard GRECH]

• no citizenship by descent only: at least one
• no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Australia Group, C, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO (partner), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina (observer), UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Constance J. MILSTEIN (since October 27, 2022) embassy: Ta' Qali National Park, Attard, ATD 4000 mailing address: 5800 Valletta Place, Washington DC 20521-5800

telephone

[356] 2561-4000

Email address and website

• ACSMalta@state.gov
• https://mt.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission

Ambassador Godfrey C. XUEREB (since 19 April 2023)

chancery

2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - The Embassy of Malta has relocated until further notice to the following address due to ongoing refurbishment: C/O WeWork Flr 2 1333 New Hampshire Ave NW Washington DC, 20036

telephone

[1] (202) 462-3611; note - The Embassy of Malta has relocated until further notice due to ongoing refurbishment and can be reached at the following number: [1] (202) 286-4610

FAX

[1] (202) 387-5470; note - The Embassy of Malta has relocated until further notice due to ongoing refurbishment and can be reached by FAX at the following number: [1] (202) 530-9753​

Email address and website

• maltaembassy.washington@gov.mt
• https://foreignandeu.gov.mt/en/Embassies/ME_United_States/Pages/ME_United_States.aspx