The political framework of Malta

Political Outline

Current Political Leaders

President: Myriam Spiteri DEBONO (since 4 April 2024)
Prime Minister: Robert ABELA (since 13 January 2020)

Next Election Dates

Presidential: April 2029
House of Representatives: March 2027

Main Political Parties

Since World War II, the political culture in Malta has been chiefly dominated by a two-party system. These two political parties are:

- Malta Labour Party (MLP): centre-left, social democratic party
- Nationalist Party (PN): centre-right, Christian democratic party

Other parties that took part in the latest elections include the AD+PD, a centrist political party, formed by the merger of the two most prominent third parties, the green Democratic Alternative (AD) and the social liberal Democratic Party (PD); the Eurofederalist and progressive pan-European Volt Malta; the far-right, Christian political party ABBA; and the right-wing populist, conservative People's Party.

Executive Power

The President of Malta is the chief of state and is elected by the Parliament for a five-year term. The Prime Minister is the head of government and holds executive powers, which include implementing laws and managing the day-to-day affairs of the country. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, based on the leader of the majority party or coalition following parliamentary elections, which occur every five years. The Cabinet is appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Legislative Power

The legislature of Malta is unicameral, consisting of the House of Representatives, which has a minimum of 65 seats (79 for the 2022-2027 legislature). Its members are elected by popular vote based on proportional representation to serve five-year terms. If a political party wins an absolute majority of votes but does not secure a majority of seats, additional seats are allocated to that party to ensure a parliamentary majority. The President can dissolve Parliament on the advice of the Prime Minister, or alternatively, Parliament can dismiss the government by passing a no-confidence motion.