Carmelo Abela Expected To Replace Anġlu Farrugia As Speaker Of The House

Prime Minister Robert Abela is expected to nominate veteran Labour MP Carmelo Abela as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives, bringing an end to Anġlu Farrugia’s record-breaking 13-year tenure in the role. Carmelo Abela, who was re-elected from the Third District in last Saturday’s general election, has been a Member of Parliament since 1996 and has held several senior government positions over the years, including Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister as reported by Times of Malta . The appointment would mark a return to a parliamentary leadership role for Abela, who previously served as Deputy Speaker between 2003 and 2010 before going on to act as Labour’s whip during the twelfth legislature. If approved by Parliament, he will replace Anġlu Farrugia, who first assumed the Speakership in 2013 and went on to become the longest-serving Speaker in Malta’s parliamentary history. The Speaker plays a central role in Malta’s legislature, overseeing parliamentary sittings, ensuring order in the House and interpreting parliamentary rules when disputes arise. While the Speaker does not cast an ordinary vote, they can exercise a casting vote in the event of a tie. The role also includes chairing several parliamentary committees, including the Standing Committee on House Business and the Standing Committee on Privileges. Abela’s expected appointment comes after a turbulent period in which he found himself at the centre of allegations made by former PN MP Jason Azzopardi, who claimed he was linked to the failed 2010 HSBC Qormi armed robbery. Abela consistently denied the allegations and filed libel proceedings against Azzopardi. In 2024, the court ruled in his favour and awarded him €7,000 in damages. With Parliament set to convene for a new legislature following Labour’s election victory, attention is now turning to one of the House’s most important constitutional appointments. Do you think this role is fitting for Carmelo Abela? •