Bernard Grech (born 8 June 1971) is a Maltese politician and lawyer who has been the leader of the Nationalist Party since 2020.

Early and professional life

Grech was born on 8 June 1971, in

Paola Paola is a female given name, the Italian form of the name Paula. Notable people with the name include: People In arts and entertainment *Paola Del Medico (born 1950), Swiss singer * Paola e Chiara, pop music duo consisting of two sisters born ...

to John and Frida Grech. He grew up in

Birżebbuġa Birżebbuġa (; sometimes shortened to B'Buġa) is a seaside town in the Southern Region of Malta, close to Marsaxlokk. It is approximately from the capital Valletta, and it has a population of 9,736 as of March 2014. The town is popular amon ...

and he graduated as a lawyer, focusing on civil law. Grech practiced his professional activity in two law firms, specializing in the mediation of family disputes.

Involvement in politics

In 2011, Grech took part in the

campaign Campaign or The Campaign may refer to: Types of campaigns * Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed *Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme * Bl ...

, which was later lost, against the legalization of

divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving th ...

in Malta. Not officially involved until then in active roles in politics, he got closer to the positions of the Maltese Nationalist Party in 2018. In August 2020 he stood against the leader

Adrian Delia Adrian Delia, (born 8 August 1969, in Sliema, Malta) is a Maltese politician, and lawyer by profession. He is the former leader of the Nationalist Party from September 2017 till October 2020. Early life Adrian Delia grew up in Birkirkara. H ...

, after the party congress voted to hold a new leadership contest. Grech became the leader of the Nationalist Party on 3 October 2020, winning the election against incumbent

with 69.3% of the votes. He was sworn in as Leader of the Opposition on 7 October.

Personal life

Grech declares himself a practicing

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

; he also expressed opinions against the legalization of

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...

. In his private life he cultivates a personal interest in

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

. Grech is married to AnneMarie. They have 2 children together, a son and a daughter, and reside in

Mosta Mosta ( mt, Il-Mosta) is a small but densely populated city in the Northern Region of Malta. The most prominent building in Mosta is the Rotunda, a large basilica built by its parishioners' volunteer labour. It features the world's 3rd largest ...

. Grech's father John died on 18 September 2022 at the age of 90, while his mother, Frida, died in January 2023.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grech, Bernard 1971 births Living people People from Paola, Malta University of Malta alumni 20th-century Maltese lawyers 21st-century Maltese politicians Nationalist Party (Malta) politicians Leaders of the Opposition (Malta) 21st-century Maltese lawyers