This article lists the heads of state of Malta, from
independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
as the
State of Malta in 1964 to present.
From 1964 to 1974, Malta was a
Commonwealth realm and its head of state under the
Constitution of Malta was the
queen of Malta,
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
– who was also simultaneously the
queen of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...
and the other Commonwealth realms. She was represented in Malta by a
governor-general. Malta became a
republic within the Commonwealth after constitutional amendments in 1974, and the position of monarch and governor-general were replaced by a
president of Malta
The president of Malta ( mt, President ta' Malta) is the constitutional head of state of Malta. The President is indirectly elected by the House of Representatives of Malta, which appoints the president for a five-year term and requires them to ...
who is
indirectly elected.
Queen of Malta (1964–1974)
The succession to the throne was the same as the
succession to the British throne.
Governors-General of Malta
The
Governor-General of Malta was the representative of the monarch in Malta and exercised most of the powers of the monarch. The Governor-General was appointed for an indefinite term, serving at the pleasure of the Monarch. After the passage of the
Statute of Westminster 1931, the Governor-General was appointed solely on the advice of the
Cabinet of Malta
The Cabinet of Malta is the collective decision-making body of the Government of Malta, composed of the Prime Minister and a number of ministers who are selected by the Prime Minister from the elected members of the House of Representatives
Ho ...
without the involvement of the British government. In the event of a vacancy the
Chief Justice served as
Officer Administering the Government.
;Status
Presidents of the Republic of Malta (1974–present)
Under the
Constitution of Malta as amended in 1974, the position of President of Malta replaced the British Monarch as head of state. The position of President is elected by
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
for a five-year term. As from 1989, the President is traditionally inaugurated on April 4th of the year of the nomination and subsequent election of the President by Parliament, provided the preceding President has not resigned before their term expired. In the event of a vacancy, or for any reason the President is unable to perform the functions conferred upon them by the Constitution, those functions are performed by an Acting President ( mt, Aġent President) appointed by the Prime Minister, after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition. If there is no person in Malta so appointed and able to perform those functions, the Chief Justice serves as Acting President.
;Political parties
;Other factions
;Status
Standards
File:Royal Standard of Malta (1964–1974).svg, Royal Standard
File:Flag of the Governor-General of Malta (1964–1974).svg, Governor-General's Standard
File:Flag of the President of Malta.svg, Presidential Standard
See also
*
List of prime ministers of Malta
*
List of governors of Malta
External links
World Statesmen – Malta
{{Malta topics
Government of Malta
Head
*
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
Heads of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...