Clifton Grima was sworn in as Minister of Education and Sport on Wednesday.
He takes over from Justyne Caruana, who resigned after the Standards Commissioner found she breached ethics rules by awarding a contract to a close friend.
Grima was sworn in by President George Vella at San Anton Palace in the presence of, among others, the prime minister and the chief justice.
Among the first decisions Grima will have to take is whether or not to reopen schools after the Christmas break, in view of the high number of COVID cases.
The Malta Union of Teachers has voiced concern that school operations would be “severely impacted” by the current number of COVID cases and people in quarantine.