Who's who in Robert Abela's new cabinet

Prime Minister Robert Abela appointed a cabinet of 21 ministers and two parliamentary secretaries on Wednesday. 

His new cabinet includes six more ministers than his previous one but a quarter of the number of parliamentary secretaries. 

All five women elected on the Labour ticket have been given posts, while all the previous cabinet members were shuffled around or retained their roles.

Some key details concerning various portfolios have yet to emerge, with no clear indication yet as to which ministries will be responsible for particular state entities. 

Here's the full list.

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Ian Borg

Minister for Health and Deputy Prime Minister

Previously: Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Deputy Prime Minister

For the first time in over a decade, the health ministry will not be led by a medical doctor. Ian Borg’s move to health is a major shake-up and a test for an administration dogged by the fallout of the failed privatisation of three state hospitals.

He’ll be tasked with helping to bring about a new 400-bed hospital in Gozo, to modernise St Luke’s Hospital and expand Mater Dei. But he has experience in big projects, having overseen the Marsa Junction and Central Link projects as infrastructure minister from 2017 to 2022.

It’s an endorsement of the 40-year-old, who had a strong electoral performance that saw him poll over 10,000 first-count votes despite the fact his focus for much of the last legislature shifted away from domestic affairs.  

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Jonathan Attard

Minister for Planning, Infrastructure and Employment

Previously: Minister for Justice and Reform of the Construction Sector

It’s a strong vote of confidence for the 42-year-old Attard, who has been handed a superministry. The job description suggests he will be responsible for influential entities including the Planning Authority, the Building and Construction Authority, JobsPlus and Infrastructure Malta.

He’ll be responsible for shepherding through – or rolling back on - proposed planning reform, which controversially includes giving more power to the Planning Authority.

Labour’s manifesto has already given him his first job: to introduce a law blocking developments during appeals “in the first months of the legislature”.

Attard, a lawyer by profession, was appointed to his first-ever cabinet post in 2022, when he held the influential justice portfolio and gained the tricky responsibility for construction reform during a midterm reshuffle. 

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Glenn Bedingfield

Minister for Home Affairs and Security

Previously: Parliamentary Secretary for Public Cleanliness

It’s a huge step up for Glenn Bedingfield, who was made a parliamentary secretary for the first time in 2024.

The home affairs portfolio is a hefty one, with responsibility for civil protection, the police and armed forces as well as immigration.

The 52-year-old former One journalist has been an MP since 2017 and served as government whip for two years from 2020. He became an MEP in 2008 via a casual election after Joseph Muscat stepped down to become leader of the Opposition.

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Clyde Caruana

Finance Minister

Previously: Finance Minister

Caruana retains the portfolio he has held ever since he was co-opted into parliament six years ago. The 41-year-old economist and Abela’s former chief of staff has been deemed a safe pair of hands as finance minister.

His reappointment comes on the day the EU formally acknowledged Malta’s efforts in managing the deficit, which ballooned as a result of stimulus measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But with the government committed to maintaining initiatives such as energy subsidies, while also promising a potentially costly new mass transport system, he will need to keep a steady hand on the tiller. 

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Chris Fearne

Minister for Foreign and European Affairs

Previously: Resigned as health minister and deputy prime minister in 2024

It is a return to cabinet for Chris Fearne after two years. He stepped down from his career-defining role as health minister in the wake of fraud charges filed against him on the controversial privatisation of three state hospitals.

The 63-year-old still awaits the outcome of the criminal case but was endorsed by the electorate, after being elected in two districts.

Up until now, his political career has been in the health sector, first as parliamentary secretary in 2014, and as minister from 2016. As minister for Foreign and European Affairs, his focus shifts from domestic policies.

However, it won’t feel entirely new as he previously served as president of the World Health Assembly in 2023, sat on an antimicrobial resistance global leaders’ group and was tipped at one stage to be an EU commissioner. 

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Chris Bonett

Minister for Sustainable Mobility 

Previously: Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works Minister

In the last legislature, Bonett held a role that is powerful but widely regarded as a poisoned chalice. He retains the transport element of his previous role, but it's been rebranded as sustainable mobility. 

He's been stripped of Infrastructure and Public Works, in a sign that Abela wants him to focus on implementing the government's vision of transport, which includes more ferries and a light rail system.

Elected to parliament for the first time in 2022, the former CEO of Sport Malta was initially made a parliamentary secretary before being promoted to transport and infrastructure minister.

During his tenure, he oversaw the Msida Creek Project, which is due to be opened later this year.

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Clifton Grima

Minister for Justice, Research & Innovation

Previously: Education and Sports Minister

It’s all change for Clifton Grima, who has spent most of his cabinet career in the education and sports sector and also served as parliamentary secretary for sports.

He will now hold the influential justice portfolio and will be tasked with trying to speed up legal systems including the compilation of evidence proceedings and to bring about legislation to strengthen the process for appointing the chief justice.  

The former CEO of Mount Carmel and Msida mayor first entered parliament in 2016.  

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Clint Camilleri

Minister for Gozo

Previously: Gozo and Planning Minister

Camilleri retains the Gozo portfolio he has held since 2020. But he has been stripped of his responsibility for planning, which may come as a relief.

In an interview last year, he pledged to roll back on some key elements of controversial planning reform proposals. If the prime minister wants to push them through, he wasn’t going to be the man for the job.

All three MPs in the 13th district were made ministers, in a sign of the importance of the district, which saw a shift this election, with Labour only retaining a majority of seats in Gozo, despite losing by 144 votes. 

The 38-year-old architect began his political career in 2012 when he became Qala mayor. He was first elected to parliament in 2017.

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Miriam Dalli

Minister for Energy, the Environment and Grand Harbour Regeneration

Previously: Environment, Energy and Public Cleanliness

Dalli retains the environment and energy portfolio in a strong vote of confidence and after a strong showing at the polls. She will be responsible for plans for an offshore wind farm and working towards developing a third interconnector by 2035.

In her last tenure, she was given responsibility for implementing the promised €700 million green urban lungs. The five big projects unveiled at the time never materialised, although they remain on the manifesto for this term.

Dalli remains responsible for Grand Harbour regeneration, a multi-year plan to revive Marsa and surrounding areas.

This will be the 50-year-old’s second full term in domestic politics, having been recalled from Brussels and co-opted into parliament in late 2020. Previously, Dalli spent 15 years as a TV presenter and news editor at the Labour-owned ONE. 

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Malcolm Paul Agius Galea

Minister for the Arts, Culture and National Heritage

Previously: Parliamentary Secretary for Active Ageing

The popular Żebbuġ doctor has been handed his first full cabinet post, having served as parliamentary secretary in the last legislature.

He takes over the culture role from Owen Bonnici during a legislature which will end with the European Capital of Culture returning to Malta and must implement a manifesto, which promises the completion of an arts and culture hub in Marsa.

It’s a reward for the former Żebbuġ mayor, who made it to parliament through a casual election in 2022 but was elected on his own steam this time around. 

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Jo Etienne Abela

Minister for Tourism

Previously: Health and Active Ageing Minister

It’s new territory for the 50-year-old surgeon and former health minister.

As tourism minister, Abela faces the challenge of maintaining a sector that is a key economic driver, without letting it spill into overtourism that has plagued other destinations.

He will be responsible for managing a drive towards quality tourism that includes upgrading restaurants and other infrastructure. One of the first dates on his diary will be to oversee a key moment slated for this month, when the first direct flights from New York are due to land.

He will take over a ministry that was previously Clayton Bartolo’s before he resigned in 2024 and it was added to Ian Borg’s portfolio. 

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Owen Bonnici

Minister for Housing and Lands

Previously: Culture, Lands and Local Government

It's a partial reshuffle for Owen Bonnici, losing culture and local government but gaining housing. He'll be responsible for overseeing a major affordable housing project and overseeing the troubled Malita Investments - a publicly listed company that the government owns a majority stake in.  

The veteran cabinet member has served in various posts since he was elected in 2013 and his star shows little sign of waning, with an increased tally in District 3 as he enters his fifth term in parliament.

First elected in 2008, the 46-year-old has also served in ministerial roles in justice, education, research and innovation. 

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Byron Camilleri

Minister for Education and Sports

Previously: Home Affairs, Security and Employment Minister

For six years, the lawyer and former Fgura mayor held the ever-expanding role of home affairs minister. It was a taxing and sensitive portfolio and one that he offered to resign from in the wake of the drug heist from an AFM compound. His offer of resignation was refused then, and the 38-year-old had been the longest-serving minister in the same portfolio until now. 

He will relish a new challenge and, as education minister must oversee a promise to modernise 100 schools in 13 years and reduce the early school leaving rate to 8%.

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Keith Azzopardi Tanti

Minister for EU funds, Social Dialogue and Consumer Protection 

Previously: Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation

It's a maiden ministerial post for the 42-year-old, who had a strong showing in the election, leading all candidates in the first district.  

He spent his first term in parliament as parliamentary secretary for youth, research and innovation and made no secret of his ambition for promotion.

The chartered accountant previously worked at the NSO and MFSA and was twice elected as mayor of Pieta. 

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Julia Farrugia

Minister for Inclusion and Voluntary Organisations

Previously: Minister for inclusion and the voluntary sector

Farrugia will continue to serve as inclusion minister, a role she has held since 2020. The former journalist and now veteran politician was a strong performer at the election, coming in behind Ian Borg on District 7.

She first entered politics in 2017 and held parliamentary secretary roles before becoming tourism minister, most challengingly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Michael Falzon

Minister for Social Policy and the Family

Formerly: Social Policy and Children’s Rights Minister 

Falzon will continue to steer a portfolio he has held since 2017. Before that he was parliamentary secretary for planning and simplification.  

The Sliema-raised lawyer served as Labour's international secretary between 1998 and 2003, and deputy leader for party affairs between 2003 and 2008, when he was first elected to parliament in 2008. 

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Anton Refalo

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supply

Former: Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights Minister 

Refalo keeps much of the portfolio assigned to him in 2020 but loses Animal Rights. He is one of three Gozitan ministers in the cabinet. 

The oldest cabinet member, who was born in 1956 first served as an MP in 1987, at a time when some of his cabinet colleagues had yet been born.  He served as Parliamentary Secretary for Gozo Affairs between 1996 and 1998 and then returned to cabinet in 2013 as Gozo Minister.

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Silvio Schembri

Minister for the Economy, Technology and Strategic Projects

Previously: Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects

The 41-year-old continues in cabinet where he left off, as Economy Minister, a position he has held since Abela assumed office in 2020.  Prior to that, he served as parliamentary secretary for financial services and the digital economy.

The Luqa native has been in the role during a time of economic prosperity for the country but he saw a drop in his performance in the general election. 

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Alison Zerafa Civelli

Minister for Local Government and Public Works

Previously: Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government 

It's a promotion but in familiar territory. The former mayor of Cospicua, who is also the prime minister’s sister-in-law, took responsibility for local councils in the last legislature.

As minister, she has also been handed the responsibility of public works, which was previously Omar Farrugia's responsibility, under the oversight of Chris Bonett.

It is Zerafa Civelli's first role as minister.  

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Omar Farrugia

Minister for Youth, Wellbeing and The Implementation of the Electoral Programme

Previously: Parliamentary Secretary for Public Works

It is perhaps fitting that the youngest member of cabinet has been promoted to minister for youth. The 31-year-old was elected for the first time to parliament in 2022 and given a parliamentary secretary role in a midterm reshuffle.

The former mayor of Mqabba was rewarded after performing well at the election, coming in just behind the prime minister in his district. 

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Rosianne Cutajar

Minister for Equality and Civil Rights

Previously: None

It’s a first ministerial position for Cutajar but territory she will feel comfortable in, having previously served a short stint as parliamentary secretary for civil rights.

The move is a major return for Cutajar, who quit the Labour parliamentary group in 2023, bowing to pressure following the publication of hundreds of chats between her and Yorgen Fenech. She was back in the following year and reelected on the sixth district. 

The 38-year-old former Qormi mayor was first elected to parliament in 2017.

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Deo Debattista

Parliamentary Secretary for Active Ageing

It’s a return for Deo Debattista, who was a backbencher during the last legislature. The 62-year-old doctor was first elected in 2013 and has held a series of parliamentary secretary roles in his political career.  

He will answer to Ian Borg as minister for health. 

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Alicia Bugeja Said

Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Welfare

Previously: Parliamentary Secretary for Fishing, Aquaculture and Animal Rights 

Bugeja Said will return as parliamentary secretary, but the fisheries researcher has been stripped of that element of her role. 

On paper, it seems somewhat of a demotion and a surprising one, given that she was first elected to parliament through a gender corrective mechanism but was elected this time on her own steam.

However her full responsibilites have not been detailed yet. She will answer to Miriam Dalli as energy and environment minister.