Anġlu Farrugia has been elected Speaker of the House of Representatives for an unprecedented third time, endorsed only by the government side of parliament.

Farrugia was first elected Speaker of the House in 2013, succeeding Michael Frendo, and his position was reconfirmed in 2017.

On Saturday, Labour MPs backed his nomination for the 14^th legislature.

Electing a Speaker only requires a simple majority vote, meaning the government did not require the opposition's backing to push its nominee through. 

PN MP and ex-party whip David Agius was confirmed as Deputy Speaker, garnering a unanimous vote.

In his first address to parliament, Farrugia promised he would fulfil his constitutional role as is expected of him. He also thanked his late parents for valuing “correctness” during his upbringing.

He urged new MPs to carry out their work without fear, but to avoid personal attacks.

Farrugia is the 15^th Speaker since Malta's first legislature, of 1962-1966. 

The Opposition has long said it disagreed with Farrugia's nomination, with PN's leader Bernard Grech on Friday urging the Prime Minister to reach a compromise over the nomination.

The party has not spelt out its objections to Farrugia's nomination, but it had strongly criticised him in November over his handling of proceedings before the standards committee, which he chaired.

Immediate clashes in parliament

Addressing parliament on Saturday, Grech said he hoped that the Speaker would serve his role impartially. Reacting, Abela said it was surreal that Grech had used his first speech in parliament to accuse the country's highest institution of being impartial.

The Opposition’s attitude, he said, showed that the party had discredited people’s decision on March 26. He added he was extending a hand of friendship to reach a compromise over the choice of a new ombudsman, which has been pending since March of 2021.

David Agius takes the oath as Deputy Speaker. Photo: DOI/Clodagh O'Neill

There has only been one female Speaker in Malta’s parliamentary history - Myriam Spiteri Debono, but for the first time, over a quarter of the electorate’s representatives will be women.

A total of 22 of the 79 members are women, but more than half secured their seats through a gender quota mechanism that the Malta Women’s Lobby has said was “manipulated”. PL MP Andy Ellul and PN MP Robert Cutajar will be their party’s respective whips.