Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca learned she would become president of Malta through the news while she was ironing clothes at home.

In a three-hour podcast with Jon Mallia, the former president revealed that she was announced as Malta's next head of state on the TVM news bulletin when she had still not accepted the nomination.

She said that when the news came out she was still "in talks", during which she was insisting that she did not want to be president.

Coleiro Preca became president in 2014, just over a year after Labour rose to government and appointed her family and social solidarity minister.

She recalled how she watched the news on a Saturday evening as she returned home from a long, exhausting day of meetings with people.

"I hate ironing clothes... Edgar and I joke a lot about this. I don't hate doing stuff around the house, but I can't stand ironing clothes. They're a real chore to me," she said.

"But I remember having a lot of clothes to iron that evening, and I thought I would bring them into the bedroom and turn on the news, just to have something distracting me from the chore of ironing them.

"And suddenly, the TVM news bulletin came on, headlining with me - announcing that I was going to be president. It was during a period when I was internally still arguing not to become president. Because I didn't want to be president."

Despite Mallia's inquisitive and eager follow-up questions, she refused to go into further detail.

"I laugh about it today, but it wasn't easy back then," she continued.

Kicked upstairs?

To this day, speculations persist about Muscat's decision to appoint Coleiro Preca as president, with critics insisting the move was an elegant way to get her out of the way.

Coleiro Preca said that three weeks after that announcement, she was still hoping she would not have to take the job. While on a government trip to Albania, she met Maltese bishop George Frendo and asked him if she could have some time alone to pray in front of a crucifix that seemed particularly beautiful to her.

"I prayed to God to help me, to get me out of this," she said, adding that she had barely come out of that room when she received a call informing her there would be a press conference announcing her presidency.

"Anyway, it was meant to be. It's part of the process of life."

PHOTO: Jon Mallia Podcast.

Concern about government vision

During the interview, which at the time of publication was only available to Patreon subscribers of Jon Mallia's podcast, Coleiro Preca opened up about the ups and downs of her presidency, the Paqpaqli għall-Istrina incident and the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, among other things.

She also expressed concern over the Labour government's vision.

The government did a lot of good and we cannot throw everything away, she said, but the Labour Party was born to fight social injustices, and she fears that if it continues down this road, she will not be able to recognise it anymore.

She also criticised the government's decision to subsidise fuels and energy for luxury cars, boats and swimming pools, and other luxurious activities.

"It's good that the government is cushioning energy prices but we could use that extra money that is currently going to luxurious activities, to further increase subsidies for poorer families or bail out others from pending utility bills," she said, adding that poor people are not poor by their own choices.

"Families who have accumulated a lot of pending bills often get their electricity cut, you know, and we could be helping them."

Prime Minister Robert Abela argued last year that it would not be "easy" to restrict energy subsidies for the rich and wasteful.