Eddie Fenech Adami was elected President four years ago today.

Dr Fenech Adami entered Parliament as a Nationalist MP in 1969 and was elected party leader in 1977 succeeding Giorgio Borg-Olivier.

As Nationalist Party leader he won the popular vote in 1981, 1987, 1992, 1998 and 2003. Although in 1981, the PN obtained an absolute majority of votes, it did not win a majority of seats in Parliament, and therefore remained in opposition. Constitutional changes were made to guarantee that the party winning an absolute majority of votes would have a parliamentary majority as happened in 1987.

Between 1987 and 1996, Dr Fenech Adami served as Prime Minister and between 1996 and 1998 he served as Leader of the Opposition. He was elected Prime Minister again in 1998 and in 2003.

Soon after the 2003 electoral victory, on April 16, he signed Malta's Accession Treaty with the EU, together with nine other European leaders set to become EU members on May 1, 2004.

On February 7, 2004, Dr Fenech Adami resigned as PN leader and was succeeded by Lawrence Gonzi. On March 23, 2004, he stepped down as Prime Minister and gave up his parliamentary seat.

Dr Fenech Adami was born in 1934, the son of a Customs officer. He was educated at the Jesuits College and the University of Malta, where he first studied economics and the classics and later law. He was called to the bar in 1959.

Dr Fenech Adami is married to Mary née Sciberras and they have five children: John, Beppe, Michael, Maria and Luigi.