Lawrence Gonzi has urged the Maltese to remain true to the values that “have stood the test of time” as he bows out of Parliament today after a glittering political career spanning a quarter of a century.
In a Talking Point published in Times of Malta, Dr Gonzi describes his nine years as Prime Minister as “an honour and truly positive experience”.
“My years of service to this country, especially the nine years as Prime Minister, which were also Malta’s first nine years of EU membership, have strengthened my belief that our success finds its roots in our ability to believe in ourselves as a people and as a nation.
“We have learnt that, more often than not, success is determined by the size of the idea and not by the size of one’s territory,” he wrote.
“This is why, now that a new chapter of my life is about to begin, I wish to urge all those who have been called to serve our people, to remain loyal to these values that have stood the test of time and that have helped this country to succeed where others barely survived.”
As revealed by Times of Malta in May, Dr Gonzi will resign his parliamentary seat this evening with a farewell speech, which will be followed by remarks by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader Simon Busuttil.
He made it clear to close aides after a heavy defeat at the polls in March that he intended to step down once a new party leader was elected as he wished to dedicate more time to his family.
Dr Gonzi is in the unique position of having served in Parliament in every role – from Speaker, to Leader of the House, Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition.
The great-nephew of Malta’s most controversial Archbishop – Mgr Michael Gonzi – and a staunch Catholic, Lawrence Gonzi is the second Prime Minister since Independence (after Eddie Fenech Adami) to leave Parliament after relinquishing his post as party leader.
George Borg Olivier, Dom Mintoff, Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici and Alfred Sant all retained their seats.
After unsuccessfully contesting the 1987 general election, Lawrence Gonzi spent his first eight years in Parliament as Speaker, winning the respect of both sides, a unique achievement in Maltese politics.
After publicly stating he was no longer interested in politics, Lawrence Gonzi was convinced by Dr Fenech Adami to contest the 1996 election and found himself on the Opposition benches while serving as PN general secretary.
After the PN’s re-election in 1998, Lawrence Gonzi was appointed as social policy minister and elected party deputy leader in 1999 following the departure of the late Guido de Marco who was appointed President.
In 2004, Lawrence Gonzi was elected PN leader after defeating former ministers and party heavyweights John Dalli and Louis Galea in a hotly contested PN election. During his stint as PN leader, Lawrence Gonzi managed to do what no one had done in Maltese politics – delivering a third consecutive electoral win for his party.
This win came at a price. With just a one-seat majority, Lawrence Gonzi had to constantly walk a tight-rope, juggling one internal crisis to another caused by a handful of rebel MPs.
However, he was showered with praise for his stewardship during the Libyan conflict, in which Malta played a vital humanitarian role during the evacuation process.