The government has decided to nominate Social Solidarity Minister Marie Louise Coleiro Preca as the next President of Malta. She will replace George Abela whose term of office expires on April 4.
The decision to propose Ms Coleiro Preca as head of State took most observers by surprise especially since it is generally believed that an informal agreement existed between Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Foreign Minister George Vella for the latter to move into San Anton Palace.
True, this administration is keen to promote women to areas of responsibility and Dr Muscat had hinted more than once that the next President could be a woman. However, at the age of 55, Ms Coleiro Preca seems young for the job which is usually reserved for politicians who are about to retire.
The popular politician, furthermore, seemed to relish her role as Social Solidarity Minister which gave her an opportunity to put into practice her belief in social justice and to champion the plight of the poor and disadvantaged.
Although Ms Coleiro Preca has been an MP since 1998 she has only been a government minister for 12 months, as Labour was in Opposition until last year, and looked like she had a promising political career ahead of her.
It is probable that the main reason for the Prime Minister’s choice of Ms Coleiro Preca for President is the fact that she often clashed with many of the Labour government’s policies in Cabinet, such as its pro-business economic orientation and its somewhat hardline policy towards migrants. This caused problems for her as she managed her ministerial portfolio.
There is no doubt that Ms Coleiro Preca comes from the Old Labour school and it looks like the Prime Minister was not comfortable with her in the Cabinet.
While the post of President is largely ceremonial with few executive powers the decisive factor in choosing a suitable candidate should not be the opportunity to get rid of a dissenting voice but whether the nominee has the qualities to be a good president and a symbol of unity.
Most of Malta’s heads of State, including outgoing President George Abela, have carried out their duties with dignity; they also rose above partisan politics, promoted the unity and identity of the country and were faithful to the Constitution.
There is no reason to believe that Ms Coleiro Preca will not prove to be a suitable president but she must, from day one, put her party political background behind her. She comes from Labour’s left-wing and served as general secretary of the party during the turbulent 1980s, including the notorious 1981-1987 period. This is something that Ms Coleiro Preca has to come to terms with. She must now ensure that she becomes the president of the entire nation and must also keep in mind that Malta is in the EU.
Although many of her left-wing economic beliefs are outdated, her partiality towards social justice and eagerness to help the underprivileged are certainly admirable qualities.
Her compassionate attitude towards irregular migrants for example – where she was often a lone voice in the Cabinet – is certainly worthy of praise. Hopefully as President she will continue to speak out for social justice, without of course, any partisan connotations.