A political consensus has formed over the idea of having a Council of State, which would act as a consultative body on important issues and potentially give more power to the President.
President George Abela rekindled the subject of the Council yesterday during his first Republic Day speech:
"I believe that it is time for the political forces in our country to consider the proposal of the setting up of a Council of State which would include, among others, the President of the Republic in office, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and former Presidents who, even though no longer in office, may offer their long experience for the common good of Maltese society.
"The Council of State, whose role is consultative, may be of assistance in the discussion of various matters that arise from time to time," Dr Abela said.
The proposal was originally made by a House Select Committee over a decade ago. Yesterday, the President's suggestion received the backing of both the Government and the Opposition. Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said he agreed with the concept but believed that it would need to be preceded by in-depth and thorough discussions within the Select Committee.
Labour leader Joseph Muscat said it was time to look at the renewal of the Constitution with a view to setting up the Council. In his speech, Dr Abela referred to the House's Select Committee appointed soon after the 1987 elections to recommend changes to the Constitution.
Back then the committee had noted that the Office of the President did not give the holder "the power to act as the watchdog of the Constitution".
The Select Committee had suggested widening the powers of the President by making the holder of office head of a Council of State, which would include the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and a number of State Councillors.
Under the committee's proposals, the council would decide on certain nominations, such as the Principal Electoral Commissioner and other institutional roles. The President would also be head of the armed forces. Within this context the President would need to be elected either by a two-thirds majority in Parliament or by popular vote.
The committee was chaired by then Deputy Prime Minister Guido de Marco and the committee members included Ugo Mifsud Bonnici and Ċensu Tabone representing the government and Dom Mintoff and Joe Cassar for the opposition. The three government representatives went on to become Presidents.
Nothing ever came of their suggestions, however, although many of them found their way into the electoral manifesto of Azzjoni Nazzjonali last year.
The definition of Council of State varies across different countries. In some countries, for instance, it is the formal name for the Cabinet whereas in other countries, like Ireland and Finland, it refers to an advisory body surrounding a head of state or government. In Belgium the Council of State also has a legal consultative role.