The Presidency is a post which is supposed to unite our people under one figure head. In the past, various presidents have done their bit to give service to their country. Sometimes, people were appointed to the post and there was division. But by and large, people (and to a degree of reluctancy the political parties) always came round and supported the President, whoever it may have been.

The Presidency has always had the role of a figurehead, it is not a decision making post – it is one that is, to a certain extent, symbolic. But in recent memory, many Presidents have put their own stamp on the role.

Perhaps the first that comes to mind is Guido de Marco. The late Prof. De Marco used his Presidency to bring about more awareness about the problems that drugs and narcotics pose to our society. He was followed by President Emeritus Eddie Fenech Adami. In his businesslike manner, Dr Fenech Adami dedicated a lot of his time to pushing Malta’s interests abroad and attracting investment. Then came the current President, George Abela. Dr Abela focused his presidency on raising money for charity through people’s participation, such as l-iStrina and the Fun Run.

Now his term has come to an end, and it will be the turn of Marie Louise Coleiro Preca. She might not have been everyone’s choice. But one thing is for certain, she is a tireless worker, and a well grounded and a champion for the downtrodden and those who are in difficulty. Ms Coleiro Preca has already made her mission statement, she will be working hand in hand with parliament to tackle the growing problem of poverty.

Time and time again, national statistics have shown that people are getting poorer and that more people and children are at risk of poverty. While poverty is clearly described in material terms, in terms of definition, it is intangible to those who do not really know what it means. We are talking here of real, bitter poverty, where people cannot sleep at night because they cannot pay their bills and are wondering how they are going to eat their next meal.

It is completely and utterly alien to most. And this is where Ms Coleiro Preca can come in and do a world of good for us and our social fabric. She has an ability to understand and communicate her findings, she always has. She does it in layman and heartfelt terms. Before we can tackle the monster, we need to understand it. And that is what this President will do. She will work tirelessly and doggedly to make us understand. Then she will turn to our politicians and make them do something about it. We are sure that this will be her hallmark – and we wish her all possible success. We will support her in her mission, as should each and every Maltese person.