Former Labour Party President Ramona Attard has become Malta’s newest MP after she was sworn into Parliament on Wednesday, taking the place of Randolph Debattista.
Attard was co-opted into Parliament, with this being approved by the Labour Party’s Parliamentary Group on Tuesday evening.
She replaces Debattista, who was also co-opted into his seat – controversially mere days after the 2022 general election – and has now resigned to take up a diplomatic posting in Geneva, Switzerland.
Attard was sworn in during Wednesday’s plenary session, with the moment being greeted by applause from those in the Stranger’s Gallery – who were then told to refrain from doing so by Speaker Anglu Farrugia.
She was allowed a customary minute to say a few words on the occasion. She stressed what an honour it was to take up a position in the highest authority of the Maltese government that was voted in “with such a high mandate.”
She pointed out that she is of “humble roots” which will give her policies a particular direction, such as an emphasis on civil rights.
Attard is a lawyer with progressive-liberal political leanings who has been involved within the Labour Party for many years, having worked with its media branch ONE TV for a decade as from 2010.
She was appointed President of the Labour Party in 2020 and pushed for IVF reforms which eventually came in the first 100 days of the new legislature after the Labour Party registered yet another landslide general election victory.
She stepped down from her role as PL President after the party lost swathes of supporters in the June 2024 European Parliament elections.
She made headlines in her outgoing speech as PL President when she bashed the Standards Commissioner for “attacking” ministers and their wives for being given a role for their competency apart from her vocal advocacy for criminal libel to be reintroduced.