Helena Dalli will be appointed Acting President of the Republic of Malta when the President of Malta, Myriam Spiteri Debono, is, among other things, absent from the country, a government statement read.
Dalli will be filling the post left vacant after Francis Zammit Dimech passed away on 21 April.
Prime Minister Robert Abela announced the appointment as per Article 49 of the Constitution, the government said.
"This is being done in accordance with the mentioned article and in consultation with the Leader of the Opposition," the government added, although the PN in a statement clearly objects to Dalli's appointment.
Parliamentary Speaker Anġlu Farrugia had been temporarily serving as acting president in the interim. The acting president steps in to perform the duties of the head of state when the President is abroad or unable to carry out her responsibilities due to health reasons.
The government provided a biography of Dalli's history in public office. "Helena Dalli was elected to the Maltese Parliament back in 1996 and in every legislature up to the one that began in 2017. Among other roles, she served as Minister for Industrial Relations, European Affairs, Equality, and Civil Rights. From 2013 onward, she was a key catalyst in driving numerous reforms and introducing a range of civil rights that had a positive impact on society, including for minority groups," the government said.
In 2019, she was appointed as the first European Commissioner for Equality, "where she played a key role in shaping European strategies and laws aimed at moving the European Union closer to a Union of Equality. Dr Dalli was for many years a lecturer at the University of Malta, teaching Sociology of Law. She was the first Maltese woman appointed to the European Commission, and in 2023, Helena Dalli was awarded the National Order of Merit," the government added.
The Presidency should unite the country, not divide it - PN
In a statement, the Nationalist Party said that it is unacceptable for anyone who was found by the Public Inquiry - appointed by the government itself - to have been responsible for the climate of impunity that led to the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, to hold the position of President or Acting President of Malta.
This was the principle brought to the table by Opposition Leader Bernard Grech during the discussions which led to an agreement last year on the appointment of Her Excellency Myriam Spiteri Debono as President of Malta, the PN said, adding that the same principle applies to the role of Acting President.
Furthermore, at the time of President Spiteri Debono's appointment, it was also agreed that the role of Acting President would be held by a nominee of the Opposition - and it was on that basis that Francis Zammit Dimech was appointed to the role, the PN said.
"Even worse, the Prime Minister's letter to the Leader of the Opposition to 'consult' him on the Acting President appointment arrived after the media had already been informed of the Prime Minister's decision to appoint Helena Dalli to the post," the PN said.
"The Presidency should unite the country, not divide it. Therefore, just as there was agreement on the President, there should also be consensus on the Acting President by honouring the agreement between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, while at the same time identifying a person who can bring the country together," the PN said.
PL welcomes appointment
The Labour Party, in a statement, welcomed the announcement of the nomination, by Prime Minister Robert Abela, of Helena Dalli for the post of Acting President, as "a very positive one for our country."
"Dalli is ideal for this role of national importance. It is regrettable that even on the appointment of a person who has always worked in the country's interest, the PN knows no other way than to be destructive. The Nationalist Party has never forgiven Helena Dalli who pioneered the introduction of civil rights in our country," the PL said.