Myriam Spiteri Debono | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Spiteri Debono in 2024 | |
| 11thPresident of Malta | |
| Assumed office 4 April 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Robert Abela |
| Preceded by | George Vella |
| Speaker of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 5 December 1996 – 24 October 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Lawrence Gonzi |
| Succeeded by | Anton Tabone |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Miriam Zammit (1952-10-25)25 October 1952 (age 73) |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Anthony Spiteri Debono (died 2025) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | University of Malta |
| Occupation | Notary public |
| Website | president.gov.mt |
Myriam Spiteri Debono[a] (born 25 October 1952)[1] is a Maltese politician who is the 11th and currentpresident of Malta. She is the firstGozitan woman to be elected to the position. She was also theSpeaker of the House of Representatives of Malta[2][3] from 1996 to 1998, the first woman to hold that position.[4]
Spiteri Debono was born Miriam Zammit inVictoria,Gozo, to Pawlu Zammit and his wife.[5] Spiteri is a typicalSicilian surname.[6] She received her formal childhood education in Gozo and later attended theUniversity of Malta where she studied English Literature and Linguistics, graduating in 1973, and founded the Socialist Students Union.[7][8] She also studied law and graduated as aNotary Public in 1980.[9][7]
Her first public office appointments included that of chair of the Cooperatives Board, and as a founding member of the Gender Equality Commission.[9]
She was a candidate for theMalta Labour Party in five general elections (1981, 1987, 1992, 1996, 2003), but was never elected as a member of parliament.[10][11] However, she was elected to the party's national executive in 1982 and served as the party's propaganda secretary.[7][12]
Spiteri Debono served as president of theMalta Labour Party's women section between 1993 and 1996.[13][14]
In September 1996, she was appointed Malta'sSpeaker of the House of Representatives by Prime MinisterAlfred Sant.[8] She was the first woman to serve in this role in Malta and was replaced byAnton Tabone in October 1998.[4][8]
In January 2023, she was proposed for the role of Standards Commissioner by theNationalist Party, however, she declined to be formally considered for the role claiming that she was not suited for it nor was she interested in taking the position.[15]
On 21 March 2024, she was reported to be the front runner to be appointedPresident of the Republic of Malta.[16][17] The following week, this was confirmed in a joint statement issued from the offices of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.[18] Malta's House of Representatives voted unanimously toelect Spiteri Debono as Malta's 11th President on 27 March 2024, becoming the first president to be elected using the new constitutional reforms of 2020 including the new requirement of two-thirds of the parliament's approval for the presidential nominee.[9]
Spiteri Debono is the third woman to serve as President of Malta, afterAgatha Barbara andMarie-Louise Coleiro Preca.[19] She is also the third person from Gozo to be appointed to this office, followingAnton Buttigieg andĊensu Tabone.[9]
She was inaugurated on 4 April 2024.[20]
At the time of her appointment she admitted to being atechnophobe; owning aflip phone and preferring to dictate her letters and other correspondence to an assistant, leaving emails to an email address in her husband's name.[21]
Spiteri Debono lived most of her adult life inBirkirkara, Malta.[14] She was married to notary Dr. Anthony Spiteri Debono, who died on 24 July 2025, at the age of 78.[22] They have three children and four grandchildren.[23]
Grand Master and Companion of Honour of theNational Order of Merit, Malta,by right as a President of Malta
Grand Master of theXirka Ġieħ ir-Repubblika,by right as a President of Malta| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Speaker of the House of Representatives 1996–1998 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of Malta 2024–present | Incumbent |
| Queen (1964–1974) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| President (from 1974) | ||
*Acting President | ||
