Prime Minister Robert Abela has carried a cabinet reshuffle which sees Dr Miriam Dalli appointed as Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development.
Former Chief of Staff Clyde Caruana was appointed Minister of Finance. Dr Justyne Caruana was appointed Minister for Education replacing Owen Bonnici who will now be responsible for Innovation and the strategy for the period after Covid-19.
Tourism has been assigned to Clayton Bartolo, who will replace Julia Farrugia Portelli who was given the portfolio inclusion and quality of life. Dr Clifton Grima will serve as Parliamentary Secretary within Farrugia Portelli’s Ministry.
Air Malta, who was under the remit of Silvio Schembri will now fall within the portfolio of Clyde Caruana. Schembri will retain the portfolio he held with the significant change from the previous portfolio in the Ministry for the Economy being the removal of Air Malta and Malta Enterprise. On the other hand Minister Schembri takes over the Lands Authority which was part of Minister Ian Borg’s portfolio.
Aaron Farrugia retained his entire ministry, gaining Agius as parliamentary secretary for construction, finally integrating the entire planning portfolio within the environment ministry.
Silvio Parnis lost his his parliamentary secretariat for the elderly and disability sector. Analysts saw Parnis, Farrugia Portelli and Bonnici’s shifts as a ‘demotion’ in relation to the way they handled their areas during the pandemic.
EU policy expert Glenn Micallef was appointed as his head of secretariat, replacing Clyde Caruana. Micallef’s appointment is a significant change given the expertise of Micallef in EU policy matters, where he was assisting the Prime Minister in the MFF budget negotiations.
Full list of the government’s cabinet follows:
Robert Abela
Prime Minister
Chris Fearne
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health
Evarist Bartolo
Minister for Foreign and European Affairs
Michael Farrugia
Minister for the Elderly and Active Aging
Owen Bonnici
Minister for Research, Innovation and Strategy Coordination after Covid-19
José Herrera
Minister for National Heritage, Arts and Local Government
Carmelo Abela
Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister
Ian Borg
Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects
Michael Falzon
Minister for Solidarity and Social Justice, the Family and the Rights of the Child
Edward Zammit Lewis
Minister for Justice, Equality and Governance
Anton Refalo
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Animal Rights
Roderick Galdes
Minister for Social Housing
Justyne Caruana
Minister for Education
Silvio Schembri
Minister for the Economy and Industry
Julia Farrugia Portelli
Minister for Inclusion and Quality of Life
Aaron Farrugia
Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning
Clint Camilleri
Minister for Gozo
Byron Camilleri
Minister for the Interior, National Security and Law Enforcement
Clayton Bartolo
Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection
Miriam Dalli
Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development
Clyde Caruana
Minister of Finance and Work
These are the Parliamentary Secretaries in the Cabinet:
Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi
Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds in the Office of the Prime Minister
Rosianne Cutajar
Parliamentary Secretary for Civil Rights and Reforms within the Ministry of Justice, Equality and Governance
Clifton Grima
Parliamentary Secretary for Sport, Recreation and Voluntary Organizations within the Ministry for Inclusion and Quality of Life
Chris Agius
Parliamentary Secretary for Construction in the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Change and Planning
Alex Muscat
Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Communities within the Ministry of the Interior, National Security and Law Enforcement
Deo Debattista
Parliamentary Secretary for Consumer Protection and Public Cleanliness within the Ministry of Tourism and Consumer Protection