PARLIAMENT OF MALTA | IPU CANDIDATURES 2026

Hon Carmelo Abela

Speaker of the House of Representatives

Parliament of Malta

PARLIAMENT OF MALTA | IPU CANDIDATURES 2026

Curriculum Vitae

Hon. Carmelo Abela was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives at the opening of the

Fifteenth Legislature on the 20th of June 2026, after being re-elected in May 2026 as a Member

of Parliament for the Third Electoral District.

Hon. Abela was first elected to Parliament in 1996. Since then, he has served in several

parliamentary and ministerial roles, including Assistant Whip, Deputy Speaker of the House of

Representatives, Government Whip, Government Spokesman, Minister for Home Affairs and

National Security, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion, and Minister within the Office

of the Prime Minister.

Before entering Parliament, Hon. Abela worked in the banking sector. In 1990, he joined Mid-

Med Bank Ltd, today HSBC Bank Malta plc, where he worked until April 2014. His last

responsibilities were within HSBC Life Assurance Ltd.

Hon. Abela began his public life at local level. He contested the local council elections in 1994

and was elected councillor, serving until 1996.

He contested the 1996 General Election and was elected Member of Parliament. He was

appointed Assistant Whip and Cashier of the Parliamentary Group. He was re-elected in 1998

and served as Spokesman for Youth and Sport, Assistant Whip, and Secretary of the Labour

Party Parliamentary Group.

In 2003, he was re-elected to Parliament and was unanimously appointed Deputy Speaker of

the House of Representatives, a position he held for seven years. He was also appointed Main

Spokesman for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture.

In 2008, he was again unanimously appointed Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

During that legislature, he also served as Main Spokesman for Industry and Foreign Investment

and later for Social Policy.

Following the 2013 General Election, Hon. Abela was appointed Whip of the Government

Parliamentary Group and served as a member of the Standing Committee on House Business.

In April 2014, following a Cabinet reshuffle, he was also appointed Government Spokesman.

On 9 December 2014, he was appointed Minister for Home Affairs and National Security. His

portfolio included defence, the Corradino Correctional Facility, civil protection, the security

services, the police, probation and parole, and migration. During this period, reforms and

investment programmes were undertaken, including discussions and the signing of collective

agreements. The Academy for Disciplined Forces was also set up and started providing courses

and training opportunities for members of the respective forces.

During Malta’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Hon. Abela chaired the Justice

and Home Affairs Council and the Foreign Affairs Council, and also represented the EU High

Representative in a number of meetings.

In June 2017, he was re-elected to Parliament and appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs and

Trade Promotion. As Minister, he attended the Foreign Affairs Council and the Development

Council. During this period, he chaired ministerial meetings of the Commonwealth, expanded

Malta’s diplomatic presence, launched the first Malta Africa Strategy, and started and concluded

the collective agreement for the diplomatic corps.

In January 2020, Hon. Abela was appointed Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, with

responsibilities including conditions of work, social dialogue, broadcasting, and the

PARLIAMENT OF MALTA | IPU CANDIDATURES 2026

implementation of the electoral manifesto. This period coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic.

During this time, measures were taken in support of both employers and employees. He also

took initiatives concerning PBS and oversaw the implementation of the electoral manifesto.

In March 2022, Hon. Abela was re-elected as a Member of Parliament for the seventh

consecutive time. During that legislature, he chaired the Family Affairs Committee and the

Adjunct Committee for the Consideration of Bills. He also served as Head of Delegation to the

Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. On 9 November 2022, Hon. Abela

joined Aqua-BioTech Limited in Mosta as Chief Operations Officer.

On 1 December 2023, following a selection process, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of

the Central Business District Foundation, responsible for the management and initiatives relating

to the Central Business District.

Hon. Abela has also served in several parliamentary delegations. In September 2013, he was

elected for a three-year term as Regional Representative on the Executive Committee of the

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. He also served as Head of Delegation to the Inter-

Parliamentary Union, as a member of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, as Head of Delegation

to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean, and as Head of Delegation

to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. He has also been involved in a number of Parliamentary

Friendship Groups.

In 1997, Hon. Abela attended a Diploma in Labour Studies at the University of Malta, covering

areas including human resources and conditions of work. He was active in the Parish Pastoral

Council and other parish groups. He was also Secretary and a founding member of the Youth

Nursery of Żejtun Corinthians Football Club and, for a number of years, served as Secretary of

the club.

Under the Parliamentary Service Act (Chapter 562), the Speaker serves as Head of the

Parliamentary Service, providing overall leadership and oversight of its administration,

organisation and effective functioning, while exercising the responsibilities assigned to the office

in relation to the management and development of the Service.

Speaker Carmelo Abela was born on 10 February 1972 and is married to Melanie and they have

two children.

PARLIAMENT OF MALTA | IPU CANDIDATURES 2026

Malta’s Contribution to the IPU

Malta has been a long-standing and active member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) since

1988 and participates through its national delegation and the Twelve Plus Geopolitical Group.

Malta’s contribution to the IPU is particularly significant in the areas of parliamentary democracy,

human rights, peace and international law, gender equality, youth participation and migration.

Maltese parliamentarians have regularly taken an active role in IPU Assemblies, committees and

debates, including through leadership and committee positions.

Malta also contributes to the IPU by bringing the perspective of a small EU and Mediterranean

island state to global parliamentary discussions, particularly on migration, climate change,

sustainable development, security and the rules-based international order. Its participation

strengthens Malta’s parliamentary diplomacy and provides an important platform to advance

national and Mediterranean priorities internationally.

Financially, Malta contributes to the IPU as a Member State, with contributions calculated

according to the IPU’s assessment system, which is broadly linked to the United Nations scale

of contributions.

Enhancing Malta’s Parliamentary Diplomacy through the IPU

The Parliament of Malta and the Speaker are seeking these candidatures to strengthen Malta’s

contribution to the IPU and ensure that Malta’s parliamentary experience and perspectives are

represented in key decision-making bodies.

Humanitarian Law Committee: To contribute Malta’s longstanding commitment to

international law, humanitarian principles, peace and the protection of civilians, while bringing the perspective of a small, neutral and Mediterranean state to the Committee’s work.

IPU Executive Committee: To give Malta a stronger voice in shaping the IPU’s priorities,

policies and future direction, while promoting the interests of small states and advancing parliamentary diplomacy, dialogue and multilateral cooperation.

Overall, the positions will provide an opportunity for the Speaker to actively contribute to the

organisation at both policy and substantive levels.

PARLIAMENT OF MALTA | IPU CANDIDATURES 2026

Statement of Commitment

I am fully committed to representing Malta with dedication, integrity and a constructive spirit in

the work of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Should I be entrusted with these responsibilities, I

will work actively to strengthen Malta’s contribution to the IPU, promote parliamentary dialogue

and cooperation, and ensure that the perspectives of all members states, are effectively

represented.

I will approach these candidatures with a clear commitment to advancing the IPU’s core values

of peace, democracy, human rights and respect for international law, while contributing

positively and consistently to the work of the respective bodies.