George William Vella

George William Vella (born 24 April 1942) is a Maltese politician who served as the tenth president of Malta from 2019 to 2024. A member of the Labour Party, he previously served as deputy prime minister of Malta and foreign affairs minister from 1996 to 1998 under prime minister Alfred Sant. In 2013, he returned as foreign affairs minister, an office he held until 2017 under prime minister Joseph Muscat.

Early life and family Vella was born in Żejtun on 24 April 1942, where he finished his primary education. Vella graduated from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery in the Royal University of Malta in 1964 and became a qualified medical doctor. Between 1964 and 1966, Vella worked as a houseman in St. Luke's Hospital and soon after he applied and worked between 1966 and 1973 as a medical officer for Malta's drydocks. and they together have two daughters and a son, along with seven grandchildren.

President of Malta In early 2019, Vella was speculated to become the next president of Malta. Vella was nominated for the position of the president of Malta by the governing Labour Party at the time including the opposition Nationalist Party. The Democratic Party announced their support for Vella's nomination, but would boycott the vote to protest in favour of a constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds majority to elect the president. The vote in parliament took place on 2 April 2019, with the Members of Parliament voting to approve Vella's appointment as the only nominee. The appointment was followed by Vella's formal swearing-in as president on 4 April 2019, a date on which every previous Maltese President since 1989 was inaugurated.

Honours National honours