George Vella: Government collapse was possible during 2019 political crisis

President George Vella hinted at a possible government collapse during the 2019 political crisis, when interviewed on TVM’s XTRA on Monday evening.

“The Lord illuminated me to stay linear to the constitution, and when the decision was taken, it was taken by the prime actors involved,” Vella told host Saviour Balzan. “Had I listened to certain advice, things could have taken a darker turn.”

In an interview on TVM’s Xtra, Vella was discussing former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s resignation in December 2019. The former PM had faced calls to resign after the prime suspect in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder Yorgen Fenech tried to flee Malta on his private boat.

The President was asked on rumours at the time that a possible early election could be called.

“The President is not the executive. I was in a position that I could observe what is happening, but I could never go against the constitution,” Vella said. He insisted that he never imposed any decision on government.

President George Vella with host Saviour Balzan (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

When pressed by host Saviour Balzan on whether he was pressured into pushing for a general election, Vella said he would not comment on that.

“Developments happened, decisions were made. But they were made when they needed to be made by those who needed to make them,” Vella said.

Recreational cannabis has become normalised

George Vella also spoke about the internal struggles he had when it came to signing the cannabis law.

"What strengthened my heart at that time was that there would be a controlling authority, and it would have an influence on how things would go on,” Vella said. "I had, and continue to have, meetings where I impress upon them (ARUC) the responsibility to guide the government on what it should do.”

President George Vella (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

However, he expressed disappointment as he commented on the persistent prevalence of smuggling and the financial motivations underlying such illicit activities.

"Considering how recreational it has become... they have made it appear as if it's as commonplace as drinking a glass of water," Vella remarked.

President disappointed with constitutional reform

George Vella also expressed his disappointment with the lack of progress on the constitutional reform.

On Xtra, he criticised the Prime minister and the Opposition leader for failing to reach an agreement, resulting in the President's efforts going to waste.

"One would expect better in such situations," Vella remarked. “The committee had been diligently working on addressing constitutional reform. However, the journey was far from easy, and ultimately, it was abruptly cut short.”

Vella recalled how the Venice Commission had proposed its own constitutional changes, focusing on restructuring the judiciary, the presidency, and the office of the attorney general.

"What's the point of me supporting Ċikku Camilleri, and then they tell me I don't trust him?" Vella questioned.

As discussions continued, even with his efforts, the party leaders found it challenging to appoint a suitable person. The situation escalated to the point that meetings involving key representatives were being cancelled.