[WATCH] Robert Abela's new Cabinet sworn in with new and veteran faces

Robert Abela did not waste any time to form his Cabinet and the new ministers and parliamentary secretaries have been sworn in at the President’s Palace in Valletta on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister has kept the ship of State sailing smoothly with many of the ministers in the previous administration retaining their portfolios.

However, Abela has also made a handful of notable changes, not least the transfer of former roads minister Ian Borg to foreign and EU affairs, the appointment of former environment minister Aaron Farrugia to the highly visible roads and infrastructure portfolio, and the award of a super ministry to Miriam Dalli, who gets the environment and the urban parks projects along with energy.

Newcomers Jonathan Attard and Jo Etienne Abela have been catapulted to the justice and elderly ministries respectively, while former parliamentary secretary Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi will become minister for planning.

But Abela has also shown his ruthless side by side-lining former ministers Edward Zammit Lewis, Carmelo Abela, Michael Farrugia and parliamentary secretaries Chris Agius, Deo Debattista and Alex Muscat.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Office of the Prime Minister said Abela could consider other female appointments to the Cabinet in the future when the full composition of parliament is known.

Surgeon Jo Etienne Abela has been given a special temporary dispensation by the Prime Minister to carry out surgical operations that had already been booked.

The Labour Party won Saturday’s election with 55.1%, making it the third consecutive victory with a substantial majority over the Nationalist Party.

This is Abela’s first victory at the polls since becoming PL leader and prime minister in January 2020.

Abela's Cabinet 

Robert Abela, Prime Minister

Chris Fearne, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health

Owen Bonnici, Minister for National Heritage, Arts and Local Government

Ian Borg, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade

Michael Falzon, Minister for Social Policy and the Rights of the Child 

Anton Refalo, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights

Roderick Galdes, Minister for Social and Affordable Housing 

Silvio Schembri, Minister for the Economy, European Funds and Lands

Julia Farrugia Portelli, Minister for Inclusion, Volunteering and Consumer Rights

Aaron Farrugia, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects

Clint Camilleri, Minister for Gozo

Byron Camilleri, Minister for the Interior, Security, Reform and Equality

Clayton Bartolo, Minister for Tourism

Miriam Dalli, Minister for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise

Clyde Caruana, Minister of Finance and Labour

Clifton Grima, Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation

Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Minister for Public Works and Planning

Jonathan Attard, Minister for Justice

Jo Etienne Abela, Minister for Active Aging

Parliamentary Secretaries

Andy Ellul, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Dialogue in the Office of the Prime Minister

Alison Zerafa Civelli, Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government in the Ministry of National Heritage

Chris Bonett, Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds in the Ministry of Economy

Keith Azzopardi Tanti, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation in the Ministry of Education