Mater Dei medical update: Guido De Marco stable, responding to treatment

The update said that de Marco has shown signs of improvement since yesterday and continues with intensive treatment. The next medical update will be released tomorrow, Saturday 7 August 2010.

De Marco spent the night under observation, with his condition yesterday being described as 'critical' but stable. The former Head of State was admitted into Mater Dei Hospital's Intensive Therapy Unit on Thursday.

De Marco is reported to be suffering from complications following a heart procedure, but medical sources have however reported that his condition has improved during the last hours, and his condition is reportedly 'stable'. De Marco's son, parliamentary secretary for tourism Mario De Marco, had to cancel all his press activities for him to be with his family.

Guido de Marco, who turned 79 on July 22 is considered to be one of Malta's most foremost politicians. He unsuccessfully contested the 1962 elections with the Democratic Nationalist Party  (a splinter group of the Nationalist Party). He subsequently joined the main party and was elected for the first time in the interests of the PN to the House of Representatives in April 1966 and was returned to Parliament at every General Election until 1998.

He was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Justice in May 1990 and Minister of Foreign Affairs between February 1992 and October 1996. One of his first acts as Foreign Minister was submitting Malta's application for membership of the European Communities in Brussels on July 16, 1990. On 4 April 1999, Guido de Marco was appointed President of Malta.