A president’s lot is not (necessarily) a happy one
Any immediate or future assessment of George Vella’s presidency is bound to start by remarking that little did he imagine, when he was entrusted with the office, that it would turn out to be such a turbulent experience.
He had to face serious political crises as both the government and the opposition faced internal chaos that threatened the very fabric of Malta’s political and democratic environment; the COVID pandemic that upended our social and economic lives; and a heavyhanded official response that thwarted his cherished wish to see constitutional reforms.
Moreover, an environmentalist at heart, Vella had to preside over the tragic rampant destruction of a country that is becoming more unliveable by the hour. With the constitution limiting his effective powers, he often ended being blamed both for what he did and also for what he did not do, as is the unhappy wont of people in power.
Andrew Azzopardi’s George Vella, Il-President li għandu ħafna xi jgħid is not a hagiographic account but an objective plain-spoken assessment of a man who was not only in the heart of local politics for many years but also a much-respected and popular family doctor for almost 50 years.
The first part of the book is partly based on the conversations that Azzopardi held with Vella in his weekly RTK programme in which various topics were discussed. Azzopardi stresses the fact that Vella is an attentive listener and careful speaker, cautious in his words, but strong-minded once he reaches a decision. He has an answer to, a position and an opinion on everything.
As such, the extracts from the radio talks, and the contributions from persons close to Vella make attractive reading in this sort of biographic/autobiographic account.
Vella speaks candidly about his original position regarding EU membership (a reluctant convert); Dom Mintoff (an inspiring visionary with whom he ended not on speaking terms); the Constitution (the crucial tool for the presidency); governance (the Tal-Barrani episode and the 1998 party infighting); the pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, the cannabis and the abortion legislations; social exclusion; and the challenge of national unity.
Four contributions in the second part of the book stand out. One of the longest is that by Mario Thomas Vassallo, who identifies seven critical moments that Dr Vella had to face, from the sinister shadow of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination that darkened his entire term of office to his principled stand against the introduction of abortion legislation. It is an excellent, honest, and objective analysis that highlights the ups and downs of the presidency.
Vella’s role in the great controversy that arose following the government’s proposed abortion legislation is addressed by Carmen Sammut. The controversy that split the country arose following the Andrea Prudente case, which erupted in June 2022 and over which Vella had threatened to resign rather than sign the act the government proposed, a position he had already plainly stated before his presidency.
The major issue remains whether personal positions should thwart decisions taken by a duly elected government. Sammut’s plain-spoken contribution consists of an excellent overview of the historical development of and the social attitudes towards abortion in Malta and the wider world.
Another very significant contribution is that by Alfred Sant, who for many years had Vella close by his political side. Vella had actually refused the leadership of the Labour Party, which then led to Sant’s election. He also served as minister for foreign affairs and the environment in Sant’s short-lived government.
As the controversial choice for an early election in 1998 beckoned, Sant praises Vella’s sense of correctness in all his dealings and suggestions. It is a most interesting contribution that provides another small tessera for the eventual historical account of Malta’s recent political events.
Former minister and European commissioner Tonio Borg, a political and parliamentary ‘rival’, also stresses the mutual respect they always showed to one another. He discusses Vella’s positions in the constitutional crises that marked his presidency and also points out that the president also always stood by his principles, which he had never kept hidden. Borg also discusses how the powers of the presidency can be extended in an eventual convention, a development that Vella could perhaps still be able to contribute to as he enjoys his retirement.
Vincent Marmarà and Lou Bondi relate their experiences in organising the annual state of the nation conferences based on scientific polls to understand the changing values of Maltese society, an initiative that found a ready and most encouraging response on the part of Dr Vella, who agreed to act as patron. These conferences had become annual fixtures and could be one of the former president’s lasting legacies, if they are continued by the new president.
There are other highly readable contributions by Vella’s colleagues and acquaintances, including University rector and fellow Żejtuni Alfred Vella; former student and then close medical colleague Joseph Cacciottolo; former political colleague and European commissioner Karmenu Vella; journalists Jesmond Saliba and Sylvana Debono; former civil servants who served in his ministry Simone Borg and Helga Mizzi; and Community Chest official Claire Micallef Pulé. In all of them Vella’s essential humanity and his sense of duty and proper conduct stand out.
The book is also a very rich illustrated photographic record that traces Vella’s life from a four-year-old boy standing near his grandmother’s door to his many meetings with illustrious figures.