Eddie Fenech Adami

Edward “Eddie” Fenech Adami (born 7 February 1934) is a Maltese politician who was Prime Minister of Malta from 1987 until 1996 and again from 1998 until 2004. Subsequently he was the seventh President of Malta from 2004 to 2009.

Education and professional career

Born in Birkirkara, Fenech Adami was educated at St Aloysius' College in Birkirkara and at the University of Malta, where he first studied economics and then classics and later law.

He was called to the bar in 1959.

Political career

Secretary General and MP

Fenech Adami joined the Nationalist Party becoming its Secretary General and editor of its paper Il-Poplu (Maltese: The People). He became an MP in 1969 through a casual election.

Leader of the Nationalist Party

Fenech Adami was elected leader designate in 1977 and took the lead of the Party from Giorgio Borg Olivier in 1978. In 1979 his family and family home were targetted by a mob in a series of violent incidents which came to be known as "Black Monday".

He served as Leader of the Opposition until his party was voted in office in 1987.

Between 1987 and 1996, Fenech Adami ushered a major period of change for Malta. The country's physical infrastructure was completely overhauled as were the legal and business structures. Trade was liberalized, whilst telecommunications, banking and financial services were deregulated or privatised. Malta also applied to join the European Economic Community on 16 July 1990.^[1] Dr Fenech Adami was reconfirmed Prime Minister in the February 1992 elections.

Between 1996 and 1998 Fenech Adami served as Leader of the Opposition until his Party was returned to office in September 1998. Malta's European Union application, which was put on hold by the previous Labour government, was reactivated and negotiations concluded by December 2002. This was confirmed by a referendum in March 2003 and general election held in April 2003 which confirmed the Partit Nazzjonalista in government and Fenech Adami as Prime Minister.^[1] Fenech Adami resigned from Prime Minister on 23 March 2004, thus becoming the longest serving Prime Minister since Independence in 1964.

On 16 April 2003, Dr. Fenech Adami signed Malta's Accession Treaty with the European Union. In December 2003, Dr. Fenech Adami received the European of the Year 2003 Award from the influential Brussels-based newspaper European Voice in recognition of his unfaltering efforts to bring Malta into the European Union.^[2]

President of Malta

Following his resignation as Prime Minister, Adami became President of Malta on 4 April 2004. He served a five-year term, leaving office on 4 April 2009, when he was succeeded by George Abela.

Personal life

He was married to Mary Fenech Adami (who passed away in 2011) and they had five children: John, Beppe, Michael, Maria and Luigi.^[1]

Other

Eddie Fenech Adami is an Honorary Member of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.^[3]

Honours and awards

• National Order of Merit (Malta – 1990)
• Knight Grand Cross with Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic – 11 May 2005
• Knight Grand Cross of the Grand Order of King Tomislav – "For outstanding contribution to the promotion of friendship and development co-operation between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Malta." (2 November 2006)
• Order of the White Eagle (2009)

See also

• Prime Minister of Malta
• List of Prime Ministers of Malta

References