Prime Minister

The Prime Minister of Malta is the head of government and a minister in his or her own right. The prime minister is thus responsible for strategic matters such as defence and EU funds. Other powers of the prime minister include naming ministers to sit in the cabinet and dissolving parliament. The president selects the prime minister from the House of Representatives, which is the only house of parliament. This selection is based on the ability to command the confidence of parliament, and is usually the leader of the majority party in parliament. Elections for the House of Representatives are every five years.