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Quick facts for kids Lawrence Gonzi KUOM
Gonzi in 2011

12th Prime Minister of Malta
In office 23 March 2004 – 11 March 2013
President	Guido de Marco Edward Fenech Adami George Abela
Deputy	Tonio Borg Simon Busuttil
Preceded by	Edward Fenech Adami
Succeeded by	Joseph Muscat
Deputy Prime Minister of Malta
In office 29 March 1999 – 23 March 2004
Prime Minister	Edward Fenech Adami
Preceded by	Guido de Marco
Succeeded by	Tonio Borg
Minister for Finance
In office 23 March 2004 – 10 March 2008
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	John Dalli
Succeeded by	Tonio Borg
Minister for Social Policy
In office 6 September 1998 – 23 March 2004
Prime Minister	Edward Fenech Adami
Preceded by	Edwin Grech
Succeeded by	Dolores Cristina
Speaker of the House of Representatives
In office October 1988 – September 1996
Preceded by	Jimmy Farrugia [de]
Succeeded by	Myriam Spiteri Debono

Personal details
Born	(1953-07-01) 1 July 1953 (age 72) Valletta, British Malta
Political party	Nationalist
Spouse	Catherine Gonzi née Callus
Children	3
Signature

Lawrence Gonzi (born 1 July 1953) is a Maltese politician and lawyer. He was the Prime Minister of Malta from 2004 to 2013 and led the Nationalist Party. He also held many other important roles in Maltese politics for 25 years.

Before becoming Prime Minister, Gonzi was the Speaker of the House from 1988 to 1996. He also served as Minister of Social Policy from 1998 to 2004 and Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2004. He held almost every position in the Parliament, including Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition.

As Prime Minister, Lawrence Gonzi guided Malta through its first years as a member of the EU. He introduced important changes to the economy and politics. He also helped Malta adopt the Euro currency and join the Schengen agreement, which allows free travel between countries. Some of his decisions, like selling the Malta shipyards and changing pensions, were not very popular.

After winning a very close election in 2008, his second term faced challenges. Some people felt his government was arrogant, and some politicians from his own party caused problems. In December 2012, his government lost a vote on money matters, which meant they could not continue. The Nationalist Party then lost the next general election in 2013, leading to Gonzi's resignation and retirement from politics.

Gonzi believed in making sure Malta grew in a way that protected the environment for the future. He also focused on making education and healthcare stronger. In international matters, he was praised for his role during the Libyan Revolution of 2011. He ended Malta's long relationship with the Gaddafi government and supported the rebels. He also helped with the challenge of people seeking refuge in Malta, leading to an agreement where European countries shared the responsibility.

Early Life and Family
Political Career
Honours
- National Honours
- Foreign Honours
See also

Early Life and Family

Lawrence Gonzi was born on 1 July 1953, in Valletta, which was then part of British Malta. His parents were Luigi and Ines Gonzi. He is the grandnephew of Mikiel Gonzi, who was the Archbishop of Malta for many years. His younger brother, Michael Gonzi, also became a politician.

As a child, Gonzi was active in a local Catholic youth group. He went to the Archbishop's Seminary in Floriana for his early education. Later, he studied law at the University of Malta and became a lawyer in 1975. After working at a private law firm, he became a company lawyer for the Mizzi Organisation, where he was chairman from 1989 to 1997.

Gonzi has always been very involved in helping others, especially with issues related to disability and mental health. His strong Catholic faith led him to join the Malta Catholic Action Movement, where he was president from 1976 to 1986. He was also the first chairman of the national commission for persons with disability (KNPD).

He is married to Catherine "Kate" Gonzi. They have three children (David, Mikela, and Paul) and five grandchildren. They live in Marsascala.

Political Career

Lawrence Gonzi meeting with Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou.

Speaker of the House of Representatives

The political challenges in Malta during the 1980s encouraged Lawrence Gonzi to get involved in politics. After trying but not winning the 1987 general election with the Nationalist Party, he was appointed Speaker of the House of Representatives on 10 October 1988. He was re-appointed to this role in 1992.

As Speaker, Gonzi made many improvements to how Parliament worked. He set up permanent committees and introduced new rules for debates. He was known for his calm and firm approach, which helped during difficult discussions in the House.

Member of Parliament and Minister

Gonzi ran in the October 1996 general elections and was elected to Parliament. In November 1996, he became the Whip for the Opposition (meaning he helped organize his party's votes) and the Shadow Minister for Social Policy. The next year, he was elected Secretary General of the Nationalist Party.

After the Nationalist Party won the 1998 election, Gonzi became Minister for Social Policy and Leader of the House of Representatives in September 1998. He also served as Deputy Prime Minister from May 1999 to March 2004.

His skills in negotiation and business helped him reshape Malta's economy. As Minister for Social Policy, he led many social and economic changes. He helped create a new law for employment and industrial relations in 2002. He also played a key role in setting up the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development, which allowed workers and businesses to give advice on economic matters. These changes were important for Malta as it prepared to join the European Union. He also worked on changing the Malta shipyards and cracking down on benefit fraud.

Gonzi was re-elected in the 2003 election and continued as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Policy.

Prime Minister of Malta

Lawrence Gonzi with Nicolas Sarkozy, at an EPP summit in December 2006.

After Eddie Fenech Adami stepped down as party leader, a new leader was chosen in March 2004. Lawrence Gonzi won this election and became the new leader.

He was appointed Prime Minister and Minister of Finance on 23 March 2004. Many world leaders, including George W. Bush and Pope John Paul II, congratulated him. Malta joined the European Union on 1 May 2004, and Gonzi attended the official ceremony in Dublin, Ireland, where the Maltese flag was raised for the first time with other EU flags.

As Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Gonzi successfully guided Malta to meet the rules for joining the Eurozone. Malta adopted the Euro currency on 1 January 2008. He also worked to improve how government money was managed and made Malta more competitive in the world market. Gonzi focused on attracting high-value industries like information technology, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. His negotiation skills helped Malta get €2.4 billion in EU funds from 2007 onwards. He also helped reach an agreement with other EU countries on sharing the responsibility for people seeking refuge.

His government's main goal was to move the country forward by reforming different parts of the economy. This included changes to Air Malta, the Malta shipyards, the Gozo Channel shipping line, and public transport. These changes were important for Malta's growth after joining the EU. Even though it was unpopular, Gonzi also pushed for changes to the pension system to make sure it would be sustainable in the future. He continued these reforms, even when they cost him popularity, to ensure Malta benefited from EU funding.

Financial Challenges and Re-election

Lawrence Gonzi with US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at a reception in New York City.

Gonzi was re-elected Prime Minister on 8 March 2008, in a very close general election. He was the first prime minister in the euro area to be re-elected after introducing the euro. The Nationalist Party won by a very small number of votes, which meant they had only a one-seat majority in Parliament. This small majority later caused problems for his government.

In his first speech after re-election, Gonzi said his government would focus on sustainable development, putting the environment on the same level as education and the economy. He gave up his role as Minister of Finance but took responsibility for the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) to reform it.

Gonzi's second government dealt with the effects of the financial crisis of 2007–2008. His cabinet started projects like SmartCity Malta and a new architectural project by Renzo Piano in Valletta. Gonzi's government gave financial help to local businesses, which helped keep investments going and unemployment low. His economic policies were praised by European leaders like Herman Van Rompuy and Angela Merkel.

During his time as prime minister, Malta's economy changed quickly. Malta became an attractive place for foreign companies to invest in areas like financial services, information technology, shipping, aviation, and advanced manufacturing.

Malta's Policy on Libya

Lawrence Gonzi meeting with the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, William Hague, in London on May 10, 2011.

The Libyan crisis was a big challenge for Lawrence Gonzi's government. Early in the conflict, he spoke out against the actions of the Gaddafi government. Malta became a safe place for people from other countries to be evacuated from Libya. Gonzi provided help and medical aid to Libya. He also gave asylum to two Libyan Air Force pilots who refused to bomb protesters and landed in Malta.

Lawrence Gonzi refused to return the pilots' jets to the Gaddafi government. He also allowed NATO planes to land in Malta when needed to help enforce a UN-approved no-fly zone. Malta also shared information about the conflict with NATO. Gonzi helped other European nations, like negotiating the release of two Dutch pilots held by Gaddafi's forces.

In March 2011, Lawrence Gonzi stated that Gaddafi's departure from Libya was "inevitable." He repeated this message in early April, telling Libya's Deputy Foreign Minister that Gaddafi and his family "must go" and that the Libyan people's desire for democracy should be respected. Malta's support for the Libyan revolution was appreciated by Libya's new leaders, who said Malta would have an important role in rebuilding Libya.

Political Challenges and 2013 Election

Lawrence Gonzi and the President of Malta, George Abela, at a concert in Floriana in 2010.

The small, one-seat majority of Gonzi's second government led to internal problems and some politicians from his own party voting against the government. These included Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, who voted against the government on a motion asking for the resignation of Malta's representative to the EU. Another Nationalist MP, Jesmond Mugliett, did not vote on this motion.

In another challenge, Franco Debono, a third rebel MP, did not vote on a confidence motion for one minister and voted against the government on a no-confidence motion for another. In early 2012, Lawrence Gonzi lost his majority when Pullicino Orlando declared himself an independent MP.

Despite these challenges, Gonzi managed to keep his party in government until a budget vote on 10 December 2012. During this vote, Franco Debono joined the Labour party Opposition and voted against the budget. This vote caused the Nationalist government to fall. Parliament was dissolved on 7 January 2013, and an election held in March resulted in a Labour victory.

Within half an hour of the vote counting starting, Gonzi accepted defeat and announced his wish to resign from the Nationalist Party leadership. He took "total and complete responsibility" for the election loss. He later admitted that his second government made mistakes in "attitude, arrogance." However, he also said that Malta's good results, compared to other EU countries, were due to his government's work even with internal challenges. Some critics felt he was not firm enough with the rebel MPs. Also, his personal vote against the introduction of divorce in Parliament, even after the public approved it in a referendum, was unpopular. However, he made sure there were enough votes in Parliament for divorce to pass.

Gonzi became Leader of the Opposition on 20 March 2013, but resigned from this post on 13 May 2013. Simon Busuttil succeeded him. Lawrence Gonzi resigned from Parliament on 17 July 2013, saying that his seat should be taken by someone with full energy. He has since retired from active political life. However, he still gives lectures at universities and attends conferences. His memories of the important decisions leading to Malta's break with Gaddafi were published in a book in December 2013. Gonzi also led the Commonwealth Observer Group for the 2013 Maldivian presidential election.