Edward Zammit Lewis

Edward Zammit Lewis MP (born 21 June 1973 in Pietà) is a Maltese politician within the Labour Party, and a member of Parliament and Minister since 2013.

The Honourable Dr.
Edward Zammit Lewis
MP
Zammit Lewis in 2016
Minister for Justice and Governance
In office
15 January 2020 – 20 February 2022
Prime MinisterRobert Abela
Preceded byOwen Bonnici
Succeeded byJonathan Attard
Minister for European Affairs and Equality
In office
25 July 2019 – 13 January 2020
Prime MinisterJoseph Muscat
Preceded byHelena Dalli
Succeeded byEvarist Bartolo
as Minister for European and Foreign Affairs
Minister for Tourism
In office
29 March 2014 – 1 May 2017
Prime MinisterJoseph Muscat
Preceded byKarmenu Vella
Succeeded byKonrad Mizzi
Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth
In office
13 March 2013 – 29 March 2014
Prime MinisterJoseph Muscat
Member of Parliament
Assumed office
9 March 2013
ConstituencyDistrict 8
Personal details
Born (1973-06-21) 21 June 1973
Pietà, State of Malta
Political partyLabour Party
Alma materBachelor of Laws and Doctorate of Laws at the University of Malta
Websiteedwardzammitlewis.com

Early and personal life

Edward Zammit Lewis attended St Aloysius' College (Malta) and received his Bachelor of Laws and Doctorate of Laws at the University of Malta. He is married to Elena Farrugia, a notary, with whom he has a daughter.

Political career

Edward Zammit Lewis served as President of the Labour Youth Forum (Żgħażagħ Laburisti) for two consecutive years. In 1997, he was elected as local councillor for the Labour Party in Attard.[1]

Until 2013, he practised as a lawyer at the Courts of Malta, including as a counsel to the Labour Party. Then party leader Joseph Muscat appointed Zammit Lewis to represent the party in the debate on the rent law reform amendments in 2009.[1]

At the March 2013 elections, won by the Labour Party, Zammit Lewis was elected a Member of Parliament for District 8.

Zammit Lewis was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth. From April 2014 till June 2017, he served as Minister for Tourism, also responsible for Air Malta and for the film industry in the 1st Muscat cabinet.[1] In July 2019 Zammit Lewis was appointed as Minister for European Affairs and Equality in the 2nd Muscat cabinet. From January 2020 till 2022, he served as Minister for Justice, Governance and Equality in the government led by Robert Abela.[2]

Controversies

In January 2019, Zammit Lewis mocked Simon Busuttil's calls for an investigation into the company 17 Black in private messages to the company's owner Yorgen Fenech, who is a suspect in the 2017 assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. In the messages, Zammit Lewis also mocked Labour Party supporters and referred to them as dim-witted (Maltese: ġaħan).[3][4] After these messages were revealed to the public in 2021, the NGO Repubblika and the political party AD+PD called for Zammit Lewis' resignation,[5] and Leader of the Opposition Bernard Grech announced his intention to call for a motion of no confidence in him in parliament.[3] Zammit Lewis eventually apologised for the gaħan quip in a Facebook post while also condemning alleged acts of "political assassination of character".

References
  1. Hazlis Economist
  2. "Contact | Edward Zammit Lewis".
  3. "PN's no confidence motion in Zammit Lewis after Yorgen Fenech chats revealed". Times of Malta. 1 August 2021. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021.
  4. Agius, Monique (30 July 2021). ""Stupid Labourites want clientelism" – Zammit Lewis". Newsbook.com.mt. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021.
  5. Borg, Jacob (1 August 2021). "Zammit Lewis shared mockery of 17 Black justice attempts with Fenech". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021.
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