Ċensu Galea Explained

Ċensu Galea
Birth Date:August 28, 1956
Residence:San Pawl il-Baħar, Malta
Term Start1:8 May 2010
Term End1:3 June 2017
Predecessor1:Carmelo Abela
Successor1:Claudette Pace
Order2:Member of Parliament
Term Start2:1987
Term End2:2017
Order3:Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries
Term Start3:1994
Term End3:1996
Order4:Minister of Transport and Telecommunications
Term Start4:September 1998
Term End4:March 2004
Order:Mayor of San Pawl il-Baħar
Term Start:June 2024
Predecessor:Alfred Grima
Party:Partit Nazzjonalista
Children:4
Spouse:Grace nee Sammut

Ċensu Galea (born 28 August 1956) is a Maltese former politician and architect who served as a Nationalist MP in the House of Representatives of Malta. He is a former Minister in various posts that he retained until 2008 when he lost his place in cabinet. He also served as Deputy Speaker.

Political life

Galea was Secretary of the Nationalist Party Club of St. Paul's Bay. Between 1978 and 1981 he was also Secretary General and President of the Youth Section of the Nationalist Party.

Galea first contested the General Elections in the interests of the Nationalist Party in 1981. He was elected member of Parliament in the 1987, 1992, 1996, 1998 and 2003 General Elections. Following his re-election in 1992, Galea was appointed parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry for Social Security. In 1994, Galea was appointed Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries responsible for Agriculture, Fisheries, Aquaculture and Housing. Between 1996 and 1998, he was shadow Minister for Transport and Ports, Secretary and Whip to the Nationalist Parliamentary Group. Following the General Elections of September 1998, Galea was appointed Minister for Transport and Telecommunications. He was reappointed in the same position following the elections of April 2003.

In March 2004, Galea was appointed as Minister for Competitiveness and Communications in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi. His portfolio included Competition Policy, Small Business and the Self-Employed, Trade Services, Consumer Protection, Malta Standards Authority, Intellectual Property, Civil Aviation, Malta Maritime Authority, Malta Communications Authority, Wireless Telegraphy.

In March 2008 Galea was re-elected to parliament however was not assigned a Ministerial Role and thus lost his place in the Cabinet.

Following the resignation of Carmelo Abela from the role as Deputy Speaker in 2010, Galea was elected as Deputy Speaker. He was re-nominated for this post by the Nationalist party after it lost the national elections in 2013 and he was re-elected.

Personal life

Galea studied at the Lyceum and the University of Malta from which he graduated as an architect in 1982. Galea is married to Grace née Sammut and they have two sons and two daughters. Their daughter Graziella is a Nationalist Party politician previously served as a councillor and mayor of St. Paul's Bay is currently an MP following her co-option into Parliament in January 2022. Graziella Galea was elected in the 2022 Maltese general election later in March of that same year.

References