Monday, 27 April 2026, 09:15
Last update: about 24 minutes ago
After years away from frontline politics, Labour candidate Dr Deborah Schembri is preparing for a return, describing her decision to contest the next general election as a “now or never” moment shaped by personal loss, professional growth, and an enduring belief that politics remains the most powerful tool to change people’s lives.
A lawyer and one of the most recognisable faces of Malta’s 2011 pro-divorce campaign, Schembri built her political profile on a reform that reshaped the country’s social landscape.
She later served as a Labour MP under former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat between 2013 and 2017, as well as Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and Simplification of Administrative Processes for a year and a half, before stepping away from politics.
Schembri is now returning to the electoral stage, contesting under Prime Minister Robert Abela in the next general election.
She said that her drive which first led her into politics has never truly faded, but has instead been shaped by time, experience, and circumstance.
“I have always loved politics since I was a little girl, not with the intention to enter politics, but with the intention to change things for the better, even as a citizen,” she said, recalling her early involvement in the divorce campaign, which she described not as a calculated entry into political life, but as a natural extension of a desire to influence meaningful change.
That campaign, which would go on to reshape Maltese society, also marked the turning point in her own trajectory, eventually leading to her being approached by former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat before the referendum itself.
“I said yes, because I think that politics gives you a very good platform to make big changes for people and their lives, and after all these years, that fire in me, to change things, to make things better for people, has not died,” she said.
Yet, despite that enduring motivation, Schembri spoke about the realities of political life, describing it as deeply demanding, not only on the individual but on their family as well.
“It is not an easy life, and one can forget about having private life. When you do politics, your whole family does politics, whether they like it or not, and that is something that is a little bit unfair, especially on ageing parents,” she said.
It was precisely this tension that led her to step back from politics, a decision rooted in personal responsibility, as she prioritised her family at a time when the pressures of political life were becoming increasingly difficult for them to bear.
“I could take it, as I am quite resilient, however, it was very difficult for my ageing parents. My father passed away in December, and I do not think I would have contested the general election if he were still alive,” she said.
Now aged 50, Schembri described her decision to re-enter politics as one driven by both timing and conviction.
“I decided that it was now or never. I had not stopped politics because I did not enjoy it or I did not want to do it. It was the circumstances,” she said, adding that her return is more a continuation of a path that had been temporarily paused.
A broader perspective shaped outside Parliament
In the years since leaving Parliament, Schembri has continued to build her professional career as a lawyer, while also taking on various roles across public authorities, experiences which she believed have significantly deepened her understanding of governance and policymaking.
“I had been a lawyer for about 10 years when I entered into the political scene, now, 25 years later, I have had diverse roles, from family law to expropriations to planning, it gives you a broad spectrum,” she explains, emphasising that her work has extended across multiple sectors.
Schembri said that this breadth is essential for effective policymaking, as it allows for a more nuanced understanding of the interconnected challenges faced by individuals and institutions alike.
“When you combine that knowledge and the insights you have into specific problems, it helps when you are envisaging how you can make changes, and it helps you to understand people when they tell you their problems,” she says.
It is this multifaceted perspective that she believed will inform her approach if returned to Parliament, she said.
A record of reform
Looking back at her time in Parliament between 2013 and 2017, Schembri described a period of intense legislative activity, during which she sought to leave a tangible mark on governance structures and public administration.
“When I get into doing something, I want to do it well, and I give my heart and soul to it,” she says, reflecting on a tenure that saw her chair multiple parliamentary committees even as a backbencher, adding that influence is not limited to Ministerial roles.
Schembri chaired Committees such as the Social Affairs Committee and the Bills Committee.
One of the most significant reforms she spoke about is the restructuring of the Lands Authority, which she described as a fundamental shift in governance.
“I changed it from a government department to an autonomous authority. Today the Minister has no say in the government land distribution,” she said, arguing that this reform reduced political interference while strengthening institutional credibility.
At the same time, she pointed to smaller but visible changes, such as billboard regulation, as examples of how policy decisions can directly impact daily life.
“Living with a streetscape infested with billboards every day is too much. When we changed regulations regarding billboards, it cleansed the look of the country,” she said.
She also said that during her tenure, the Planning Authority, which was historically a loss-making entity, achieved financial sustainability.
Since its inception, it used to take from about €20 million down to maybe €14 million a year from the country’s coffers during her tenure, Schembri said.
“It was the very first time where the Planning Authority made a profit, and still we managed to give people around €21 million in schemes like Irrestawra Darek,” she said, adding that fiscal discipline did not come at the expense of public benefit.
Civil rights as a defining legacy
Central to Schembri’s political identity remains her role in Malta’s civil rights transformation, a period she described as one of the most significant in the country’s recent history.
“We used to do a lot of work to influence legislation in the 48 countries that were part of the Council of Europe, and that work helped me to grow,” she said.
“We went from the country which had the least civil rights to the country which had the most civil rights in Europe in a matter of two, three years,” she said, linking this shift directly to reforms that followed the divorce referendum.
Her work at the Council of Europe further reinforced this focus, particularly in relation to minority rights.
“I had the first report ever to be written on transgender rights in Europe, and it was very significant for people who are minorities, to not only recognise them on paper, but give them real, proper rights,” she said.
For Schembri, these reforms were not abstract achievements but deeply personal milestones, reflecting a broader philosophy that politics must ultimately serve to improve lives in tangible ways.
“My priority has always been giving people a better life, that has always been the reason that I entered politics,” she said.
A changed political landscape
Returning to politics after nearly a decade, Schembri acknowledged that both the political environment and public expectations have shifted, particularly with the rise of social media as a dominant force in public discourse.
“People have their say, maybe it is good, maybe it does not make sense, but they have it,” she says, noting that while this can enhance democratic participation, it can also amplify division and misinformation.
“In a very bipolar situation, sometimes it is just a matter of propaganda, where the person is reiterating what the party says,” she said.
She also recognised that public scepticism towards politicians has grown, attributing this in part to past disappointments.
“Scepticism does not come from thin air, and some politicians have disappointed people,” she said, arguing that rebuilding trust requires acknowledging these shortcomings rather than dismissing them.
Power, responsibility and political culture
Schembri repeatedly returned to the relationship between power and responsibility, emphasising that governance should be approached with humility rather than entitlement.
“To govern is not a God-given right, you are there to do a job,” she said.
She also spoke of the importance of a functioning Opposition, arguing that constructive criticism is essential for effective governance.
“I would love to see an Opposition that does its job, not to agree with government, but to criticise constructively,” she said, adding that destructive criticism ultimately undermines the political system as a whole.
Positioning for a return
As she prepared for a possible return to Parliament, Schembri presented herself as both experienced and reflective, drawing on past achievements while acknowledging the need for continued reform.
Despite years away from frontline politics, she believed her presence remains recognised among the public.
“People are very much aware of who I am, they remember my contribution,” she said, noting that her role in the divorce campaign continues to define her public image.
“I do not think I will ever shake that one off, and not that I want to. It is a feather in my cap,” Schembri said.
