Jose Herrera

Minister for National Heritage, Arts and Local Government of the Republic of Malta.
Malta
He is a member of the Maltese government. He is a lawyer and has served as a Member of Parliament for 25 years. Hon. Herrera was appointed as Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government in January 2020 by the Prime Minister of Malta, Dr. Robert Abela.

He was previously appointed as Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change in April 2016, Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth in April 2014 and Parliamentary Secretary for Culture and Local Government in March 2013 by the then Prime Minister of Malta, Dr Joseph Muscat.

Hon. Dr Jose A. Herrera practiced his profession as a lawyer for 27 years, owning a legal office, specializing in criminal law. He involved himself early in politics. He was elected the first time he stood for Parliament in 1996, as a Labour Party candidate in the 1st District. He has been returned at every general election since then.

His first front bench role was as Labour's spokesperson for the Central Bank, Financial Services and Maritime Affairs. He was a member of the Maltese and EU Joint Committee between 1996 and 1998, as well as a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and European Affairs. He was also a member of the Labour Party's Executive Group, where he represented the Parliamentary Group. During the 2008–2013 legislature, Hon. Herrera served as a Shadow Minister for Justice and actively participated as a member of the Committee for the Ratification of Legislations.

Throughout his political career, he has attended various international conferences, and was in the first group of Maltese Members of Parliament to take part in a preliminary session of the European Parliament, held in Strasbourg.