Alex Agius Saliba has backed a switch in Labour Party CEO, saying he feels “comfortable” working with Leonid McKay, but stopped short of formally declaring his intention to run for a Labour deputy leadership post.
Agius Saliba, who leads the party’s MEP delegation, has emerged as the leading contender for the position, following a change in the Labour Party statute which makes him eligible to run.
That change means sitting MPs and MEPs can now serve as the party’s deputy leader for party affairs.
Former Labour MEP Josianne Cutajar, who had said she was interested in contesting the post, had been critical of the move to amend the party statute.
Speaking to Times of Malta following Friday’s changes, she confirmed that the prime minister and various delegates had encouraged her to run for the deputy leadership.
But she also indicated that she was now thinking of pulling out of that race.
When asked if she intended to quit the race, Cutajar said she would be discussing it with all concerned, including those closest to her, before taking a final decision.
Meanwhile, Agius Saliba told Times of Malta he is yet to decide whether he will be running for the post but feels motivated following the warm welcome given to McKay.
McKay was appointed Labour’s chief executive officer on Friday, following the resignation of Randolph Debattista.
McKay and Agius Saliba have a good working relationship: the former Jobsplus CEO was part of Agius Saliba’s 2024 electoral campaign team, which returned him to the European Parliament with an even larger cache of votes and which helped establish him as Labour’s premier MEP.
Agius Saliba said he was pleased with the outcome of Labour’s general conference.
“I’m pleased that the delegates have now opened the door to choose the best candidate for deputy leader,” he said.
Agius Saliba said he will take a decision in the coming days.
“Many Labour delegates have approached me but I still have to discuss this with my team,” he said.
Agius Saliba said he will take a decision in the coming days
Agius Saliba sounded upbeat because “whoever becomes deputy leader will be able to bank on the support of a united team within the party’s administration.”
“I feel comfortable with Leonid McKay as CEO because I know his capabilities,” he added.
He described this appointment and all the other changes in the party’s structures as steps in the right direction because the party needs new energy. Asked whether he will be able to juggle between the EP and the party’s affairs, spending half of the week away in Brussels or Strasbourg, Agius Saliba was adamant.
“As an MEP, I already spend half of the week in Malta. If I run for the post and the delegates choose me, I will dedicate all my time in Malta to the party.”
The past week has been decisive for the Labour Party, with several changes announced.
On Tuesday, Jason Micallef was talked out of contesting for the deputy leader post by Robert Abela himself, even though he had already gone public with his intention.
Two days later, Micallef was appointed Labour’s special delegate on the implementation of the electoral manifesto.
Abela’s head of secretariat Glenn Micallef could be Brussels-bound as he is Malta’s nominee to the EU Commission, while OPM strategist Aleander Balzan also quit earlier this month.
This week, Ronald Vassallo announced he was stepping down from Labour’s head of communications, a role he held since 2020.
Then, Randolph De Battista quit as party CEO following months of speculation and criticism.
He has since been offered and accepted the role of ambassador in Geneva, where numerous different UN agencies are located.
On Friday Nigel Vella made it known that he had been snubbed for the Labour Party’s CEO post.
Sources within Labour described how a sizeable group of delegates are not happy with the way things are being managed.
“People are promised one thing and then the opposite happens.”
One delegate bemoaned how things changed in less than a week.
“Eight days ago, all we knew was that Jason Micallef was contesting. A compromise was announced on social media for Jason to step aside and to make way for Alex [Agius Saliba]. This is not how things are done.”
“It’s up to Alex now to convince the electorate that he is there for the moderates just as well as for the grassroots.”
A former Labour MP was critical of the way the vote changing the statute was held. “Had it been by secret ballot, many would not have consented. But nobody wants to be seen as if they are opposing Robert Abela in public.”
Another Labour delegate pointed out how the changes to the party statute were unnecessary.
“It’s not that we lack talent. Valid people had already made it known that they were ready to step forward.”
A Labour insider insisted that Abela does not want a contest for the two roles of deputy leader for fear of showing disunity.
Ian Borg has already emerged as front runner for deputy leader parliamentary affairs.
At the same time, Abela has been making an effort to reach out to the disaffected.
On Friday Rosianne Cutajar was allowed to rejoin Labour’s parliamentary group and even attended the general conference but she did not reply to questions put to her on whether she had apologised to Abela.
In March Abela had said an apology from Cutajar was needed before her return to the Labour Party could be considered. Cutajar was forced to resign from the Labour parliamentary group in April 2023 after chats between her and Yorgen Fenech were published.