Anġlu Farrugia ‘shocked’, ‘disappointed’ to learn he will not stay on as Speaker

Anġlu Farrugia said he was “shocked” and “disappointed” to learn he would not serve another term as Speaker.

“Yes, I was disappointed because I was expecting to continue, but obviously, I understand that this is a decision I do not have control over.

“I was shocked because I had a lot prepared for the new term,” Farrugia said.

In an interview with Times of Malta, Farrugia spoke about his unprecedented 13-year run presiding over parliament.

That period included a recent diplomatic episode where he mediated with the Pakistani government to stop the deportation of a former Afghan Deputy Speaker into the hands of the Taliban and “certain death”.

Farrugia relinquished his role as Speaker last week, when Carmelo Abela was appointed to replace him. The lawyer and former police superintendent said Prime Minister Robert Abela informed him of his decision shortly after the election.

“He thanked me for my work but expressed the wish that I do not remain,” the 70-year-old said.

Despite being the longest-serving person in history to serve in the role, Farrugia said he believes he still had more to give.

“The reasons were clear, but I believe I could have stayed on. The president of the Italian Senate, Ignazio La Russa, for example, is almost 80. Still, that was the decision,” he said.

‘I am a man who forgives’: Farrugia on falling out with Joseph Muscat

Farrugia served as Speaker ever since the Labour Party won the 2013 election.

His appointment came on the back of a public falling out with then Labour leader Joseph Muscat.

In December 2012, Muscat fired Farrugia as party deputy leader following comments he made about a magistrate being politically biased. Farrugia not only resigned as the party’s number two, but also as a member of the PL.

In a bombshell interview with Times of Malta, weeks before the 2013 election, Farrugia said the decision which led to his resignation was unjust and described Muscat’s actions as “political murder”.

“I think Joseph Muscat was uncomfortable with Anġlu Farrugia. Unfortunately, Anġlu Farrugia was so loyal to Joseph Muscat that he gave him total leeway and did not realise he was being stabbed in the back. This is like calling your best friend over and then shooting him in cold blood. It was political murder,” he had said in the interview.

Reflecting on that time, Farrugia said: “What I said is what I felt at the time.” However, Farrugia said he then developed a good working relationship with Muscat in parliament.

“I am not the type to hold grudges. I forgive, and I look forward. It is good to know what happened in the past, but not to live in it.

“When I became Speaker, I looked forward, including with Muscat. We worked together, myself as Speaker and Muscat as prime minister for many years up until 2019.”

When I became Speaker, I was unconditioned

He said he managed to implement important reforms in parliament with Muscat as prime minister.

‘I threatened to resign over parliamentary autonomy’

Among the biggest achievements Farrugia lists is the introduction of parliamentary autonomy in 2017 saying he almost gets emotional when he speaks about it.

“It means parliament decides what parliament needs. It means the Speaker and the staff decide without any interference from the government, including financial interference.”

That means parliament decides who it employs, Farrugia said.

Farrugia said parliamentary autonomy has allowed him to increase the number of committee rooms in parliament, digitise documents and make papers laid in parliament immediately available online.

Parliament’s employees also got a collective agreement and improved conditions, he said.

Farrugia said his predecessors had called for the introduction of parliamentary autonomy. But Farrugia said introducing it was a priority for him, and he had even threatened to resign over the matter.

“I wanted to do this at all costs. So, I formed an ad hoc committee, we discussed the matter and drafted a bill. I also drafted a report which I sent to Muscat and to then PN leader Simon Busuttil.”

“I even told Muscat that I would resign if this was not adopted.”

On being biased: ‘I almost smile when I hear it’

As a former PL MP and deputy leader, Farrugia faced criticism that he often favoured the Labour government as Speaker, a claim Farrugia denies.

“I almost smile when I hear it,” Farrugia said.

He said he became Speaker at a time when he had already resigned from the Labour Party, not only as deputy leader but also as a member.

“When I became Speaker, I was unconditioned,” he said.

Farrugia pointed out that he had a lot of rulings in favour of the opposition and that his rulings were always detailed and relied on the law and parliament’s standing orders.

“All my rulings were well-researched, making reference to previous rulings and those of the Commonwealth. So, I have no qualms,” he said.

“In fact, none of my rulings were ever appealed,” he said.

‘Certain death if handed to the Taliban’

Farrugia also pointed to his international work as Speaker, including his involvement in a number of international parliamentary bodies.

Having to resign from those roles was among the reasons Farrugia cited for being disappointed he did not stay on as Speaker.

Farrugia mentioned his recent re-election for a two-year term on the executive of the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, being president of the Committee to Promote Respect for International Humanitarian Law of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and being part of a four-Speaker team that mediates between the Ukrainian and Russian parliaments.

A mediating role he was requested to take on by the Inter-Parliamentary Union remains one of his proudest moments as Speaker, Farrugia said.

Farrugia described how former Deputy Speaker of the Afghanistan parliament Amanullah Paiman fled to Pakistan in 2021 after the Taliban took back control of the country.

Paiman wrote to the Inter-Parliamentary Union that he was facing deportation back to Afghanistan as the Pakistani government had stopped extending visas.

“The Taliban were waiting for him and had he and his family been deported they faced certain death,” Farrugia said.

Farrugia said that, through several months of discussions, he negotiated with the Pakistani government to stop Paiman’s deportation, an undertaking that succeeded, Farrugia said.

Farrugia pointed to a letter of thanks he received on Friday morning that said:

‘Ubiquitous’

Throughout his tenure as Speaker, a number of videos emerged, often often poking  fun of Farrugia’s pronunciation in English. The most viral one showed Farrugia struggling to pronounce the word “ubiquitous” while addressing an international meeting.

Smiling, Farrugia said he was never offended by the videos or comments.

“I like to write, but once in a while I get tongue-tied when pronouncing... I never took it personally,” he said.

Times of Malta also spoke to Farrugia about his police career which included investigating a stolen Caravaggio painting and the arrest of Daphne Caruana Galizia. That portion of the interview will feature in another edition of Times of Malta.