Bernard Grech has challenged Labour to back Roberta Metsola’s candidacy for European Parliament president.

“I hope that Robert Abela will, for once, set aside partisan interests and back a person who has brought recognition and respect to Malta’s name internationally,” Grech said as he entered parliament on Wednesday.

“Abela ran a campaign of fear in which he continuously attacked Metsola as a warmonger. Now I hope he will change that narrative and give her the backing she needs.”

Metsola is the frontrunner to be named EP President after she secured the unanimous backing of MEPs within her political grouping, the European People’s Party, to be its candidate for the post.

The EPP is the largest grouping within the European Parliament. But it does not have an absolute majority of seats, and Metsola’s nomination must be approved by a majority of MEPs for her to be reelected to the presidency.

If successful, she will be the second MEP and first woman to serve as EP president for two terms, after Germany’s Martin Schulz.

Metsola is only the third woman to hold the post of European Parliament president and was the youngest-ever person to serve in that role when she was first appointed in January 2022.

Labour MEPs form part of the EPP’s rival group, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D).

The S&D has not yet said whether it intends to back Metsola’s bid or push for another candidate to assume the parliament presidency.

Abela has yet to comment on Metsola’s candidacy or say whether he will instruct Labour’s three MEPs, who form part of the S&D grouping, to vote in her favour.

When Metsola was first elected in 2022, the S&D had backed her. Metsola was elected with an overwhelming majority of 458 out of 690 votes on that occasion.

The European Parliament president is elected for two-and-a-half years and represents the parliament in its relations with other EU institutions and the outside world.

The president also signs the EU’s budget and any laws passed by MEPs.

Grech: Finances down due to corruption

Speaking later in the day during an interview on NET, Grech reiterated his challenge to Abela.

“I hope Robert Abela and the Labour Party place the national interest before partisan interests and back Metsola’s candidacy,” he said. 

Grech used that interview to express concern about news that the EU Commission will seek to open excessive deficit procedures against Malta for its budget overruns. 

The Labour government was financing corruption and paying millions to its insiders while allowing public finances to fall into debt, he said. 

A Nationalist government would cut excessive spending, he said, adding that he hoped the government would not try and fix this issue by resorting to austerity and reducing aid given to vitizens. 

“This problem was caused by Robert Abela and (finance minister) Clyde Caruana, not by the Maltese people. They are paying the price for the government’s poor policies,” Grech said.