Calls for Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to remain in office have intensified following his failure to land any of the EU’s top jobs he was reportedly seeking, Times of Malta is informed.
Dr Muscat has gone on record saying he will not lead Labour into the next general election.
Labour Party officials close to the Prime Minister on Wednesday said that once a top Brussels post for Dr Muscat was now definitely off the table, it made more sense for him to stay on for another three years and fight another election.
The sources played down the possibility of Dr Muscat using his last card and nominating himself as Malta’s next European Commissioner. “He is being advised by many not to do it as he will be taking a huge gamble,” a well-placed source in Castille said.
“MEPs, including those from our side (Socialists) have repeatedly voted against Muscat’s government in the past years, particularly following the revelations of the Panama leaks. If he puts his name in, he risks being humiliated and that would be his end.”
During three days of intense meetings in Brussels, top OPM officials and Maltese diplomats lobbied their EU peers to insert Muscat’s name on the EU’s shortlist. But EU diplomats have told Times of Malta that Dr Muscat’s name was never considered for any of the vacancies available.
“Muscat was never on the radar despite what was being spun by sections of Malta’s media close to the government. Apart from his natural handicap of coming from a small island, his political baggage, particularly due to his government’s bad record on the rule of law and corruption claims, would have never been accepted by the majority of EU leaders and the European Parliament,” one diplomat said.
A diplomat working for the Council dismissed the claim made by Dr Muscat’s spokesman, soon after the EU decisions were taken, that the Prime Minister was somehow close to securing a post.
His political baggage would have never been accepted by most EU leaders
While he may once have been a serious contender, all that changed with the Panama Papers and the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Waqt li nifrah lill-mexxejja l-godda Ewropej, nerga' nheggeg lil Joseph Muscat jibqa’ jmexxi l-Partit Laburista u lil Malta ghal hafna snin ohra - halli nkomplu nirbhu flimkien!
— Chris Fearne (@chrisfearne) July 2, 2019
Labour officials, including those who were positioning themselves to replace him at Castille in the event of his exit, including Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne and MEP Miriam Dalli, on Wednesday tweeted their ‘appeals’ for Dr Muscat to stay in government.
Other hopefuls, Transport Minister Ian Borg and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi, remained silent.
Times of Malta is also informed that top Labour officials have now given their go-ahead for a petition by ‘supporters’ calling for Dr Muscat to stay, left on the backburner for the past weeks, to be given a new impetus among party delegates and members.
Dr Muscat has repeatedly gone on record to say he will exit the local political scene before the next general election. He stuck to this position even after the last MEP elections, insisting that his “10-year plan” in government was coming to an end.
“We obviously want Muscat to stay. His prospects of winning the next election are almost a certainty, bearing in mind that the PN is in shambles. Why change a winning horse?” one party delegate said.
Apart from staying on in his role, and making a U-turn on his past promises to leave, Dr Muscat has another option left, that of nominating himself as Malta’s next European Commissioner, replacing Karmenu Vella.
While many EU Member States have already nominated their candidate, Malta has not made any announcement yet.
Although technically there is nothing stopping Dr Muscat from becoming Malta’s candidate for Commissioner, what follows a nomination is certainly not plain sailing.
The entire Commission will have to get the green light of the European Parliament before it can take office. If one of the nominees is not accepted, he may either have to be replaced by the Member State nominating him or the whole Commission will not be approved.
Among MEPs, Malta’s reputation has suffered immensely over issues such as the sale of passports, the undermining of the rule of law, the corruption allegations stemming from the Panama Papers and the government’s refusal to order a public inquiry into Ms Caruana Galizia’s murder.
“Do you think that Muscat – a shrewd politician – will be placing himself at the mercy of MEPs who might be tempted to reject his nomination?” a senior Labour official said.
“Can you imagine the embarrassment and humiliation if the whole Commission is not approved because Muscat is not acceptable to MEPs?” he said.
A few weeks ago, Dr Muscat’s spokesman had categorically excluded the possibility that his boss would seek a Commission seat. Asked again on Wednesday, the spokesman did not reply.
Government sources said if Muscat opts to stay on, the most likely candidate for Commissioner would be European Affairs Minister Helena Dalli.
“She is already taking private lessons in French just in case,” a member of her secretariat said.
One rival would be Finance Minister Edward Scicluna, who has reportedly made his intentions known to Dr Muscat.