Cyrus Engerer has confirmed that he will not contest June’s MEP elections.

Engerer, a Labour MEP who entered the European Parliament in 2020, said that many people with his values were currently feeling “orphaned” by Malta’s political system.

He said he would remain active in public life, taking on a more activist role.

“I believe Malta needs change,” he said, saying the country must rise to “the next level”. That meant ensuring a level playing field for all, transparent government and the full implementation of recommendations made by inquiries into the deaths of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Jean Paul Sofia, he added.

Engerer however thanked Labour leader Robert Abela for the faith shown in him, and said Abela had pushed him to run in the June elections “right until yesterday”.

Two other, unnamed European parties had also asked him to run on their ticket, he said.

Rumours confirmed

Engerer’s decision means Labour will have just one incumbent MEP – Alex Agius Saliba – among its candidates in June’s election.

Rumours about Engerer not running for reelection have swirled for months and were lent greater credence on Friday, when he was not among nine Labour candidates who jointly submitted their nomination as MEP electoral candidates.

One day prior, on Thursday, Engerer had voiced his support for a newly-created activist group, Il-Kollettiv, which has acknowledged that it also has political ambitions.

'A voice for progressive politics'

In a post published to his Facebook page on Saturday morning, Engerer said that he was proud to have served as a voice of socialist and progressive politics within the European Parliament.

He highlighted his work focused on environmental protection, social justice and human rights as especially dear to him.

“I am proud to have worked with (true) Socialists, the greens, left and liberals to push back against the far-right and populists who, backed by conservative forces, are raising their heads across Europe,” he said.

“I am pleased that I was the Maltese representative who held strong and never voted in favour of any amendment made by the fascists, whose sole interest is to deceptively dismantle all that we have built. I never want to back them, they do not deserve a crumb of credibility.”

Engerer protesting in favour of the so-called El Hiblu 3 at a demonstration earlier this year. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

He emphasised that he had consciously sought to “do things differently” as an MEP, inviting sex workers and activists to Brussels and organising an event which brought together representatives of society’s most excluded groups: from former prisoners to the homeless, refugees and sex workers, drug addicts and trans people.

More than 100 young people interned at his office since 2020, Engerer added, learning about European Parliament work and helping to negotiate laws and present amendments.

“I did all this transparently. Every meeting in my office was public and is available on my website,” he added.

Engerer first entered politics as a Nationalist Party candidate, serving on Sliema's local council representing the PN. But his progressive stances on issues like gay rights and divorce left him at loggerheads with the party and in 2011 he switched allegiances, joining Joseph Muscat's Labour Party. 

Engerer and his partner Randolph Debattista at a Labour Party conference in 2014. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Engerer spearheaded Labour's push to reform LGBT laws in Malta and was employed by Ian Borg, at the time a junior minister for EU funds, as a person of trust.

He then sought to return to public office and announced he would run as a Labour candidate in the 2014 European Parliament elections. He was forced to abandon that bid after facing criminal charges related to revenge porn. 

After a five-year stint as Muscat's "special envoy" to the EU, Engerer again ran for MEP in the 2019 elections. He placed fifth among Labour candidates but succeeded in getting a seat when Miriam Dalli was coopted into Malta's parliament the following year.