Gonzi nominated Louis Galea before Delimara debate

The Prime Minister first offered the EU post to Speaker Louis Galea more than a week ago, before Dr Galea acceded to the opposition’s request to discuss the Delimara power station extension, a government spokesman said.

Nationalist Party backbencher Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando cast doubts on what lay behind the nomination, saying he hoped this was not aimed at removing individuals who were not part of Lawrence Gonzi’s “exclusive coterie”.

He said this coterie considered even the most constructive forms of criticism as tantamount to rebellion.

Dr Galea is being nominated to the EU Court of Auditors, a position Dr Gonzi said he had “shown interest” in. Recently, another PN heavyweight, Social Policy Minister John Dalli, was nominated as European Commissioner.

Sources said doubts on Dr Galea’s nomination were probably fuelled by his decision to discuss the opposition’s motion in Parliament the night before the planning authority decided on the power station’s extension.

Reacting to these allegations, the Office of the Prime Minister said Dr Galea had been approached more than a week ago, adding the government always treated its nominations to European posts with “the utmost importance”.

“The government’s decisions have always been motivated by the desire to strengthen European institutions, which automatically guarantee better results for Malta,” the OPM said.

It added that Dr Galea had accumulated vast expertise in numerous areas over the years, spearheading and managing various reforms in different sectors, including health, education, pensions, the elderly, housing and law and order.

When asked about Dr Pullicino Orlando’s comment that members of the “coterie” viewed “even the most constructive forms of criticism as tantamount to rebellion”, the OPM said “constructive criticism enhances government’s policy”.