Ramona Attard is the latest senior Labour official to leave her role in the party since it lost its supermajority in the June elections. Over the last weeks, there have been a flurry of changes to the party’s top positions. If you’ve not been able to keep up, Mark Laurence Zammit charts the moves.

Out: Randolph De Battista

In: Leonid McKay

Randolph De Battista was Labour CEO from 2017 to 2020 and, again, from 2022, when he was co-opted to parliament. Earlier this month, he quit without specifying why.

In June, Robert Abela admitted that within the party there were “differences of opinion” with De Battista. Sources say the pair had a frosty relationship in recent months but the prime minister’s faith in him appeared quickly restored as Abela made De Battista Geneva ambassador the day after he quit his party role.

That appointment was not without controversy, however, as the PN and government critics accused Abela of using public money to control party divisions.

Meanwhile, De Battista’s role as party CEO was promptly filled by Leonid McKay, who has himself been in and out of top seats in several public entities lately.

Mckay was serving as the CEO of Jobsplus when he was moved to the PL earlier this month.

He was previously the CEO of the Housing Authority as well as the director of the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis.

Unlike other elected roles in the party’s administration, the PL’s CEO is directly appointed by the party’s leader.

Now it is mostly up to McKay to mend divisions within a party that was – until a couple of years ago – the strongest it ever was but which is now facing the first significant dip in voter support in more than a decade, while reeling from the criminal arraignment of its former leader.

Another question remains: who will replace De Battista in parliament? We do not know but the government must co-opt someone to take his seat. Which takes us to...

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Out: Ramona Attard

In: We do not know yet

The latest party official to step aside is Ramona Attard, who announced on Monday she will not seek re-election as president and will not contest any other post.

She did not elaborate on her choice, simply saying she is “ready for a new challenge after four years in the party’s administration”.

If Abela wants to continue his musical chairs strategy, he could always co-opt Attard to parliament in the seat vacated by De Battista.

Attard, a former ONE reporter and aide to Joseph Muscat and ex-ministers Manuel Mallia and Carmelo Abela, was elected party president in July 2020.

It is yet unclear who could take her role.

The party will hold internal elections on September 13 and 14, during which several key roles, including the party’s two deputy leaders, will be up for grabs.

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Out: Daniel Micallef

In: We do not know yet (but maybe Alex Agius Saliba)

Daniel Micallef was the first casualty of Labour’s electoral performance last June. He resigned as Labour deputy leader for party affairs before counting agents even began sorting through the local councils’ ballots, an election in which Labour performed significantly better. Despite timing the announcement of his resignation right when Labour’s voter majority plummeted dramatically, he insisted his decision was largely unrelated to the result – he had known he would step down two years ago, he said.

We will know who will replace him in mid-September, when the party holds its internal elections, but his role was hotly contested, at least briefly, a few weeks ago. Labour stalwart Jason Micallef initially announced he would throw his name in the hat, causing consternation within the party.

The prime minister hinted at his dissatisfaction, saying delegates should not turn back the clock. Days later, MEP Alex Agius Saliba hinted he would enter the race. Micallef announced he was bowing out, essentially paving the way for the party’s star EP candidate to become Abela’s number two.

Cue an announcement that Micallef would also get a new job, as ‘special delegate on the implementation of the electoral manifesto’.

But Abela has two number twos in the party. Come September, delegates will also have to choose a replacement for former minister Chris Fearne, who stepped down from his role as deputy leader for parliamentary affairs after there was enough evidence for his criminal case over the hospitals deal to continue.

We still do not know who will replace him but Ian Borg is considered the favourite. He confirmed his intentions on Wednesday.

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Out: Glenn Micallef

In: Mark Mallia

Perhaps the most high-level and significant government resignation following the election was that of the prime minister’s chief of staff, Glenn Micallef.

Micallef, who held one of the country’s most powerful and influential positions, was part of the team that led the election campaign in May and June.

To replace him, in comes Mark Mallia, who has barely had any time to find his feet in any of the offices he had been appointed to this year.

In a matter of months, the former army colonel has been CEO of Identità, CEO of the Foundation for Medical Services and head of Transport Malta.

Micallef was not left without another important appointment, however.

When it became clear that Fearne’s criminal case had spoilt his chances of being nominated as Malta’s European commissioner, Abela announced he was nominating Micallef instead.

A tough grilling by MEPs still awaits him later this year.

And what about Mallia’s post at Transport Malta? That was taken over by one of Muscat’s former top aides, Kurt Farrugia, who left his role as Malta Enterprise CEO and was replaced by George Gregory just last week.

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Out: Ivan Falzon

In: Steve Ellul

Speaking of controversial state authorities, there is a new boss at Infrastructure Malta as well.

Last month, Ivan Falzon – who had previously headed Mater Dei Hospital and the Water Services Corporation – announced he was stepping down in an “amicable separation” with Infrastructure Minister Chris Bonett.

Former Project Green CEO Steve Ellul – who unsuccessfully contested the MEP election – took Falzon’s place days later.

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Out: Aleander Balzan, Claire Azzopardi

In: Samuel Lucas

Since the election, the office of the prime minister lost another two of its top media people.

One of the prime minister’s policy advisers – Aleander Balzan – resigned at the beginning of August. Claire Azzopardi, who was one of the people who handled press questions and media requests, also left.

Meanwhile, Samuel Lucas joined the OPM’s media team after leaving his role as a reporter at ONE News.

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Out: Ronald Vassallo

In: We do not know yet

Ronald Vassallo was Labour’s head of communications – that is until he also stepped down almost two weeks ago.

Again, he did not specify why he decided to leave.

We do not yet know whether a replacement for him was appointed.

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Back in after 16 months: Rosianne Cutajar

It has been a long and arduous journey for the Qormi MP, who was forced to resign from the PL parliamentary group in April last year, after succumbing to pressure following the publication of hundreds of WhatsApp messages between her and Yorgen Fenech, who is awaiting trial for his alleged involvement in the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Rosianne Cutajar’s return to the party has long been anticipated and internally debated, however.

In January, Abela said Cutajar had paid a high enough political price and that it was time to “reconsider” her position but later added that she would need to apologise before being allowed back into the party.

She has never made a public apology and it remains unclear whether Cutajar apologised to the prime minister or the party before rejoining 10 days ago.

Her return was criticised by the PN and NGO Repubblika but Labour insiders hope she could help bring back disgruntled voters.