Parliament on Monday congratulated Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola following her election to the post of first vice-president of the European Parliament.

The appointment was made on Thursday.

Opposition whip Robert Cutajar at the beginning of Monday's parliamentary sitting said it was only proper for the national parliament to congratulate Metsola, who now held one of the highest posts in an EU institution.

Government whip Glen Bedingfield said he agreed with Cutajar. He said he hoped that Metsola would use her prestigious post for Malta's benefit.

Speaker Anġlu Farrugia also congratulated Metsola and wished her well. 

Earlier on Monday ,Prime Minister Robert Abela was asked during a public engagement why he had not congratulated Metsola on landing the top EU job.

Abela said he was happy for any citizen that did well in their career. However, he hit out at what he described as unfair criticism of Malta’s cash-for-passports scheme, which he said Metsola had made into her mission. 

In a reaction Metsola said she never asked for Abela to congratulate her.  

“But that he is too weak, too insecure, too blinkered, to see beyond his Labour Party brief or that he only sees the country in shades of red or blue should tell you all you need to know about the man, and how far out of his depth he is in the office he holds,” she said.  

“I am grateful to the members of his Cabinet and many members of the Party he leads who got in touch and who understood what this means for the country and for every girl and boy looking at getting involved in politics," she added.