Former PN leader Simon Busuttil is stepping down from his post as Secretary-General of the European People's Party within the European Parliament.

"I am writing to inform you personally that, as the current mandate of the European Parliament draws to an end, I have decided that this is the right time for me to leave my position as Secretary-General of the Group in order to take up a new assignment," Busuttil told the members of the group in an email on Thursday.

He said he would stay on till November 1, when Ouarda Bensouag formally takes over. Bensouag is the former head of cabinet of EPP leader Manfred Weber.

Busuttil said he was very proud that the Secretariat he formed part of had contributed to the emphatic EPP victory in the June elections, which strengthened the EPP as the largest group in the European Parliament. 

He said that personally, it had also been a pleasure and an extraordinary experience to work in the group.

"As I leave for new pastures, I can assure that I will always remain proud to be part of our great EPP family and I will take the EPP heart with me wherever I go," he said.

It is understood that Busuttil is to take up a new job within the EU institutions.

A lawyer and former MEP, Busuttil became leader of the Nationalist Party after its defeat to Joseph Muscat in the 2013 general election but resigned as party leader after Muscat’s second consecutive landslide victory in 2017.

He resigned from the House of Representatives in January 2020 to take up his EPP post.