Updated 3.10pm with Justice Minister's statement

The General Court of the European Union has rejected the nomination of Edward Zammit Lewis to serve as a judge. 

Justice Minister Jonathan Attard said a panel interviewing the Maltese nominee had given a "negative outcome". 

The rejection was confirmed by the former minister, who in a Facebook post on Wednesday blamed the Nationalist Party for what had happened.

Zammit Lewis was nominated by the Maltese government to succeed Judge Ramona Frendo who is moving on to the higher European Court of Justice.

The Nationalist Party had described his nomination as "an insult to all those who believe in justice", citing his role as a minister in Joseph Muscat's government and proximity to Yorgen Fenech, a businessman facing charges in the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.  

In a Facebook post  on Wednesday, Zammit Lewis said:

"Yesterday, I attended an interview in Brussels, during which I was asked, among other things, not whether I POSSESS the qualifications to occupy this position, but about other matters that have nothing to do with the position for which I was nominated."  

He said an "unacceptable doubt" was cast on the process that was carried out in Malta for his nomination. The process, he pointed out, was led by a retired judge alongside honest and competent individuals in the public service, a process far more transparent than those held in other Member States.

Thanking those who had supported him, he said he also wanted to thank and forgive "those who, for their own interests or even personal gain, relentlessly undermined my nomination from within and outside Malta, even before I was nominated—always for their own interests and not those of Malta."

That, he said, included the Nationalist Party.

"Some even went as far as to repeatedly write to the Committee of Experts—the same committee I had to appear before as per the European Union Treaty—with allegations that were baseless and led to nothing!"

"You have caused me great harm and a form of character assassination. However, the greatest harm was not done to me personally. I will continue to move forward despite all the obstacles, and I assure you of this. The greatest harm was done to your own country—Our Malta. You never learn!"

Zammit Lewis said he would continue to work in parliament for the good of the country.

In a statement, Justice Minister Jonathan Attard thanked Zammit Lewis for the commitment he showed in preparing for the role. 

"His perseverance in the face of challenges from those whose interests extended beyond the competence and skills of our Maltese candidate is truly commendable," Attard said. 

The former minister is not the first Maltese nominee to be turned down by the EU court: former Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri and former judge Joseph Filletti also had nominations turned down in the past. 

It is the government's prerogative to decide who to nominate to the court and it remains to be seen who will be nominated in Zammit Lewis' stead. 

Zammit Lewis, a lawyer, served as tourism minister under Joseph Muscat and was later appointed by Robert Abela as justice minister, tasked with piloting rule of law reforms and constitutional amendments, many of them recommended by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe. He was kept out of the Cabinet after the 2022 election.

PN: This is no surprise

The Nationalist Party reacted to news of Zammit Lewis falling short by saying it was an "obvious" outcome. 

Citing his roles in Muscat-led governments and closeness to Yorgen Fenech, the PN said it was patently clear that Zammit Lewis was unsuited to the role. 

"With such a record, even someone as foolish as a simpleton would realise that Zammit Lewis’s nomination was against the national interest and would ultimately result in failure and further ridicule for our country, as indeed happened," it said. 

Nominations to such posts should be based on merit and competence, "not on partisan political convenience," the PN said. 

The PN added that the sole blame for this "humiliation" rested with Prime Minister Robert Abela, who had sought to use the nomination to satisfy partisan interests.