Justin Schembri, a PN councillor who drew criticism from other party members over his comments in favour of Italian right-wing politician Matteo Salvini, will not face any action by the party.

Replying to questions by Times of Malta, a spokesman for Opposition leader Adrian Delia said Mr Schembri had clarified his position to avoid any misunderstandings.

Mr Schembri had praised Mr Salvini’s hard line against immigration, writing on Facebook that “maybe many brand Salvini ‘racist’, but he is probably a sensible person because he wants to stop this trafficking and at the same time not let his country be accomplices in this wave of organised crime”.

The PN spokesman insisted that at no point was the PN councillor suggesting that lives should not be saved, let alone supporting Mr Salvini’s policy of leaving those in danger out at sea.

“However, while committing to the role of saving lives, he also expressed concern about the limitations of a small country such as ours”, the spokesman said.

The Facebook post has since been deleted and replaced with another further explaining his comments.

Mr Schembri said his reference to Mr Salvini was only to show admiration for the fact that he is a politician standing up to the illegal trafficking of vulnerable people, therefore protecting Italy’s national interest, despite pressure from the EU.

“In no way have I ever commented in favour of his politics, especially that of leaving people at sea,” he said.

His original Facebook post was criticised by some of his peers in the PN.

Michael Fenech Adami, who up until recently formed part of the Birkirkara local council along with Mr Schembri, wrote that the latter’s comments were not in his name.

His brother Beppe, an MP and former PN deputy leader, did not reference Mr Schembri’s comments directly.

Instead, he posted a photo of their father, former president Eddie Fenech Adami, holding a young black child in his arms. 

“These are the values I cherish. The values of my party. No matter what,” he wrote. 

Former electoral candidate Michael Briguglio also disagreed with the pro-Salvini sentiment, writing that “a social and ecological Europe needs less Salvinis and more coalitions of willing practitioners of solidarity”.

Former Marsascala PN councillor Charlot Cassar went one step further.

He argued that any PN member who did not demand that the party dissociate itself from Mr Schembri’s comments about Mr Salvini “would forever have their name linked to this fascist ideology”. 

Mr Cassar quit the Nationalist Party altogether in 2018 in protest against Adrian Delia’s leadership. 

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