Updated 8.41pm - Prime Minister Robert Abela met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the end of a day of meetings at the EU institutions in Brussels on Tuesday.

Dr Abela started his first official visit to the EU as prime minister with meetings with the head of the European Parliament, David Sassoli and European Council president Charles Michel. 

Topping the agenda in the talks were the EU budget, migration, the rule of law and the EU Green Deal.  

In a comment after meeting Dr Abela, Mr Michel said he looked forward to working with him on common challenges including the budget, climate change and migration.  

"I also gave my full support to PM Abela’s pledges to strengthen the rule of law in Malta," he said. 

Dr Abela is welcomed to the European Parliament by David Sassoli.

Dr Abela also held separate meetings with the PL and PN  MEPs and visited Dar Malta, which houses Malta's representation to the EU.

Writing on Facebook, MEP David Casa said that he and the other Nationalist Party MEP Roberta Metsola had told Dr Abela that priority number one was justice for murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia 

Dr Abela seen at his meeting with PN MEPs Roberta Metsola and David Casa (first and second from left).

Dr Casa said he had told Dr Abela that former prime minister Joseph Muscat, and his chief of staff Keith Schembri should be investigated along with former minister Konrad Mizzi.  

The power station, hospitals, and passports-for-cash deals should all be suspended and investigated, and the Attorney General Peter Grech and Finance Minister Edward Scicluna should be sacked, he said. 

“Once these decisions are taken, we will start to take Dr Abela seriously."

Dr Metsola said that the delegation “was ready to continue to do whatever is necessary to show that the disgraceful actions of Joseph Muscat, Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi are not representative of the people of Malta and Gozo.” 

PN MEPs did not want to meet Abela along with Labour MEPs

The Labour Party criticised the Nationalist MEPs for having politicised the meeting with Dr Abela, which, it said, had been meant to show that the prime minister was willing to reach out and dialogue. 

The PL said the Nationalist MEPs had rejected the original invitation for a single meeting grouping all of Malta's MEPs with Dr Abela.  

The party said it would be better if Casa and Metsola removed their political blindfolds at a time when tough decisions were being taken.