Roberta Metsola has explained why she refused to shake then prime minister Joseph Muscat’s hand during the 2019 political crisis and why she would still rebuff him today.
The moment was widely shared at the time in a photograph by Ben Borg Cardona that again went viral when the Nationalist MEP became European Parliament president in January.
She was asked about the now-famous image during an interview with Times of Malta, in which she also talked about the Ukraine war, domestic politics and women in power.
“That was a moment when a delegation of the European Parliament, which I was part of, was visiting a country a few days before the government fell in a discussion – a very heated one – on whether you are on the side of the corrupt or the side of the not corrupt,” she explained.
“And I, very much with responsibility, took the side of not being the corrupt one.”
More than two years on and after Muscat has stepped down from all elected positions, would she accept his hand if it were offered today?
"Context still subsists"
“No,” Metsola replied firmly.
“Because the context that I just described is a context that still subsists.”
At the time of the December 2019 meeting, millionaire businessman Yorgen Fenech had just been arrested and charged in connection with the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Fenech had accused Muscat’s chief of staff Keith Schembri of being involved and there was mounting political pressure for Muscat to step down.
After the delegation meeting, Metsola said Muscat had revealed to them that he felt betrayed by his aide and that he had “misjudged” Schembri.
Muscat resigned in January 2020 and was replaced by Robert Abela, whom Metsola recently embraced on the red carpet shortly before being elected EP president.
In January this year, Muscat’s home was searched by police as part of a corruption probe into the Vitals Global Healthcare Hospital deal.
In a recent interview with Lovin Malta, Muscat said he would offer his hand to Metsola if he met her again, something he says he does even to his fiercest rivals, “as a sign of goodwill”.