Galea offered EU post after telling PM he would not seek re-election
The outgoing Speaker of the House, Louis Galea, informed the Prime Minister personally that he was not seeking re-election in the casual election for the seat vacated by John Dalli, who is to be appointed European Commissioner.
During a PN political activity last Sunday, Lawrence Gonzi claimed it was Galea “who showed interest in the post”, giving the impression that the Speaker had long been angling for the post.
But MaltaToday can confirm that in a meeting held between Lawrence Gonzi and Galea at Castille, the PM offered Galea the role of member of the European Court of Auditors after the Speaker informed of his decision not to pursue the bye-election, or to contest the next general election.
“In a face-to-face meeting between the two, Galea informed Gonzi he was not going to seek re-election because even if elected and offered a ministry, he would not have had any time to bring forth any notable changes in any ministry given the time left till the next general election,” a source close to the outgoing Speaker told MaltaToday.
“Galea said he would not entertain the prospect of being a member of the government without being able to bring about change and even added he would ‘make way’ for a younger generation,” the source said.
The source said Galea also said he was “happy” with his role as Speaker of the House and found no problem with remaining Speaker, “especially since he believed positive work was being done with the parliamentary commission.”
“Gonzi then told Galea he had something in mind for him”, the source said, whereupon he sprang the Auditor’s role on him.
The post of member of the European Court of Auditor, although perceived to have an auditor’s remit, also involves legal matters and requires a great deal of coordination between the other EU institutions.
“Gonzi was sure that Galea would perform well in this role,” the source said.
Louis Galea was also described at being positive about the appointment. “He slept over it and accepted the role, but he doesn’t think of it as a ‘kick upstairs’. He is actually looking forward to the position.”
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