There could have been a very valid reason for the Prime Minister's attendance at the Council of Europe's summit in Poland last week.
In fact, sources told The Times Malta is lobbying hard to be given the post of chairman of the governing board of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB).
The sources said a word by the Prime Minister to representatives of certain member countries that did not support Malta in the first round of the election last month could do the trick.
Malta's candidate, the present representative to the Council of Europe, Ambassador Joseph Licari, is now being considered as a favourite to the post. However everything depends on the stand to be taken by Italy and France at the next round of elections next month.
The first round of the election of the new chairman of the governing board of the CEB, formerly known as the Social Fund, was held in April. Dr Licari won the votes of 24 of the 36 eligible member countries. Most of the small and medium sized countries voted for him, ranging from Ireland and the Scandinavian countries in the north of Europe to Portugal and Greece in the south. Most of the countries in central and eastern Europe also voted for Malta.
However, the big countries, which are also major shareholders, voted for the Turkish candidate. These included Italy, France and Germany, which hold about 17 per cent each of the bank's shares, and Spain, which has 11 per cent of the shareholding.
This resulted in a stalemate situation because in order for a candidate to be elected the backing of a majority of shareholding and a majority of member states is required.
A run-off between Malta and Turkey will now be held at the next meeting of the bank's governing board in June.
Sources close to the Council of Europe told The Times Malta is quite disappointed with the way the big countries, particularly Italy, voted. The sources said Malta regularly votes for Italian, French, German and Spanish candidates at similar elections in international organisations and therefore the way these countries preferred Turkey to Malta was quite "surprising".
Set up in 1956, the Council of Europe Development Bank is the oldest international financial institution in Europe and the only one with an exclusive social vocation. The CEB is the financial instrument of the policy of solidarity developed by the Council of Europe.
The CEB is a multilateral development bank placed under the supreme authority of the Council of Europe. It nevertheless has its own full legal status and financial autonomy. By granting loans, the bank participates in the financing of social projects, responds to emergency situations and contributes to improving living conditions and social cohesion in the less advantaged regions in Europe.
Malta has formed part of the CEB since 1973 with a shareholding of 0.185 per cent.