Toni Abela is facing a 40-minute grilling on Tuesday over his suitability to sit on the European Court of Auditors. Photo: Jason Borg

Toni Abela has stepped up lobbying at the European Parliament, as questions are being raised over his suitability to sit on the European Court of Auditors.

Dr Abela will be facing members of the Budgetary Control Committee of the European Parliament on Tuesday for a 40-minute grilling.

To boost Dr Abela’s chances at the green light, the Maltese government has assigned the Prime Minister’s Office representative in Brussels, Cyrus Engerer, and Joseph Muscat’s personal EU affairs ad-viser, Robert van den Water, to assist him. The latter also served as adviser to the Prime Minister of the Ukraine on EU affairs.

EP sources yesterday told the Times of Malta that while both the Labour and Nationalist delegations in Brussels were making efforts to convince MEPs that Dr Abela was suitable for the job, some Committee members, particularly those coming from the small parties, had yet to make up their minds.

“Both the EPP and the Socialist delegations represented on the Committee seem to be converging towards a consensus to support Dr Abela’s nomination despite the clear lack of experience in the field,” the sources said.

“However, many from the small parties, particularly among the Liberals and the Greens, are not sure about Dr Abela, and the CV he just presented does not help him much,” a member of the Liberal group said.

Six years ago, Malta’s present member of the European Court of Auditors, Louis Galea, faced similar difficulties in getting the MEPs’ backing, particularly because previous ‘dark’ episodes in his long political career had resurfaced at the grilling, including those relating to the management of what used to be known as the Auxiliary Workers Training Scheme.

However, with a 21-year-long career, mostly as a Cabinet minister, Dr Galea managed to pass through. In contrast, Dr Abela lacks any ministerial or government experience.

The CV he just presented does not help him much

In a set of written replies submitted to the committee, Dr Abela made it clear that although it was not mandatory that his nomination get the approval of the EP, he would feel obliged to withdraw his candidacy if he did not get the MEPs’ green light.

When listing his professional experience in public finance, be it in budgetary planning, budget implementation, management of budgetary control and auditing, Dr Abela mentioned his four-year experience as vice-mayor of Ħamrun, where his remit was “to monitor that procurement regulations [were] followed and adhered to”.

He said he also acquired financial experience when he served as deputy leader of the Labour Party, noting he had “to monitor revenue and expenditure both of the central organisation and of more than 60 political clubs”.

Dr Abela said that he had a number of months’ experience in international multicultural organisations, given that in 1983, he served at the Malta Mission in New York as legal aid.

“During the past three years I have also been a member of a delegation promoting dialogue be-tween Italy and Malta on matters of common interest in natural re-sources in the surrounding waters of both countries,” he informed MEPs in his questionnaire.

Asked to state his most important political achievement, Dr Abela said he was instrumental in introducing a statutory prohibition such that, for the first time in history, the holder of his former post (Labour deputy leader) could not contest local and EP elections.

It was the Prime Minister who nominated Dr Abela for the post in Luxembourg. Following his nomination, Labour changed its statute to make it possible for a sitting MP to become deputy leader. In a one-horse race, Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi succeeded Dr Abela.

If approved, Dr Abela will serve for six years and will be eligible to a salary of €20,000 each month, as well as perks.