[attach id=268867 size="medium"]MEP hopeful Helga Ellul[/attach]

Playmobil’s former CEO Helga Ellul is among eight MEP candidates expected to be approved by the Nationalist Party tomorrow.

The PN’s commission tasked with selecting candidates has chosen the first group of candidates, which will include current MEPs Roberta Metsola and David Casa, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.

The others are: Chamber of Commerce official Stefano Mallia, human rights lawyer Theresa Comodini Cachia, entrepreneur Jonathan Shaw, blind Gozitan lawyer Kevin Cutajar and president of PN’s youth section Kevin Plumpton, a former local councillor from Żabbar who is the only candidate from the south.

The names will be discussed and formally approved at tomorrow’s executive meeting.

Last month, PN leader Simon Busuttil said the party was looking to approving 10 MEP candidates so at least two more names are expected to be added at a later stage.

The commission responsible for screening the candidates is chaired by former EU Commissioner Joe Borg and includes former MPs Noel Buttigieg Scicluna and Louis Deguara, Salvu Sciberras, Isabelle Vella, Maria Cassar and Karol Aquilina.

Dr Busuttil, until recently an MEP himself, had said the PN executive would still be the main decision-maker on the final list of candidates but the commission would perform the pre-selection process. The PN leader said his party’s target is to earn a third seat in European Parliament for the first time. The EP election will be held in May.

In April, Times of Malta revealed the people expected to be among Labour’s MEP candidates. These included former Prime Minister Alfred Sant, MPs Joe Sammut and Marlene Farrugia, MEP Marlene Mizzi, former Sliema councillor Cyrus Engerer and lawyer Ramona Frendo.