The EU Council of Ministers this afternoon formally appointed Leo Brincat a member of the European Court of Auditors, ignoring a negative vote by the European Parliament.
His appointment was approved with no discussion or vote taken.
The Maltese government welcomed the decision, saying it was a reflection on Mr Brincat's integrity and competence. It regretted that, for the first time, there were divisions locally on such a nomination and said it now hoped that such politically partisan games would stop.
Mr Brincat had scraped through the grilling of the European Parliament's Budget Committee but his nomination had then been defeated in a 229-381 vote by the full European Parliament.
Despite that vote, the Maltese government stuck to its nomination, and Mr Brincat was given the green light today by the EU Council of Ministers.
Mr Brincat was elected to parliament 34 years ago and served as parliamentary secretary under Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici in 1986-87 and was Minister of Finance under Alfred Sant in the 1996-98 legislature. He was Environment Minster under Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.
Mr Brincat resigns from the Maltese parliament tomorrow and starts his work in the Court of Auditors on October 1.
Opposition to his nomination stemmed from his backing for Konrad Mizzi in a parliament vote of confidence called after the Panama Papers revelations.
The government had argued that Mr Brincat's nomination should proceed because the negative vote in the EP had nothing to do with his competence.
The government had originally nominated PL deputy leader Toni Abela to the post, but he was rejected by the Budget Committee.
Mr Brincat will succeed former minister and Speaker Louis Galea.
PN REACTION
In a reaction, the Nationalist Party said that in deciding to go ahead with Leo Brincat's nomination, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had clashed with the European Parliament when Malta was about to take over the EU presidency.
Dr Muscat had ignored the majority in the parliament and thus harmed Malta's reputation.
Minister Konrad Mizzi and chief of staff Keith Schembri were the reason why Malta was getting a bad reputation, and they should be immediately removed, the PN insisted.