Director of Information Martin Bugelli will be taking over the headship of the Commission’s representation office in Malta on Sunday, the Commission officially announced in Brussels this morning.

As revealed by The Sunday Times earlier this month, Mr Bugelli was selected by the Commission to take over Dr Joanna Drake’s post has following a tough competition which saw some 50 applicants, including top civil service employees such as Ambassadors and Permanent Secretaries vying for the plum job which comes with a €70,000 net salary and various other perks.

In its official announcement, the Commission said that Mr Bugelli, currently Director General of Information, Local Government and Public Consultation at the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta, and Government Spokesperson, has had a long and varied career within the Maltese Public Service and within a European context.

He graduated as a speech therapist in 1981 and began his career with the public service in the Maltese Health Department.

Mr Bugelli holds a degree in English from the University of London as well as a Master of Arts degree in mass communication from the University of Leicester. 

He served from 2004 to 2008, in Brussels at the Maltese Permanent Representation as attaché and later as head of cabinet.

Mr Bugelli's broad experience on communication matters will be an asset for the Commission Representation to play a key role in communicating with Maltese citizens and the media as well as to boost relations with national local authorities, and any other civil society stakeholders, the Commission said.

He will be taking over from William Martin.