Pressure is mounting on MEP Simon Busuttil to assume the Nationalist Party's top administrative job, though there is doubt over whether he will take it on.
Party insiders said Dr Busuttil was enjoying "phenomenal support" from party councillors and the top echelons, including Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi. Outgoing general secretary Joe Saliba will vacate the post at the end of June, and the focus has turned squarely on the young lawyer to take on the job. However, when contacted, the MEP said he had no comments to make at this stage.
The PN's general council has met this weekend to analyse the election result, and will convene again between May 29 and June 1 to elect the new executive branch - made up of 13 representatives. The new executive branch will then hold its first meeting during which it will appoint the new administration, including the general secretary.
Accepting the post would come at a personal price for Dr Busuttil. He would have to shift his family back to Malta after setting up home in Brussels and possibly sever his connections with his successful legal firm.
The PN statute also poses another hurdle since it stipulates that an MEP cannot assume an administrative post within the party.
This means that Dr Busuttil would have to give up his Brussels seat by May 29, unless the party decides to amend the statute, which according to PN sources is the more plausible solution.
Dr Busuttil, 39, is a lawyer specialising in European studies. He was appointed head of the Malta-EU Information Centre and led the public communications campaign ahead of Malta's referendum on EU membership.
During the 2004 European elections, he steamrolled the other candidates, obtaining close to 60,000 first preference votes.
During the last general election campaign, Dr Busuttil played an integral role, acting as a moderator during Dr Gonzi's news conferences.
With former Net TV head of news Pierre Portelli ruling himself out of the race, the other name being touted for the PN post is MP Beppe Fenech Adami. When contacted, Dr Fenech Adami said he had been approached by several individuals to contest, but was still undecided.
"My priority is to be an active MP - at the right time I will decide whether to contest the post," he said.
Asked whether his decision hinged on Dr Busuttil's interest in the post, he replied: "Simon is a valid candidate. And if he is interested in the post, I will probably not contest."