Updated 5.49pm
Former minister Leo Brincat passed an approval process to join the European Court of Auditors by the skin of his teeth today, with 11 votes in favour, 9 against and 1 abstention.
With the recommendation of the European Parliament's Budgetary Committee in the bag, Mr Brincat's nomination must now be approved by the whole European Parliament's 751 members before he can join the ECA.
He was the second person nominated by the government to succeed Louis Galea, after former Labour deputy leader Toni Abela's nomination was rejected by 17 votes to 9 last March.
Mr Brincat's nomination faced less resistance than that of Dr Abela, although committee members asked questions about his decision to back Minister without Portfolio Konrad Mizzi in a no confidence motion and government decisions to not publish contracts related to the Delimara power station, among others.
Read: 'I had no choice' but to back Konrad Mizzi - Leo Brincat