Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/987221
3 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MAY 2018 CONTINUED FORM PAGE 1 It will be a return to Brussels for Azzopardi, who served as technical attache at Dar Mal- ta for almost seven years be- fore being appointed CEO in January 2016 by then energy minister Konrad Mizzi. But the change in Malta's permanent representation in Brussels comes at a time of friction between the minister and Cyrus Engerer, the Prime Minister's special envoy, sources said. Engerer announced his res- ignation from his Brussels role last week, indicating he will return to Malta for a sab- batical. Engerer was also in the run- ning for the top Brussels job but sources said that he and Dalli clashed on certain mat- ters. The situation is under- stood to have caused tension and contributed to his side- lining. Engerer skirted the ques- tion when asked whether his departure had anything to do with the fact that he was not in line to replace Bonnici in Brussels. "Irrespective of whoever is nominated by the Minister for European Affairs in the coming months to succeed the current Permanent Rep- resentative to the European Union, I stand by the decision I took a few months ago," he said, adding his involvement in the Labour Party will re- main the same as today. He said his decision to leave Brussels was based on fam- ily reasons. His partner, Ran- dolph Debattista came back to Malta last year to serve as CEO of the Labour Party. "A year ago, my family left Brussels and since then I have been thinking of my next step. In this regard, last February I informed the Prime Minister that I would be handing in my resignation but was asked to remain in the position for a few months," Engerer said. He told MaltaToday the pe- riod before the summer re- cess is usually the best time for human resources changes in Brussels. Engerer said he will be tak- ing some months off to join his siblings in running the family business over the sum- mer. The Engerers have a sea- front bar at Exiles in Sliema. "For the coming summer, I will be taking some gap months off from formal of- fice… I intend to enjoy my time doing something differ- ent," he told this newspaper. In a lengthy Facebook post, announcing his return to Malta, Engerer thanked in particular Transport Minister Ian Borg, with whom he had worked closely in the past few years as Malta prepared for the presidency of the Euro- pean Council. In the previous legislature, Borg was parliamentary sec- retary for Malta's EU presi- dency under the wings of then deputy prime minister Louis Grech. However, Engerer and Azz- opardi were not the only two names being floated around in the corridors of Dar Malta. MaltaToday is informed that other contenders for Bon- nici's post were Neil Kerr, the former deputy perma- nent representative who now serves at the European Court of Auditors with Leo Brincat, MEUSAC head Vanni Xuer- eb, and Malta's ambassador to Italy, Vanessa Frazier. ksasnsone@mediatoday.com.mt Malta's next EU rep is… not Cyrus Engerer Cyrus Engerer (left) was the Prime Minister's sherpa in Brussels, but the technical role for permanent representative to the EU is expected to go to Daniel Azzopardi (right)