Brussels brought in on chairman’s forced exit

Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola has asked the European Commission if the forced resignation of former Malta Communications Authority chairman Antonio Ghio was in line with EU law. Dr Metsola tabled a parliamentary question on Monday asking whether a change in the government of a member state constituted grounds for the removal of the head of a national regulatory authority under the EU Telecoms Framework Directive. Due to internal EU procedures, the question is not expected to be sent to the European Commission or published online until this week. Dr Ghio offered his resignation as authority chairman on March 14 after being requested to do so by the new Labour government in a letter on March 12. In the letter, the permanent secretary at the Communications Ministry at the time, John Gatt, informed Dr Ghio and his fellow board members that their resignations were “customary... to enable the new government to effect any changes that are considered desirable”. In his resignation letter, Dr Ghio made it clear his decision to step down was forced and that he did not feel he was obliged to do so according to the conditions laid out in national and EU law. Dr Ghio’s resignation letter...