Members of the European Parliament’s health committee have questioned the nomination of Maltese Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne for the post of European commissioner after it emerged he will face criminal charges in connection with a deal for three hospitals, POLITICO reports.
Fearne, who has denied wrongdoing, was considered a frontrunner to replace Stella Kyriakides as health commissioner after the EU election. He was Europe’s longest-serving health minister until he was moved into a different position in January, and continues to lead in global health discussions. Last year he presided over the World Health Assembly, and he is vice-chair of the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance.
To make it into the College of Commissioners as health commissioner, however, Fearne would need to be approved by both the Parliament’s environment and health committee (ENVI) and the Council.
“The European Parliament holds high standards when it comes to Commissioner-designates’ approval,” Cyrus Engerer, a Maltese MEP from Fearne’s Labour Party, told POLITICO. “Past decisions prove this.”
In 2019 the Parliament rejected French President Emmanuel Macron’s initial pick for commissioner, Sylvie Goulard, over ethical concerns. MEPs also rejected nominations by Hungary and Romania due to apparent conflicts of interest.
“I can only say that I have always, always served my duty with the utmost correctness and integrity, and I have certainly never strayed towards breaking the law,” Fearne said in his defence. Fearne is to be charged with fraud and misappropriation over the Vitals inquiry.
Slovenian MEP Irena Joveva, was more explicit when asked whether Fearne’s nomination should go ahead, according to POLITICO.
“The answer is quite simple — no. Although I am a firm believer in European justice systems and everyone’s right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, there should be a prerequisite for everyone considered for any type of political position not to be facing any type of investigative process,” Joveva said.
Grace O’Sullivan, an Irish MEP from the Greens and a member of ENVI, told POLITICO it was “very difficult to see how a potential nominee facing serious criminal charges could be supported.”
Another Irish MEP on ENVI, Billy Kelleher, and a member of Renew, said he would not vote for Fearne if he was still facing criminal charges.
“Being charged with criminal activity is unbecoming of a potential European Commissioner. I don’t believe the Maltese government should be nominating such a person to a very important role,” Kelleher told POLITICO.
