Lawyer Ian Micallef has been elected president of the Local Authorities Chamber within the Local and Regional Authorities Congress of the Council of Europe.

This congress is one of the three pillars of the Council of Europe. The other two are the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly.

This is the first time that a Maltese national has been elected to this post. Dr Micallef has been a member of the congress for the past 10 years, for two of which he was vice-president.

The role is voluntary (unpaid) and will run for two years, providing he is still a councillor on Gzira local council.

Dr Micallef said: “I am proud to have won this internal election. This shows that while Malta has the smallest delegation within the Council of Europe, the hard work that is put in gives results.”

Being elected president was, he said, an honour for him, for Gzira council and for Malta.