PL MEP Daniel Attard has written a letter of complaint to European Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly against European Parliament President Roberta Metsola with regards to allegations of nepotism.
Attard penned a letter to the European Ombudsman in Strasbourg, saying that he is "deeply concerned that this may constitute in a significant breach" of the highest ethical standards the institution prides itself on.
The letter followed after Metsola appointed her brother-in-law Matthew Tabone, who has worked with Metsola for many years, as her 'Chef de Cabinet.'
"Regrettably, this is not an isolated incident. Metsola planned to appoint Tabone as her Chef de Cabinet in 2022, and only reversed her decision following intense media scrutiny and the resulting public outcry," Attard wrote.
He continued that this followed her decision to back the appointment of her former Chef de Cabinet, Alessandro Chiocchetti, as Secretary-General of the European Parliament.
"Just today, Politico raised significant questions about the European Parliament's conflict of interest rules, reportedly bypassed by President Metsola," Attard said.
Attard said that it is "profoundly troubling to observe that President Metsola, and as such the European Parliament, is once again embroiled in a situation that echoes past controversies."
He continued that despite the previous scrutiny and the resultant reversal of her decision in 2022, "it appears that this was only a temporary measure to appease her critics."
"She has now pressed on with this appointment, thereby undermining the commitment to ethical governance and transparency in the European Parliament," Attard said.
"The standards adopted before the election should not have been downgraded or even worse, discarded, after the election. Such recurring practices in complete disregard of established rules and ethical standards not only compromise the credibility of this institution but also erode public trust in politicians."
He begged the question: "Are we subscribing to the highest standards which this house of European Democracy rightfully proclaims and which our citizens demand, or are we going to portray an image of blatant double standards?"