Former Labour critic set to become Malta's ambassador in the US

Labour Party advisor Marisa Micallef (formerly known as Micallef Leyson) is set to be appointed as Malta ambassador in Washington DC.

The Nationalist Party defector will replace Joseph Cole, who was only appointed as ambassador in the US in June 2012.

A career diplomat, Cole, joined the diplomatic corps in 1977, and served as consul general for Malta in Sydney, Australia, from 1983 to 1985, deputy head of the Malta High Commission in London, UK between 1998 and 2001 and in 2002, he served as Malta's representative at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Later he served on the as chairman of the Malta Sanctions Monitoring Board, which is responsible for Malta's participation in international economic sanctions against countries like Iran and Libya. In March 2013 Ambassador Cole was appointed Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In what seems like another political appointment which could cause a stir, Micallef is set to take up the role, representing Malta in the capital of the world's super power, in the coming weeks.

Micallef previously a heavyweight within Nationalist ranks, sensationally switched to Labour leader Joseph Muscat's ranks in 2009.

Just over a year after winning the Labour Party's leadership, Muscat had wooed Micallef, to become his advisor. Her main role was to help Muscat convert voters who never considered voting Labour.

The former Housing Authority chairperson was pivotal in Labour's efforts to attract members of the business community and was behind the countless meetings Muscat had with influential businessmen.

For long years, Micallef was more than just a prototype Nationalist supporter. The former PN candidate and politically-appointed Housing Authority chairman was very close to former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi - whom she actively backed in his 2003 leadership bid against John Dalli - and had previously contested national elections with the Nationalist Party on the 9th district.

As a columnist for the Malta Independent, Marisa Micallef relentlessly pounded both Labour and Alternattiva Demokratika for years (though she consistently reminded her readers that she had worked in a Labour council in Britain), and was described as a "cheerleader" for Lawrence Gonzi.

A former chairperson of the Housing Authority since 1998, she has occupied positions on the mental health board, the Building Industry Consultative Council, and of course, the Nationalist think-tank AZAD.

During her militancy within the PN,  she was a constant target of the Labour media circus over the 'Lay-Lay scandal' that dogged Alfred Sant's government, over the purchase of a Lm1.5 million housing project that did not even carry the necessary permits.

Her political career was brief, polling 587 first-preference votes in 1998 for the PN. Having lived in the UK for 15 years before that, she had admitted to always feeling like a fish out of water in Malta.

She was famed for her distrust of Alfred Sant and for her denigrating of Alternattiva Demokratika, which she warned would endanger the chances of securing a Nationalist victory in 2003 and consequently, EU accession.

Her switch to Labour was spurred by an acrimonious falling out with former PN Education Minister Dolores Cristina, and did noting to hide her disappointment with the Gonzi administration in her contributions to the press.
Her move to Labour in 2009, reportedly cost the party a figure rumoured to be around €40,000, however in one stroke, Muscat neutralised a vocal critic of Labour in the English language press and exposed cracks in the Nationalist Party.

The English-speaking Micallef also helped Muscat dispel the notion that the PN was the natural home for the middle class and helped the Labour leader make significant inroads in what was previously a hostile audience.

Micallef's switch to Labour had shocked the PN and although her crossing was met with typical silence by the PN, rumours were rife about the new Labour leader's darling lifestyle.

A separated woman with one child, Micallef is an outspoken liberal who criticised Gonzi over his proposal to entrench the abortion law into the Constitution, among other conservative initiatives. She was also a vociferous supporter of divorce during her time within the PN ranks.