Ryan Callus ready to give up seat in Maltese parliament for Roberta Metsola

Nationalist MP Ryan Callus has declared his willingness to give up his parliamentary seat if Roberta Metsola is elected leader of the party.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Callus said that the PN “urgently needs unity and a renewed consensus”.

“It has also become evident that the person best positioned to bring this unity and enjoys the broad electoral appeal we need to win the next election might not be a member of the Maltese parliament,” Callus wrote, without mentioning names but with a clear reference to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

“For this reason, and with a deep sense of responsibility, I declare my readiness to relinquish my seat in parliament should she or he be elected as the next leader of our party by our members,” Callus wrote, adding this was not a decision he took lightly.

Callus’s declaration clears a stumbling block for Metsola, who would otherwise have no path into the Maltese parliament, if she decides to run for the post of party leader.

But Callus’s statement adds pressure on Metsola to make a formal announcement on what her intentions are. It follows comments made by PN MP Mark Anthony Sammut yesterday, who told The Malta Independent that he was not interested in the role, adding there is “one person who enjoys clear consensus for the role”. Sammut was referring to Metsola.

The European parliament president has long been touted as a potential leadership candidate but has so far never made her intentions known.

Her shadow lingers on the impending leadership contest, initiated by Bernard Grech’s decision to resign on Tuesday.

Grech will stay on as leader and Opposition leader until his replacement is elected by the party councillors and members.

Grech himself has indirectly challenged Metsola to declare her intentions, insisting that the leadership post is now vacant. In comments to MaltaToday, Grech had also acknowledged Metsola’s higher trust rating, insisting his departure creates the space for those who enjoy more trust than him to contest.