Lorenzo Vella, who performed as the head of the European Commission representation in Malta, has left the world after a serious illness. Vella was 43 years old. He exits to mourn the loss of his wife and two children.
What was Lorenzo Vella’s impact on Malta and the EU?
From 2012 until 2014, he also functioned in the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) of the European Commission as a Programme Manager, liable for the overall monitoring of policy developments in Malta regarding the priorities and objectives of Europe 2020 Strategy. He also acted as chief of staff to former Health Minister Chris Fearne, filling that post for just under one year at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, before being assigned to Strasbourg as Malta’s Council of Europe representative in May 2021.
He was designated as the Head of Malta’s European Commission representation, which is situated in Valletta, on 1 March 2023.
Prime Minister Robert Abela said that he was deeply saddened at the news, noting that Vella had given “impeccable service to the country and the Labour Party in his youth.”
How did Roberta Metsola express regarding the demise?
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola stated that she was “heartbroken” at the news.
“In all his positions, whether as Malta’s former Deputy Permanent Representative to the EU or as the Head of the European Commission in Malta, he indicated himself as a leader, a diplomat and as a committed public servant,” she reported on Facebook.
“I’ve known him since his days as an activist at University, arguing student motions and counter-motions to make this world a little bit better for everyone. In all our conversations since, he never lost sight of that aim, working tirelessly to bring people around the same table. He fought hard and bravely – always. I will miss him. Malta will miss him. Europe will miss him,” she stated.
Ex-Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne stated that Vella had left far too soon. “In politics and life you find everything, and it’s not always straightforward to find men and women with integrity; but you were an example of how to be upstanding, competent, and deep. I’m already missing you,” Fearne wrote.
