Tonio Fenech steps down from politics to focus on family

Former finance minister Tonio Fenech has announced that he will be stepping down from politics and therefore, will not be contesting with the Nationalist Party on the 3 June elections, choosing to focus instead on his family.

“This was not an easy the decision, and I retain my view that politics is a noble service. However, I believe the time has come for me to contribute in other ways, focusing on my family, which has had to make sacrifices due to my political obligations,” Fenech wrote on his Facebook page.

He added that his decision was based on a personal conviction that he had fulfilled his role in politics, mentioning a number of achievements by the Nationalist government led by Eddie Fenech Adami and Lawrence Gonz,i which he said he was proud to have contributed to, including joining the European Union, adopting the Euro as the national currency and safeguarding jobs during the 2008 economic crisis.

“I am not doing this because I am no longer a Nationalist or because I have any divergences from the Party. I made this decision because I wish to contribute in a way where I can create unity, and where I can make a difference among people, and not in that which is material and ephemeral,” Fenech said.

Fenech said that it was not his intention to resign from the party, as he still believed that the PN is the best choice for the coming election.

"[A government] led by the Nationalist Party is the only hope for this country,” he said, adding that he will be working to put the Party in government.