Reshuffle casualty Aaron Farrugia says he accepts PM’s decision ‘with humility’

Former minister Aaron Farrugia thanked family and staff for their support after becoming a casualty of a surprise Cabinet reshuffle on 6 January.

Farrugia, a long-time Labour youth activist who climbed the ranks from junior minister for EU funds to transport minister under Robert Abela, suffered a pruning from the prime minister’s Epiphany reshuffle.

As a young minister whose responsibility included an ambitious portfolio of €700 million in road projects inherited from predecessor Ian Borg, Farrugia was by far the most egregious of Abela’s mid-term substitutions.

“My role as minister comes to an end, and I can say I am proud that, in good or bad, I served my country to the best of my capabilities, now as well as in with my former portfolios,” Farrugia said on Facebook.

“I accept the Prime Minister’s decision with humility, and I commit myself to keep serving my country as an MP, with all the trust placed in me by those who elected me. I augur my colleagues well, particularly Chris Bonnett who I have no doubt will do the position justice.”

Initially elected in 2017, Farrugia served as Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds and Social Dialogue in former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s cabinet. In Abela’s first term as Prime Minister, Farrugia then assumed the role of Minister for the Environment, Climate Change & Planning.

Transitioning from one substantial ministry to another, Farrugia subsequently held the portfolio for infrastructure, transport, and capital projects.

Just five months after the election, Farrugia faced a challenge as traffic jams overwhelmed Malta due to an excess of ongoing road projects. Attempting to deflect criticism, he attributed the congestion not only to infrastructure work but also to closed roads for summer feasts.