Leo Brincat makes it to the Court of Auditors as EU ministers ignore the European Parliament

The EU Council of Ministers this afternoon formally appointed Leo Brincat a member of the European Court of Auditors, ignoring a negative vote by the European Parliament. 
The vote in the council was unanimous and there was no discussion.
The Maltese government welcomed the decision, saying it was a reflection on Mr Brincat's integrity and competence.  It regretted that, for the first time, there were divisions locally on such a nomination and said it now hoped that such politically partisan games would stop.  
Mr Brincat had scraped through the grilling of the European Parliament's Budget Committee thanks to the vote by former colleague Alfred Sant but his nomination had then been defeated in a 229-381 vote by the full European Parliament.
Despite that vote, the Maltese government stuck to its nomination, and Mr Brincat was given the green light today by the EU Council of Ministers.

Mr Brincat served as parliamentary secretary under Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici in 1986-87 and was Minister of Finance under Alfred Sant in the 1996-98 legislature. He was Environment Minster under Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.
Opposition to his nomination stemmed from his backing for...