Tista’ taqra bil-
Malti.
Malta has revoked Peter Mandelson’s honorary membership to the National Order of Merit in the wake of further revelations about his ties to the late billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The 65-year-old had been honoured by Malta during his stint as the EU’s commissioner for trade between 2004 and 2008.
He has long been a controversial figure in British politics, having been a key adviser to former prime minister Tony Blair at the helm of a Labour Party that drifted away from its left-wing roots.
Current prime minister and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer – broadly a centrist in the Blairite mould – had controversially appointed Mandelson ambassador to the US in December 2024, only for the term to be cut short in September 2024 concerning his longstanding association with Epstein.
Mandelson is now under police investigation over those links.
Honorary membership revoked by the president
As a foreign national, his membership to the National Order of Merit could only be conferred on an honorary basis, and in line with the provisions of the Ġieħ ir-Repubblika Act, revoking honorary appointments is a less onerous process.
The act specifies that honorary appointments can be terminated by the president – on the advice of the prime minister after they consult with the opposition leader – “on the grounds that the conduct of the person has… made him unworthy” of the honour. Revoking the membership of Maltese nationals in contrast, requires a parliamentary resolution.
The termination of Mandelson’s Maltese honours was carried out on Thursday, and confirmed through a brief paragraph on Friday’s edition of the Government Gazette.
“In excercise of the powers conferred by Article 23(2)(c) of the Ġieħ ir-Repubblika Act, it is notified that the honorary appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson to the National Order of Merit has been terminated,” the statement reads.
