Hermann Schiavone, a PN member of parliament until the last general elections, was given a government contract as a policy advisor at the Ministry for Agriculture and Fisheries.

The Shift is informed that the disgruntled former MP, who had decided not to contest the 2022 elections as he claimed that he had enough of politics and “wanted to spend more time with his family”, was given the government job through the direct intervention of Prime Minister Robert Abela.

For years, Schiavone, from Marsaxlokk, served various PN ministers in their private secretariats and is a senior principal within the public service.

Through his new contract as an advisor to the government on a person-of-trust basis, Schiavone has been promoted from salary scale 7 to scale 3 of the public service, increasing his take-home pay by thousands.

Schiavone holds a PhD in political science, which he acquired as a mature student from a foreign university.

Sources told The Shift that Schiavone is currently posted at the government’s abattoir in Marsa, but his exact role is unknown.

Schiavone’s sudden closeness to Labour became evident before the last MEP elections in 2024 when he started appearing on the State broadcaster PBS. Labour-leaning media quoted him with a pro-Labour tinge on his election predictions.

Before the polls, he predicted, wrongly, that Labour had a 20,000 vote advantage and that the PN could fail to acquire a third seat if European Parliament President Roberta Metsola took most of the PN’s vote. Both predictions fell flat.

Schiavone, who used to operate a fish restaurant in Marsaxlokk, has a chequered history as a PN activist.

While he only managed to make it to parliament in 2017, after decades of contesting unsuccessfully on the fifth electoral district, he was also precluded from contesting the 2013 elections following allegations of wrongdoing received by the PN.

During the years, Schiavone was also investigated by the PN and other authorities for other claims of abuse, including not attending his place of work and soliciting donations from business people.

No specific details were ever given on the nature of these allegations. The PN never sacked Schiavone.