Chief civil servant celebrates Labour victory, raising fresh questions over impartiality

Recent social media posts by Glen Sultana, the son of Principal Permanent Secretary Tony Sultana, are raising fresh concerns about the political neutrality expected of Malta’s top civil servant.

The posts show Tony Sultana, accompanied by his wife, two sons and other family members, participating in Labour Party victory celebrations in Valletta following the party’s latest electoral win.

Videos and images shared online place the Head of the Public Service at the centre of the celebrations, with Labour supporters cheering the family as they joined the festivities. Captions accompanying the posts celebrate what is described as Labour’s fourth consecutive electoral victory.

Senior public service sources described Sultana’s participation as “grossly unbecoming” of the official responsible for upholding standards, discipline and accountability across Malta’s civil service.

The footage also shows Sultana’s sons celebrating alongside Labour supporters. Both have previously been associated with political polling and data analytics linked to Labour’s electoral campaigns.

As Principal Permanent Secretary, Sultana heads Malta’s Public Service and is expected to maintain not only actual impartiality but also the appearance of political neutrality.

The latest images are likely to reignite concerns that have followed his appointment since 2022.

Sultana had a documented history of involvement with the Labour Party before assuming the role that Prime Minister Robert Abela handpicked him for. Prior to becoming Principal Permanent Secretary, he served as Labour’s representative on the Electoral Commission and held senior government positions under Labour administrations.

Questions have also persisted over Sultana’s continued chairmanship of MITA while serving as Head of the Public Service. MITA occupies a central role in the management of government digital infrastructure and public data systems.

Only weeks ago, concerns were further heightened by revelations surrounding Glen Sultana’s involvement in political polling and data analytics through his company, 110 Analytics.

While Labour sources told The Shift that Tony Sultana is the real brains behind his son’s company and is still also directly involved in Labour’s internal polling, the overlap with MITA has prompted questions about whether sufficient safeguards exist between the State’s administrative and digital infrastructure and political campaign operations.

During his tenure as Principal Permanent Secretary, Sultana’s actions have increasingly suggested that he is more interested in assisting the Labour administration than in maintaining the checks and balances expected of his office.

These include the use of state funds for extensive partisan-style advertising on social media, presented as civil service campaigns, and his apparent disregard for the power of incumbency during the electoral campaign. Critics point to the continued distribution of jobs, promotions and government administrative favours despite official directives intended to prevent such abuse.