Damage control: Ann Fenech heads to Serkin for

The President of the PN Executive Ann Fenech yesterday paid a visit to is-Serkin, Malta’s most famous pastizzeria, in what is seen as an attempt by her and the PN to make amends for the criticism levelled by Dr Fenech last week following a visit by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

The pastizzeria ended up in the middle of political controversy after Dr Muscat took a number of EU leaders for some traditional pastizzi following the EU Summit last week. His visit attracted various reactions, but what stood out the most was Ann Fenech’s comment on Facebook which caused an outcry.

Ann Fenech wrote on Facebook: “Why our Prime Minister and his wife should take the Prime Ministers of Luxembourg, Slovenia and Belgium for tea in a glass and a pastizz on a paper napkin in a room with bathroom tiles is beyond me. Is it because they believe this to be “typically Maltese”? Well there would have been several other venues which would also have been typically Maltese but would not have been so common and crude! Clearly they don’t know any better and there is nobody in their employ to advise them. It’s painful.”

Her comment was negatively received by many and the backlash was felt only a few minutes after she had posted the rant on Facebook, with many expressing anger at how socially detached the Nationalist Party is when displaying such comments.

Yesterday, together with deputy general secretary Jean Pierre Debono, Dr Fenech went to the Rabat pastizzeria to meet the owners.