Malta diplomat in Finland quits after comparing Merkel and Hitler

Malta‘s ambassador to Finland resigned on Sunday after he came under fire for comparing German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Adolf Hitler, Malta‘s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs said in an emailed statement.

“When accepting the ambassador’s resignation with immediate effect, Minister Evarist Bartolo stressed that the ambassador’s comments on German Chancellor Angela Merkel were not representative of the friendship and mutual respect between Malta and Germany,” the statement said.

Michael Zammit Tabona wrote in a Facebook post on Friday, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, that “75 years ago we stopped Hitler. Who will stop Angela Merkel? She has fulfilled Hitler’s dream! To control Europe”.

Zammit Tabona, a businessman and political appointee who was appointed in 2014, could not be contacted for comment.

Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo told the Times of Malta that an apology would be sent to the German embassy.

Zammit Tabona’s Facebook post has since been deleted; he has not commented on the issue.