Malta nominates foreign minister as new EU commissioner

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Published 22 October 2012, updated 24 October 2012

6 comments

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European Commission, Malta, Tonio Borg

Malta has nominated Foreign Minister Tonio Borg to replace John Dalli as its European Commissioner.

Dalli resigned as the EU's commissioner for health and consumer protection last week after an investigation connected him with an attempt to influence EU tobacco legislation.

"Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi spoke with President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso and informed him of the nomination of the Maltese government," a statement from Malta's Department of Information said late on Saturday (20 October).

The nomination must be approved by the European Parliament after a hearing where the candidate is quizzed by MEPs.

Borg has been foreign minister since 2008 and deputy leader of the ruling Nationalist Party since 2004.

Born in 1957, Borg studied at St Aloysius College and later at the University of Malta from where he graduated as a lawyer in 1979. He is a constitutional lawyer and holds an MSc in human rights. He has three children.

Positions:

The European People's Party (EPP) welcomed the decision of the Maltese Government to nominate Dr Tonio Borg for the post of European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy. "I commend Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi for acting swiftly in nominating a new Commissioner", said Joseph Daul, Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament. "Europe is facing a serious economic challenge and a fully functional and focused European Commission is essential to continue combating the crisis effectively. Prime Minister Gonzi's decision to act immediately in response to Commissioner Dalli's unexpected resignation shows the Maltese Government's sense of responsibility in ensuring that the European Commission is immediately restored to its full complement in the best interest of public trust in the Institution," Daul said.

EurActiv.com with Reuters

External Links

Governments

Maltese government: Tonio Borg nominated European Commssioner (20 Oct. 2012)

Press articles

EurActiv Greece: Νέο Επίτροπο Υγείας προτείνει η Μάλτα
EurActiv Slovakia: Tonio Borg: Malta menovala nového komisára

COMMENTS

So the Swedish Company got its own way and delayed the new Tobacco Directive yet again even though there was no alleged mal-practice with the former Commissioner.

The EU must now speed up this Directive as the tobacco industry is killing over 50 million people world wide every year.

By :
Victoria
- Posted on :
22/10/2012
Flag as abusive
Dear Sir, Madam,
could Euractiv be a bit more explicit about the accusations against John Dalli? Or did I miss something?

Tony Van der haegen

By :
Tony Van der haegen
- Posted on :
22/10/2012
Flag as abusive
@Tony. Thanks for your comment. You'll find more information in 'More on this Topic', on the left hand side of the page, specifically in the article "EU health commissioner resigns over anti-fraud case", http://www.euractiv.com/general/eu-health-commissioner-resigns-a-news-515451
By :
march
- Posted on :
22/10/2012
Flag as abusive
Perhaps Euractiv could undertake an investigation into Tonio Borg's virulently homophobic (recent) past. Rocco Buttiglione pales in comparison. Perhaps you could get a translation of this speech he had made in the Maltese Parliament in this legislature: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTO8TZYGo-A

By :
Maltese
- Posted on :
22/10/2012
Flag as abusive
Are you indicating that it is also one of the reason for his resignation?

By :
Marcus
- Posted on :
23/10/2012
Flag as abusive
THE ONE AND ONLY

“Arrogance on the part of the meritorious is even more offensive than the arrogance of those without merit: for merit itself is offensive.”
Friedrich Nietzsche

“You have three quarters of an hour, because at five o’clock I will issue a press release. You have either to resign or I shall dismiss you by five o’clock.”

My goodness, how could one be more arrogant? And this coming from the mouth of the one and only, the unelected, private-jet loving, Portuguese eurocrat, now top boss of the European Union, already eyeing a third term in his office. It seems that he does not see himself as arrogant but actually as really, really great, the undisputed and indispensable leader of the gang.

This was the most odious, shameful and undemocratic way that the EU Commission President, Jose Barroso chose to force Commissioner John Dalli to resign.

By :
Joseph M. Cachia
- Posted on :
25/10/2012
Flag as abusive