The Labour Party spokesman on European Affairs, George Vella, said today that were he in Tonio Borg's shoes, he would not have signed the declaration which MEPs had asked him to sign in the wake of last week's hearing to consider his suitability to become a European Commissioner.

It was Labour's first reaction after Dr Borg wrote to MEPs yesterday.

Yesterday, former President Eddie Fenech Adami and independent MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando said they would not have signed the declaration. Dr Pullicino Orlando said that it would be a shame if the EU, supposedly built on diversity, rejected Dr Borg for his personal beliefs.

Replying to questions on One TV's breakfast show, Dr Vella referred to that part of Dr Borg's declaration about actively supporting EU policies with regard to women’s rights. He said that such language was usually seen as including abortion. Similar language had been used at the Congress of Socialist Parties three weeks ago. At the time, the Labour Party said that it backed women's rights but it added a reservation that it did not approve abortion.

Dr Borg had a right to his personal opinion, Dr Vella said, and the least he could have done was to add a proviso in his declaration about his opposition to abortion, while respecting the EU Charter and the concept of subsidiarity.

"I would have stood my ground," Dr Vella said.

In what was supposed to be a Europe of Values, one had to question what values Europe was embracing. Its officials, he said, should be chosen on the basis of their competence for their designated responsibilities, not personal beliefs.

Nationalist MP Karl Gouder agreed that the request for the declaration was unfair. He said, however, that Dr Borg had reiterated what he said in the hearing last week, and abortion was something which was decided by the individual states, not the European Union.

The European Parliament will vote on Dr Borg's nomination in plenary session tomorrow.

The Socialist group is expected to formally express itself later today, although the Spanish socialists have said they oppose the nomination. The Popular Party is backing Dr Borg while the Liberals and Greens are against.

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