The public shaming of Malta
Tonio Borg has made it. He has signed the declaration requested of him by the European Parliament and has obtained the necessary majority of votes in Parliament to be nominated European Commissioner.
Yet, his nomination process has left some serious scars on Malta’s image in Europe.
In the space of five weeks, Malta has established two sad records in Europe.
First it was John Dalli who became the only European Commissioner to have been individually dismissed in the over 50-year history of the EU.
Then it was Borg who was humiliated, together with all us Maltese, by being made to sign a hitherto unprecedented written declaration as if he were a primary schoolboy.
This humiliation on the part of Europe has been also noted by Malta’s Auxiliary Bishop, Mgr Charles Scicluna, who stated that Borg “is being required to do things which are not demanded of representatives of bigger countries”.
The problematic consequences of a possible nomination by Malta of Borg had been pointed out to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi by Alternattiva Demokratika before the Maltese Government formally nominated him.
Malta was in the world limelight because of the unhappy Dalli affair. What we needed was to settle the new commissioner appointment as quickly as possible without creating further ripples with regard to our country’s image.
We therefore asked Gonzi to consult with Joseph Muscat and other actors and nominate a non-controversial person backed by all political actors in Malta, on the understanding that the new commissioner would be nominated for the remaining 20 months of Dalli’s term but would then be confirmed for a second five-year period in 2014. This is what normally happens in such circumstances. Commissioners Joaquin Almunia (Spain) and Antonio Tajani (Italy) are such examples in today’s Commission.
Of course, Alternattiva’s sensible request was pooh-poohed. In Malta, the winner takes all. So who cares about what the representatives of a political party with diverging political views say, even if they are talking sense?
Therefore, egoistic party interests prevailed in both the Nationalist and the Labour parties.
With the PN being in disarray and trailing badly in the polls, Gonzi needed to create some “excitement” among the demoralised members of his party and so he decided to rope in new blood in the higher echelons of the party. By nominating Borg as commissioner he created a vacancy for a “new” young Turk as deputy leader, who was supposed to galvanise the ailing party.
The fact that the Borg nomination could be a problematic one for Europe was of no concern for Gonzi. Party interests came before the national interest.
Muscat could have opposed this nomination. But he did not. Muscat does not want a non-controversial person occupying the post for six and a half years. He wants to have a free hand so that, in 2014, he can nominate the person of his choice, possibly one of those who defied the will of the people in 2003 and took to the streets screaming hysterically “Partnership rebaħ”.
Muscat therefore struck a deal with Gonzi: a free hand for Gonzi to nominate Borg for a mere 20 months but then a free hand for Muscat in 2014 to nominate his party man for the following five years. As in the case of Gonzi, even in the case of Muscat egoistic party interests came before the national interest.
We have now all witnessed the results of this deal: four weeks under the spotlight for the whole of Malta, with our representative being subjected to humiliating treatment and our country being depicted as some sort of Ayatollah backyard, something that it definitely is not.
Borg has been forced to sign the declaration and, thus, gets the job.
However, because of the egoistic and myopic views of Gonzi and Muscat, our country’s name and reputation have been smeared in this whole affair.
It will take time and patience to restore our country’s damaged image in Europe. And in about 20 months’ time, the next Maltese commissioner designate will be subjected to the “grilling”.
Arnold Cassola is Alternattiva Demokratika’s spokesman on EU and international affairs.
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Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi
Nov 25th 2012, 16:15
Tonio Borg should have not signed that declaration and walk out with his head held high.
That would have been the true Maltese spirit, a spirit to be proud of for sure.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Nov 25th 2012, 17:33
Dr Tonio could not have come out from his ordeal with his head held any higher, being a shining example of the strong Maltese spirit that defied and humbled ALDE, LGPT and their secularist allies in Malta with a demonstration that his word was as good as his written document and without reneging on his right to the public observance of hos Catholic faith. Any different spin is a face-saving stunt.
Ms.D. Galea
Nov 25th 2012, 13:28
If anyone shamed Malta , it was fellow Maltese deliberately feeding misinformation to their loony-left fellow agitators in the EU, to help impose their particular brand of ''tolerant'' intolerance and ''belief'' in non-belief on everybody else.
Charles Cremona
Nov 25th 2012, 12:21
Tonio Borg has betrayed his principles and what he believes in, this is shameful and unheard off in Europe. A man who surrenders his principles for power is not worthy of trust anymore.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Nov 25th 2012, 13:46
What is shameful is your jaundiced blinkered vision. The EU Commission disagrees with you and is accepting a Malta nominee chosen by all the people that count, lay and ecclesiastical.
Charles Sammut
Nov 24th 2012, 23:34
everybody has his price!!
Joe Zammit
Nov 24th 2012, 20:47
I think you better change AD to BC!
M Sciberras
Nov 24th 2012, 19:02
It is the mentality of people like Arnold Cassola that shames Malta. Yes Tonio Borg should not have signed the declaration. But neither should practicing Catholics be barred from acting as EC Commissioner, which is what a reluctance to nominate someone like Borg implies. And the solid support of the so called conservatives in the EP vote for Borg is something we should be proud of, not ashamed.
Richard Caruana
Nov 24th 2012, 17:29
The shame is entirely on your so-called 'party' which has never moved forward an inch.
Francis Sammut
Nov 24th 2012, 20:29
You must be joking, right? I mean how can you say that Alternattiva hasn't moved an inch when many a time it was this party who had time and again started the ball rolling in order for the government to take the initiative. The problem is that the people have been duped by both parties not to vote for it with the excuse that that vote would be going for the other party, LP or PN, whichever..
GL Calleja
Nov 24th 2012, 16:23
Mr Cassola I think you are more worried about Alternattiva Demokratika than the election of Tonio Borg to the EU position. Good or bad it is a done deal, let it go.If you are looking for political points why don't you and your party try to save the Historical Selmun Palace from being sold to a private party. By right this Majestic Historical Palace belongs to the people and not to a private party.
Johan zammit
Nov 24th 2012, 15:36
Shame on you Dr. Cassola What did you want the PL to do in such a situation where we were treated by Europeans specially the President of the commission as second class citizens. He fired John Dalli on circumstantial evidence. Will he had done the same to say a German or a French.
Mr Joe Micallef
Nov 24th 2012, 13:59
You see Profs. it is all very subjective.
For example I feel humiliated by a local party that is part of an international party that promotes the legalisation of abortion. Despite all the protestations of the local party it still sits comfortably with the new breed of despicable fundamentalists. Sure that rings a bell, doesn’t it?
George Calleja
Nov 24th 2012, 12:48
Shame on you and your insignificant party which supported the greens and liberals abroad. This attitude should serve a lesson to those who think about voting for AD. They will surely be negative to all decent legislation because they want to show that they are a modern party. No wonder that AD has never been trusted with a solitary seat in parliament.
Antoine Vella
Nov 24th 2012, 11:51
It was the Greens and (pseudo-)Liberals who were harmed by the Tonio Borg affair because their true colours, bigotry and intolerance,,were exposed. Even their leader Cohn-Bendit was disgusted by the behaviour that Cassola admires. While Greens/Liberals sound so "reasonable' when they're a tiny minority, this incident showed that a little power goes to their heads. Will AD be like that in Malta?
Gerry Cowie
Nov 24th 2012, 11:25
Well, there is an election in the offing which AD are bound to win with a resounding victory!
Anthony Charles Abela
Nov 25th 2012, 12:52
If you are being sarcastic Gerry, rememberit's the lowest form etc,etc,however if you are serious,I'll remember what you sad about it. Down with your taring and feathering anyone who makes any form of comment contrary to the roman catholics' beliefs,even if they hurt God.A.C.Abela
Victor Zammit
Nov 24th 2012, 10:57
I have come round to beg to differ with correspondent and others holding same view. The signing was unprecedented but that is exactly why there are precedents. I think Ranier Fsadni (“Borg was right to sign” of Thursday last) has put a more logical opposite view.
Andy Farrugia
Nov 24th 2012, 10:28
And this guy really has the gall........after doing his damnedest together with assorted others to tarnish the reputation of the Maltese nominee with a plethora of false allegations and lies.......to pass judgement over Malta's image abroad. Perhaps some Limoncello might help him see some sense, but I doubt it.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Nov 24th 2012, 10:20
The greatest shaming of Malta was caused by local dissidents who contrary to the wishes of the nation as expressed by its elected parliamentarians on both sides of the House and contrary to the expressed opinion of our respected Auxiliary Bishop allied themselves with foreigners who opposed our nominee and tried to penalise him for openly observing his Catholicism as everyone is entitled to do.
Please choose the reason of your report below: