And inevitably again…
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October 20, 2012 at 7:33pm
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Another major international embarrassment is in the offing for Malta if Tonio Borg is nominated for the post of Commissioner.
His views on IVF are, to say the least, extreme by European standards. If you then include his other views such as divorce, though unrelated to the health portfolio, are simply a matter of ridicule.
There’s no way Malta’s commissioner will keep the healthcare portfolio.
Barroso will do a re-shuffle of his own, and relegate the Maltese commissioner to… what was the Romanian dumped with?… ah, “multilingualism”.
Thank you, Johnny Dalli.
Good point.
First commissioner, an angel.
Second commissioner, a satan.
Next commissioner, a potential saint.
I disagree with you, dudu. Tonio Borg is the ideal candidate for the job.
He is a true gentleman with great integrity and sound moral values. Cannot think of anyone better who will reverse the bad publicity and reputation this whole saga has caused the nation.
Tonio Borg! An ideal candidate? Excuse me while I splutter over my cornflakes.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he was rejected in the confirmation hearings. Hence him holding on to his ministerial portfolio just in case.
When will Prime Minister Gonzi, and a large section of Maltese society incidentally, finally realise that you just cannot nominate socially conservative extremists to the college of European Comissioners, especially the health portfolio, and expect the rest of Europe not to look aghast at Maltese parochialism and the dumping of Maltese politicians way past their sell by date onto what is meant to be the elite executive body of the European Union.
Hasn’t Malta been embarrassed enough?
Oh for fuck’s sake. Tonio Borg is your typical PN veteran: haughty, with his head up his arse, confuses religion and politics, and an inveterate fence-sitter on international issues.
The worst of it is he genuinely believes Malta led the effort to overthrow Gaddafi. I mean you just have to give up with these people. They’re living in a dream world of champagne-fluted receptions and diplomatic compliments, and they think it’s politics.
Rocco Buttiglione::” His nomination for a post as European Commissioner with a portfolio that was to include civil liberties, resulted in controversy as some political groups opposed him for his Roman Catholic views against homosexuality, despite his assurances that these were only his personal convictions and would not dictate his administration.” (WIKIPEDIA)
Tonio Borg is our Rocco Buttiglione.
Sound moral values can be a liability. Not everyone’s definition is the same. If you mean Borg is a staunch Catholic who wears his belief on his sleeve, then you can see what I mean.
If we ever have a Muslim nominee who gets rejected because of his religion, there would be civil war all across the EU. Catholics can be rejected, however; no problem.
Tonio spearheaded the internal discussion on the IVF law and drafted the initial law way back when Eddie was still president, in the 2003-2008 legislature.
The law was not tabled as there was a good possibility that Eddie Fenech Adami, as president, would not have signed it. The draft was very similar to the tabled one and this was based on the German law.
Are you stating that the German law on IVF is extreme by EU standard?
Isn’t he the bloke who said “I wouldn’t say so” when asked by Sky News if his policy to Gaddafi was somewhat friendly or something like that?
Bit cringeworthy at the time.
Still the Maltese pool of worthy politicians is shallow to say the least.
Yeah some circus Mr. Fried Dough with Dates.
From the looks of things the only circus you are an expert in is the circus of the circle jerk.
No one is a winner in this genius of an idea for easy money especially your dixie fried friend Johnny is- snus Dalli.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20121020/local/tonio-borg-expected-to-be-nominated-european-commissioner.441660
If a reshuffle of commissioners takes place as has been rumoured,, Tonio Borg may end up with a different portfolio. You can see him banning the sale of condoms with his beliefs.
I can see him banning sex altogether.
On Bla Agenda tonight, the televoting question is:
Int tahseb li Bondi+, imhallas minn flusek fuq PBS, huwa bilancjat? Iva? Le? Ghaliex?
Unbelievable! I can already see the result as being completely on the Le, regardless of the fact that every time the topic is political, representatives of both parties are invited.
@ Oscar and Aunty Hetty.
No doubt Silvio Zammit’s PR guru Martin Sapiano will be giving him some brilliant damage-control ideas.
For the last few months Silvio Zammit has been exploiting this wannabe DJ’s ‘inane’ radio programme (as you so rightly called it) on Radio101 as a vehicle to promote his own food joint and circuses.
Worse still are the daily phone-ins with Sapiano encouraging our (ex) deputy mayor to pontificate on totally useless issues.
Now Sapiano posts the following rubbish, pidgin English and all, on Silvio’s Facebook.
” 1.WE WANT U BACK AS SLIEMA MAYOR!! NOW ALL THOSE IN FAVOUR?
2.F__K THAT IDIOT OF EORPEAN UNION
3.D WORD IS GOING around KEMM U ANTIPATIKU ”
The question is, how much of the 60,000,000 euro has he promised you, Martin? Watch this space.
Well said Aunty Hetty, ”some mothers do ‘ave them”. And John Dalli sure chooses them.
Martin Sapiano was never very bright.
Sorry la redoute i meant proffessor as im not so bright lol
Since when stating what you belive in is wrong ?
Since you become a cabinet minister or EU commissioner. That’s no place for professions of faith.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4600361/Burberry-check-sack-by-designer-Atelier-Galetsky-unveiled-at-Moscow-Fashion-Week.html
MEDIA PRESS RELEASE (Explained)
I categorically state that I have never received any payment from the Swedish company (I was never paid despite my repeated requests).
My role was that of a lobbyist and all my contribution in the matter was above board and regular, in consonance with established practices. (I was unarmed)
Furthermore, I confirm that I was contacted by the foreign party and it was them that set the ball rolling.(They returned my call)
I will leave no stone unturned to prove that I am extraneous to the case and demonstrate that Olaf’s conclusions are erroneous and seriously baseless – and cannot be substantiated by evidence, not even circumstantial evidence. (John can corroborate my claims)
I strongly feel that OLAF have seriously misinterpreted the evidence they have in hand. (They won’t believe my lies)
I will not, for this moment, try to interpret why such a turn of events may have come about. (I was told it was perfectly safe)
I wouldn’t have possibly asked for such an amount. If you think about it, I would have had a problem where to store the cash. My kiosk is not that big.
Daphne,
This has got nothing to do with the above. But, I am under the impression that something WILL be changing in the Nationalist Party.
So now we have Tonio Borg nominated as EU Commissioner. When Borg’s nomination goes through, he will have to resign as a member of parliament. I believe that Simon Busuttil will then be co-opted in his place.
This gives Gonzi the opportunity to nominate Simon as a Foreign Minister and deputy leader of PN, opening the door for him to be elected leader after (or maybe just before) the election.
I would appreciate your views regarding the above.
Thanks.
[Daphne – I have no views, really, and speculation is pointless anyway as we shall find out soon enough. It is far more likely that Tonio Borg’s seat will be filled by the next-in-line from the last general election. And in any case, it is most unlikely that a brand-new MP will be made Foreign Minister. No point anyway, as we are only roughly six weeks away from the dissolution of parliament, given that Franco Debono is committed to bringing down the government by voting against the budget.]
The deputy leader of the PN has to stand for an election and voted for. He is not appointed.
Six weeks? Bugger. I was planning a skiing holiday in Harry’s chalet.
Come anyway, Baxxter, I’ve got WIFI.. You can email your vote.
Toblerone-land here I come. Who cares about voting anyway? It’s a straight choice between The Party of Sleaze With a Spineless Leader and the Party of Stupidity with a Scheming Leader.
Good choice. Anyway, the acronyms of your definition of both parties are identical. Speaks volumes. Both useless.
Hmm. Didn’t notice that. I guess I don’t know my own genius.
Yes, Switzerland. Zermatt, where I can bathe in a tub of fondue and molten chocolate with fresh Alpenmädels while I drink vintage champagne out of a keg carried by my St Bernard butler, as I check the time on my Patek Philippe.
That is what I’d do with my 60 million. And some Maltese multi-millionaires would have us believe they’re god-fearing family men. Yeah. Right.
From Franco’s blog:
“If Tonio Borg will be nominated for EU Commissioner, this could unfortunately prove to be another huge embarassment for Malta, and I will explain why in a series of posts.
This is the first one.
First of all, the Commission will note that news was published in the Times, a normal newspaper like l-Orizzont. Why was news not published in The Malat Independent or Maltatoday? Does something lie beneath all this?”
What makes L-Orizzont a ‘normal newspaper’? It’s only normal in the eyes of a Labourite, of course… shouldn’t that set alarm bells ringing further that Franco is simply a fraud?
Daphne, who is Tonio’s next -in-line? I do not exclude the possibility that Franco may be reconsidering his threat now that Dalli is in hot water. Dalli may urge Debono to prolong the PN administration for it would be of more benefit to him now that he is facing criminal proceedings.
Why? Labour are such big fans of his… !
The cleaning up of any political party is an ongoing process. The Nationalist Party kick-started one with the change in party leadership way back in 2004.
Eddie Fenech Adami was himself instrumental in this reform.
He chose and strongly supported Gonzi in the leadership succession vote, and that clearly signalled the direction the party planned to take.
A lot has been done already and I would say that the party is on track, but there is more left to do.
Unfortunately power may corrupt those politicians who do not have the integrity to refrain and resist it.
Debono, i think, will NOT vote against the budget.
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
Dalli: “I deny categorically that I was in any way aware of any of these events.
“I am taking all actions open to me to ensure that these unfounded conclusions will be proved completely false.
“I will continue to work so that all efforts made by myself and my services to revise the Tobacco Directive will proceed as planned”
Now listen to this clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1I53TOEN0c
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20121020/world/libya-gov-t-says-former-gaddafi-spokesman-captured.441884
Malta Today and Dalli reveal that Dalli sent Zammit a judicial letter last August holding him responsible for damages. Fine. But where and when did Dalli get a copy of the March email he quoted from in his New Europe interview last week?
I thought that he might have got it from Zammit as no one else was going to hand it over to him. More information is needed here and nobody is asking Dalli this.
If so why didn’t John Dalli inform OLAF about the judicial letter? He was in duty bound to do it.
[Daphne – Too late by then. You don’t send a warning in August when investigations began in July about something that happened in May.]
I have my doubts if it was a judicial letter i.e. registered at the law courts. Given Dalli’s perfect English, was he referring to a legal letter, a mere letter signed by a lawyer?
Maybe that’s the suspicious activity he saw in his inbox, when he was claiming he was hacked.
Was John Dalli frog marched out of Berlaymont by security after his meeting with Barroso? Was a cardboard box or bin bag provided for his personal belongings or was Harry Vassallo left to pick up the pieces?
From Noel Grima’s piece in The Malta Independent today:
‘Fast forward to January 2008. At around 9am on a Sunday morning, I got a phone call from an irate Mr Dalli regarding a story we carried that day (David Lindsay and I had found the story and David wrote it). It regarded some $20 million of the savings of many US persons whose funds, which were supposed to be invested in the Bermudas, somehow ended up in Malta.
That phone call was the first intimation Mr Dalli was somehow involved. He argued we were doing a lot of harm because we ‘wrote things without checking them.’
An hour later, I received a call from an equally irate American guy, who was directly implicated in the company we mentioned. Then he passed on the phone to another person, who, to my utter surprise turned out to be Labour MP Noel Farrugia.
Now that Sunday was the day Alfred Sant returned to his party after his serious illness and the party had organised a big do at CNI. Yet Mr Farrugia was not there, but at a Floriana office.
They insisted we go in for a meeting the next day but I had some problems with my car and Mr Farrugia himself came for me at Zebbiegħ, where we were living then.
When we got to Floriana, we found a number of canvassers lounging outside, and inside we found Mr Dalli sitting at one end of a big table and Mr Farrugia at the other. The American guy was in the middle and next to him was a lawyer from Munich who treated us to a lecture in ethics in journalism, as he saw them.
Court action regarding this issue is still ongoing. The money has still, to my knowledge, not been recovered and there is much more to this.
Anyway, I was flabbergasted, and while I have never written about this till today, I made sure that people who matter got to know about this unlikely and suspicious combination, from people close to the prime minister, to US Ambassador Molly Bordonaro, to the high echelons of the Labour Party – although I did not speak to Joe Muscat, I know from comments he made to a third party, that he knew all about it.
Let them deny it if they dare….’
With all due respect to Noel Grima, maybe if he wrote about it at the time, we wouldn’t be here today. Blaming Lawrence Gonzi is the name of their game.
Why is Barroso not going ahead with the launching the Tobacco Products Directive which is supposed to be lodged tomorrow, 22 October?
Any thoughts anybody?