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MaltaToday online poll | Absolute majority think Tonio Borg will fail EP grilling
14% of the respondents think Tonio Borg will fail EP grilling because he will be unfairly lambasted over his Christian social conscience.
10 November 2012, 12:00am
Miriam Dalli
Miriam Dalli
2 min read
Will Tonio Borg pass the European Parliament's grilling? Respondents to an online poll don't think so.
1,109 out of 2,137 respondents to an online poll are convinced that Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg will not pass his European Parliament grilling because his views are not compatible with European demands for a commissioner.
MaltaToday's online poll this week asked respondents whether they thought Borg will pass the grilling. Borg has been nominated as the commissioner-designate to take the EU's health and consumer policy portfolio in the wake of John Dalli's resignation.
The respondents had three options from which to choose: 'Yes - irrespective of the criticism of his conservative views, there will be overall support'; 'No - because MEPs will unfairly lambast his Christian social conscience' and 'No - his views are incompatible with European demands for a commissioner'.
The absolute majority, 52%, responded that the Lija lawyer will not pass the grilling - set for 13 November before the EP's committee on environment and public and food safety (ENVI) - because his views don't match European's demands.
On the other hand, 290 respondents (14%) believe that Borg will fail because MEPs will unfairly lambast his Christian social conscience.
As will most probably be the case, 35% responded that irrespective of the criticism of his conservative views, there will be overall support for his nomination and therefore supported for the post.
Criticism against Tonio Borg continued to increase when a Swedish MEP dubbed him 'dinosaur'.
"As liberals we will have to vote against him and I hope other groups will follow, because this is a candidate that non-conservatives can never accept. He is not welcome here," Wikström said, warning that Borg faces a hard slog ahead of him. A member of the Alliance of Liberal Democrats of Europe political group in the civil liberties committee of the EP, Wikström said she had informed members of the environment and health committee (ENVI) to raise their concerns about Borg's political and social views.
Further criticism came from the European Parliament's intergroup on LGBT rights, a grouping of 139 MEPs from the entire political spectrum that wants Borg to answer for his "conservative and outdated" views on abortion, homosexuality and divorce.
Miriam Dalli joined MaltaToday.com.mt in 2010 becoming assistant editor f...
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KUMBINAZZJONI IL MEMBRU PARLAMENTARI LI ATTAKKAT DR BORG U IDDIKKJARAT GWERRA KONTRIH HIJA SVEDIZA UKOLL. SVEZJA QACCTET LIL DALLI U SVEZJA MA TRIDX LIL DR BORG. TINTENN L-AFFARI. Taqbel u ma taqbilx mieghu il maltin ghandhomm jissapportjaw lil dr borg biex jilhaq kummissarju u idahhal il ligi il gdida li ipprepara jdalli. irridu nghatu risposta kif tixraq u nikxfu il qerq ta certi membri parlamentari li jilabuha tal vergni u qaddissin u li m'humiex hlief korrotti.
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As much as I see Tonio Borg is not fit for the post I hope he does make it and save Malta another embarrassing situation. Although on the other hand I wouldn't be surprised that he would embarass us just the same later on. Let's hope for the best not for Tonio's or gonzi's sake but for Malta's sake.
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I don't think so!!
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If Tonio Borg does not make it to Malta's EU Commissioner for health the real reason will be once more the hidden hand of Sweeden Match and the rest of the tobacco industry lobbying and bribing their way so as to prolong indefinitely the delay before the Tobacco Directive is reactivated. The rest is only a smokescreen. And Barroso-Kessler would have us believe that the progress of the directive has not been affected by Dalli's forced resignation!
