Tonio Borg | |
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![]() Tonio Borg in 2012 | |
European Commissioner for Health | |
In office 1 July 2013 –1 November 2014 | |
President | JoséManuel Barroso |
Preceded by | Himself (Health and Consumer Policy) |
Succeeded by | Vytenis Andriukaitis (Health and Food Safety) |
European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy | |
In office 28 November 2012 –1 July 2013 | |
President | JoséManuel Barroso |
Preceded by | MarošŠefčovič (Acting) |
Succeeded by | Himself (Health) Neven Mimica (Consumer Protection) |
Deputy Prime Minister of Malta | |
In office 23 March 2004 –28 November 2012 | |
Prime Minister | Lawrence Gonzi |
Preceded by | Lawrence Gonzi |
Succeeded by | Louis Grech |
Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
In office 12 March 2008 –28 November 2012 | |
Prime Minister | Lawrence Gonzi |
Preceded by | Michael Frendo |
Succeeded by | Francis Zammit Dimech |
Minister of Justice | |
In office 15 April 2003 –12 March 2008 | |
Prime Minister | Eddie Fenech Adami Lawrence Gonzi |
Preceded by | Austin Gatt |
Succeeded by | Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici |
Minister of Home Affairs | |
In office 8 September 1998 –12 March 2008 | |
Prime Minister | Eddie Fenech Adami Lawrence Gonzi |
Preceded by | Alfred Sant |
Succeeded by | Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici |
In office 17 April 1995 –28 October 1996 | |
Prime Minister | Eddie Fenech Adami |
Preceded by | Louis Galea |
Succeeded by | Alfred Sant |
Personal details | |
Born | Floriana,Malta | 12 May 1957
Political party | Nationalist Party |
Spouse | Adele Galea |
Children | 3 |
Alma mater | University of Malta |
Tonio Borg (born 12 May 1957) is a Maltese lawyer,law professor,and former politician who served as the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy replacing John Dalli as member of the College of the European Commission in the second Barroso Commission. [1] He lectures Public Law at the University of Malta,and has authored numerous books on the subject. [2]
Borg was first elected in 1992,serving as Minister for Home Affairs. [3] After the Nationalist Party lost the 1996 election,he became a shadow minister to the Alfred Sant administration. [4] Eventually,the Nationalist Party would retake the government in 1998,wherein Borg assumed the role of Minister of Home Affairs until parliament was dissolved in 2003, [5] in preparation for Malta's EU ascension,which Borg's Nationalist Party was in favour of. [6] After the 2003 general election,Borg was elected,and resumed as Minister of Justice and Home Affairs. In 2004,he was sworn as Deputy Prime Minister. [7]
In the 2008 general election,the Nationalist Party returned to government,albeit with a slim majority. Tonio Borg was made Minister of Foreign Affairs. [8]
In 2012,Borg was appointed as EU Health (and Consumer Policy) Commissioner,replacing John Dalli. EU ministers majorly approved Tonio Borg's candidature,yet his conservative views on gay rights and abortion were subject to criticism from several MEPs. [9] [10]
Disagreeing with the idea of a 'potential human being',Borg sought to entrench Malta's restriction of abortion in the Constitution. Whilst the proposition received support from some Labour Party MP's,most notably Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca,it was dismissed by moderate politicians in the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party. [11]
Initial controversy surrounding his election as Health Commissioner centered around perceived conflicts with his portfolio,wherein Borg,a Catholic conservative-leaning Christian Democrat,would oversee matters of stem-cell research,IVF,and other topics which are criticized under Catholic social teaching,threatening the role's impartiality. Nevertheless,Borg maintained an impartial and moderate presence. [12] The post of Maltese commissioner was succeeded by Karmenu Vella in 2014. [13]
Graduating with a law degree in 1979,he would start lecturing at the University of Malta initially as a guest lecturer. [2] Eventually,in 2016,he became an assistant lecturer,until 2018 wherein he completed his PhD in Judicial Review and Administrative Law, [14] and was promoted to senior lecturer. [15]
He became associate professor in March 2020. In 2024 he was promoted to full professor. [16] He lectures Constitutional,and Administrative law.
His PhD thesis was published as a book in 2020. [17] In it,Borg observes the field of Administrative law in Malta,highlighting potential abuses of power and the manner in which Maltese courts apply the ultra vires doctrine. [14]
In December 2018 Borg was appointed Companion of the Order of Merit (KOM) by the President of Malta.
Media related to Tonio Borg at Wikimedia Commons