Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1540302
LET us for a moment forget that Pres- ident Donald Trump is a narcissist, a felon, an ultra-American nationalist, a chaotic political manipulator, a liar, an authoritarian capitalist, a person lacking in empathy for migrants, trans and gays and someone who has no respect for the rule of law. The fact that he has managed to broker peace deal of sorts in Gaza cannot be ig- nored. Only someone like Trump could have forced the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the gen- ocide in Gaza. Only a bully like Trump could have achieved this result. Not Bid- en, not anyone else. So, no matter how much I dislike the man, and I am sure this is something shared by millions around the globe, you have to give it to him. When those hostages are released, I will be among those who say well done. Israel has survived partly because of its own resilience and because it has built a super army like no one else in the region, thanks and only thanks, to the United States and Europe, especially Germany and the UK. Before Trump came on the scene, it is fair to say that the US abetted and pro- tected Israel and allowed it to enforce a cruel apartheid that would be unaccept- able in other parts of the world. The vast injection of billions of US dollars-worth of armaments with no strings attached (as was the case with Ukraine), happened because consecutive US presidents from both sides of the political divide made it happen. And it did happen because most Americans are anti-Arab, anti-Muslim and more importantly, influenced by the rich and powerful Jewish lobby. Now, such a commentary in European and the US media would be considered antisemitic, but thankfully I was born on the island of Malta, which has a histo- ry rooted in hundreds of years of dom- ination by foreign powers that make us somewhat detached from the realities of history and Jewish pogroms on mainland Europe. All this is fine until of course, out of the blue, our foreign minister, a fine guy who has made quite a name for himself, comes up with a Facebook comment stating that he has nominated Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. The nomination was not for Gaza but for the Armenian/Azerbaijani conflict. Now, Ian Borg is renowned to be some- one who believes in having a good and sound relationship with the US, unlike his predecessor Evarist Bartolo who had qualms and expressed serious concerns about US policies. Labour has over the ages always been sensitive not to appear too poodle-like to the US. The closest Labour came to the US was under Joseph Muscat and Keith Schembri—both known to be Trump aficionados. My impression is that way back, when Trump won his first term, they were in complete awe with Trump and his ABZ politics. Indeed, they were always championing the most conserv- ative and right wing of political leaders, including David Cameron in the UK. It was no secret that Muscat had even con- sidered leaving the Socialists and Demo- crats to join the nascent centrist bloc of Emanuel Macron. Schembri was so close to the US, that the US charges d'affaires even had a music programme on One Ra- dio at one stage. Ian Borg was born into the Labour Par- ty, elected as one of its youngest mayors in Dingli, going on to become one of the youngest ministers ever. A cautious, soft-spoken man who is respected for his political skills and his ability to getting things done. He is also deeply popular in his constituency. Borg knows that his suggestion to nom- inate Trump for the peace prize will not hurt his voter base but will only dent his image with the liberal milieu and Labour purists. It would seem Borg has no fear of these voices. On the contrary, he prob- ably believes his decision will improve his standing with the Trump administra- tion and consequently it will also benefit Malta's standing. The bigger question is: Will such a position help him in the long run in Malta? That is a calculation he has probably made. Let us remember that when Trump was inaugurated, Borg was one of the few se- lected foreign dignitaries from Europe invited to attend the ceremony. That does say something. But Ian Borg's nomination, says more about the Labour Party than Borg him- self. Borg is no ideologue, with a vision to change the face of Maltese politics. He is not Alfred Sant or Dom Mintoff. He is simply a successful politician who was born in the Labour Party and has more positive attributes than negative ones. But the PL today is revealing that it is simply turning into a political machine that is only there to consolidate power and win elections. It has seemingly for- gotten what it stands for and what poli- tics is all about—the politics that makes countries led by centre left parties de- clare that they will boycott Israel, block their participation at Eurovision, show more than solidarity to the sufferings of Palestinians. Malta may have been a mediocre place to be under Dom Mintoff, but as a young idealistic lad with left wing tendencies I loved the stand Mintoff took at interna- tional forums—defying both the US and the USSR. I also appreciated the politics of Guido de Marco and George Vella when they expressed their serious con- cerns about the plight of the Palestini- ans and lambasted the excesses of Israel. These were instances when I felt proud to be Maltese. Life is not only about material gains but also about beliefs and principles. And if that was of importance to our govern- ment and our foreign minister the last thing that should have occurred was a decision to nominate Trump for a peace prize. The nomination is a sore point be- cause it comes from a social democratic party; it pains more because I expect- ed more from my foreign minister and whether I like it or not the man who rep- resents my proud little country. 7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 OCTOBER 2025 OPINION Not simply a nomination Borg knows that his suggestion to nominate Trump for the peace prize will not hurt his voter base but will only dent his image with the liberal milieu and Labour purists Saviour Balzan Founder and co-owner of Media Today, publisher of MaltaToday, he is a TV host and pollster Ian Borg feeling proud to be near Trump