Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543384
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 FEBRUARY 2026 NEWS maltatoday THE NEWSROOM EXCHANGE From chief justice row Alex Borg makes his case In a candid session at the MaltaToday newsroom, the Opposition leader set out his positions on justice, THIS week it was the Opposition lead- er's turn for a newsroom grilling. We had enjoyed the novel Q&A interview set-up when the prime minister came to our of- fice in January and were more than hap- py to offer the opportunity to PN leader Alex Borg closer to the party's scheduled convention. There are only so many creative ways to greet a person. Like Robert Abela, Borg came to our office on a Wednesday, but with a more modest size of a communi- cations team around him. Aside from a glass of water, espresso is the beverage of choice for Borg too, although we're not exactly offering a wide range of drinks. All future guests at the newsroom should know that we only serve espresso coffee capsules and instant coffee. Speed is of the essence in any newsroom, and the same goes for our coffee-brewing choic- es. But enough about the coffee—here's how the conversation played out. Lifting the lid on chief justice talks It has been a turbulent start for Borg, trying to find consensus with the gov- ernment on who should be appointed the next chief justice. I asked him to walk us through what happened. He said he was disappointed with the way the prime minister approached the discussions, and more so with the way Abela forced through parliament a motion to appoint Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera. "I was ready to confirm on oath that I wasn't the one who put forward her name. I put forward a different name and I'm going to keep that confidential," he insisted. He said all judges on the judicial bench are competent and capable on a technical level but the matter has been turned into a political football. "As an Opposition we kept things con- fidential, we kept calm and kept discus- sions as mature as possible. During the parliamentary vote I told [Abela] that we should suspend the session and talk and reach an agreement so that we don't have to vote down a judge." Borg said he asked the president to in- tervene because he could no longer trust the prime minister to keep matters con- fidential. He also played down warnings of a constitutional crisis that would have re- sulted if parliament had not voted on the motion. "The Constitution is clear that if there's no agreement on the chief justice, he will occupy the role until there is con- sensus, but the Speaker's ruling clashed with this. I accepted that we take a vote that day to avoid an actual constitutional crisis." Talks on auditor general haven't started yet Executive editor Kurt Sansone asked about the next two-thirds vote that will need to take place in parliament. The government and Opposition will soon also have to decide on who should be the next auditor general and his deputy. The term of the current auditor general will come to an end in March, but unlike the chief justice, there is no constitutional provision that allows the auditor gener- al to stay in the role beyond his term. If the two sides cannot agree to a successor, Malta will be left without the chief public finances watchdog. Borg said discussions haven't started yet on the next auditor general, but he committed himself to asking the prime minister to start meeting soon. "The Opposition will approach this the same way we approached talks on the chief justice, meaning discussions will re- main confidential. We will focus on what is in the national interest." Red lines on abortion Deputy print editor Laura Calleja asked Borg about abortion. He stood by the party line of defending life from concep- tion till death, but he too feels uncom- fortable with sending women to prison in cases of rape or other crimes. "It depends on the case, you can't gen- eralise," he said. However, he warned of possible "re- peat offenders, people who have three, four abortions" where possible impris- onment could be considered. Overall, he disagrees with the law as is that allows for women to be sent to prison for abortion regardless of context. "If there were to be a referendum, I would respect the result, but I won't change my values," he said. "That's the difference between being a Nationalist Party and being a populist party." PN in government will continue on Labour's successes Senior journalist James Debono told Borg that Abela has an impressive CV for his time as prime minister. He steered the country through a pandemic and high inflation while keeping the economy steady. Meanwhile, Alex Borg is a leap in the dark for most people. How would Alex Borg put people's minds at rest that he can lead a country just as well? Borg said a PN government would have no problem keeping a sense of continuity with the Labour administration before NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt