'Is this a personal stunt?' PN leader on Ian Borg's Trump peace prize nomination

Updated: 8.43am with ADPD statement

Opposition leader Alex Borg has questioned the foreign minister’s decision to recommend Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, and asked whether this was the official position of the Maltese government, or "a personal stunt".

Alex Borg did not say whether he or the Nationalist Party supported nominating the controversial US president for the world's most recognised peace award.

The PN leader had once expressed his admiration for the US president.

On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ian Borg said he was nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Ian Borg said he nominated Trump in his own name, citing the US president's work mediating the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Times of Malta asked the Prime Minister’s Office and the Nationalist Party leadership whether they endorsed the nomination.

At the time of writing, Robert Abela’s office had not replied.

Alex Borg did reply, but did not indicate what he thought about the matter.

“The Nobel Peace Prize has always been about recognising genuine efforts toward peace and dialogue between nations, and it’s up to the Nobel Committee to assess every nomination on those principles,” he said.

“True diplomacy and peace cannot be staged; they must be practised with sincerity and principle.”

He said the Trump nomination had exposed “clear divisions” within the PL.

“Ian Borg’s action once again exposes the clear divisions within the Labour Party - even senior Labour figures, including the party’s own president, have publicly disagreed. This raises a serious question: is this the official position of the Maltese government, or a personal stunt?” he said.

Alex Borg's comments about Trump in the past have drawn criticism. Asked last year who he wanted to win the 2024 US election, he had opted for Donald Trump, saying he is "more pro-business". Last February, he even dressed up as Trump for the Nadur Carnival in Gozo. He has recently become slightly more critical of the US president. 

Labour president Alex Sciberras was among those who distanced themselves from the foreign minister's declaration. 

“Ian and I are good friends and we share absolute mutual respect and esteem, but on this issue, I cannot agree with him. I can never endorse Trump — a man who espouses populist, anti-democratic discourse, who has waged a campaign against minorities and LGBTIQ rights, and who suppresses freedom of expression,” Sciberras said.

“It’s enough to see the unrest developing daily in the US, and the divisiveness he generates. In my view, such a president does not deserve a Nobel Peace Prize," he added.

Former One News editor Sandro Mangion pointed to Trump’s support of the Israeli regime when criticising Ian Borg’s nomination.

Mangion said Trump encouraged the “genocide” of the Palestinian people through his unconditional support for Israel.

'Great shame for the country' - ADPD

ADPD the Green Party on Friday also slammed the nomination as a “public relations stunt” calling it an embarrassment and a “great shame” for the country.

“The Maltese government’s gesture appears as servility and opportunistic sycophancy that embarrasses us,” ADPD chairperson Sandra Gauci said.

She also pointed out the nomination was “inconsistent” with the government’s position, especially in the wake of the recent recognition of the State of Palestine by Malta, “while Trump provided the deadly weapons that enable the genocide in Gaza.”

They added that any support for such a nomination “not only shows a lack of political sensitivity, but also further undermines what little credibility our country still has on an international level.”