John Dalli resigns from the European Commission

John Dalli has resigned from the European Commission, the Commission announced in a shock announcement this afternoon. It said that  Mr Dalli resigned following an investigation by the EU's anti-fraud office into a complaint made in May by the tobacco producer Swedish Match. It alleged that a Maltese entrepreneur had used his contacts with Mr Dalli to gain advantage from the company, in return for seeking to influence a  possible future legislative proposal on tobacco products.  Sources said that Foreign Minister Tonio Borg is viewed as the least controversial choice for appointment as European Commissioner. Mr Dalli was appointed to the Commission in 2010 and was responsible for Health and Consumer Policy. He  was first elected to the Maltese parliament in 1987 and became parliamentary secretary for industry. He later became Minister of Economic Affairs before serving as Minister of Finance for 10 years, with the rare distinction of having introduced VAT twice – the second after the short-lived Labour government removed the tax in 1996. Mr Dalli was beaten by Lawrence Gonzi in the 2004 PN leadership contest. He was appointed Foreign Minister but resigned after three months amid...