Antoine: People who plan to vote for AN already think it is OK to be xenophobic, only they’d construe it as something completely different – pragmatism, for example. Their vote is useless because they cannot possibly achieve what they expect to achieve by electing an AN representative to the EP. Even if they were to carry out their threat to hold the entire EP to ransom, how would that stop immigrants trying to get into Europe and landing here?

Voting for AN is worse than useless; it reinforces the impression that it’s ok to be xenophobic. AN is a party born out of fear. It was set up by people who are afraid of immigrants, afraid of Islam, afraid that “our way of life” (whatever this might mean) is in danger. They are not white supremacists like Lowell but feel nonetheless uneasy in the presence of black people. Someone who votes for AN is basically insecure and feels threatened by those who are different.

A pixxiplamtu is a basking shark, huge but inoffensive since it feeds on plankton.

http://www.waterfordwildlife.com/Basking%20Shark.jpeg

This is a pixxiplantu.

http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=88974

[Daphne – I don’t think that’s correct. I must ask.]

Electing AN is a waste of time. Their Macchiavellian the-end-justifies-the-means proposals aren’t actually achievable outside of their own heads, which is were things really matter.

Actually, Ettore, Azzjoni Nazzjonali’s xenophobia makes it much more akin to the PL than the PN. A look at the comments on The Times website, if you can stomach them, will show you what I mean. Posts by PL and AN supporters are practically indistinguishable.

Not quite like you to do so.

Absolutely nothing, Michael. Imma l-kliem bhac-cirasa, and after all, this post did start off with an erection, didn’t it?

The EU Commission wants results to be held until 11 p.m. on Sunday, when polls will be closed in all countries. But the ruling mentions “official results” and that leaves a lot of room for manoeuvre by various countries.