Choo! Choo! All aboard the…..
Published:
December 3, 2009 at 2:54pm
Don't do as I do; just do as I say
The prime minister announces John Dalli’s appointment as EU Commissioner and Saviour Balzan announces his resignation as editor of Malta Today, a newspaper which he co-owns (which means the resignation was voluntary).
Put on your thinking caps, children. Now why could that possibly be?
Oh, and by the way: I’m not quite right when I say that Saviour announced his resignation, because he didn’t. Instead an announcement was made that Matthew Vella is the new editor, and the whole thing was buried in a back-of-the-newspaper report about the newspaper’s 10th anniversary party.
Perhaps he thought no one would notice?
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That’s good – no more Saviour at Sirens.
[Daphne – They get the whole month off in August.]
I’m not sure this is good news; at least while he was in Malta we could see what he was up to. I hope they pay him to do nothing – that should keep him out of mischief.
He once claimed that he would never be interested in a Brussels job, and regularlly disclosed the salaries of all those employed in Brussels.
If he’s part of the club, who will be responsible to disclose his and his master’s salries and perks in his own paper?
[Daphne – Leave it to me. Though I’m pretty sure than The Sunday Times will be more than happy to oblige, too, as will The Malta Independent.]
As Becks would say, “Will you give me till tomorrow morning?”.
don’t know that I’ve ever said that, Leonard ….
I think he was referring to “golden balls” Becks, not to a bocca kind of Beck.
There is something I don’t get in this whole thing. For two weeks now Saviour Balzan has been bashing John Dalli for accepting to Brussels, accusing him of falling for Gonzi’s bait.
[Daphne – Gesu hanin, Lou, you too? Why in heaven’s name do heterosexual men find it so difficult to read between the lines of what is said and written? Saviour wrote that as an exercise in face-saving. He wasn’t bashing John Dalli. He was bashing the PM for kicking him upstairs. When it became apparent that Dalli had no chance of achieving his aim of toppling the prime minister and becoming prime minister instead of him, by leading a coup made up of those egocentric MPs who see him as their ‘father confessor’ – and I learned this through a big article in Malta Today, which I view as his unofficial mouthpiece – then he accepted the job in Brussels. But nobody is under any illusion, Dalli included, that he was got out of the way so that the business of government could proceed without hindrance. Basically, what we’re looking at here is a situation in which, if he couldn’t get the PM prize, then he might as well take the salary, perks, pension and status of EU Commissioner.]
Why would the MT editor do that if he was planning to ride on Dalli’s coat tails? Doesn’t the man who lambasted everyone who went to Brussels already have five years worth of his own words to eat? Why would he want to add another two weeks’ worth? Granted, the man has the sense of decency of a hyena. But this SB-JD thing is beginning to sound like a Mexican soap opera gone wrong.
[Daphne – Because Saviour is driven by money, not ideals, and he’s the first one to go after a job or a contract while bashing others who get what he wants. You of all people should know that through experience.And anyway, now his girlfriend’s husband has come back and he’s probably looking for an alternative to joining the Foreign Legion to escape the sorrows of a broken heart. ]
He could always retire to his late wife’s chateau.
[Daphne – U joqghod jiggieled mas-seagulls.]
But why would John Dalli take someone with a third-rate brain?
Daphne, I am under no illusion about the reasons why John Dalli was sent to Brussels and why he accepted. I don’t know where you got the idea from. I certainly did not write it. Maybe it’s because you separated my first sentence from the question that followed it. In fact, I agree with the political calculus you attributed to Dalli. In any case, I remain perplexed even when I take your explanation on board. Why would Saviour bash the PM for sending JD to Brussels? Are you saying that Saviour is accusing Gonzi of being a smarter political operator than Dalli? And why would Saviour increase the number of words he has to eat by criticising Dalli if he is to join him? A man without principles is not necessarily irrational. It just doesn’t make sense to me. So far, at least.
[Daphne – I wasn’t referring to why John Dalli was sent, Lou (of course you know that), but to why Saviour has been writing the things he has about Dalli accepting the job. To me it has never looked like anything other than a ‘he would have to say that, wouldn’t he’ face-saving exercise. What else could he have said, given that he has to say something? ‘The best man got the job’? ‘Oh, look, despite everything I said it turned out not to be a foregone conclusion that Richard Cachia Caruana was to be EU Commissioner?’ His words of ‘criticism’ have been limp and half-hearted compared to his usual manner of going for the jugular. He’s torn, it’s obvious: on the one hand he’s really pissed off that he’s never going to be personal assistant to the prime minister. And on the other hand, he’s thrilled that he helped create a situation in which a man he hates had to forgo the job so that Dalli could be removed to a safe distance. He dislikes the fact that the prime minister made Dalli an offer he couldn’t refuse to get him out of the way, but he loves the fact that Dalli got the job rather than His Least Favourite Person (a hatred motivated 100 per cent by extreme jealousy) . Another thing: there’s nothing for him here in Malta, so he might as well leave, and how else is he going to get a job at his age – 47 – in a recession if not by pulling strings and calling in favours? And Lou, he isn’t rational. He’s hysterical.]
Daphne, Saviour is motivated solely by a lethal combination of envy, lack of talent and ambition. That is why he hates everyone who is successful – from Joanna Drake to Richard Cachia Caruana. He has spent his life jumping from one bandwagon to another, always with one unattainable goal in mind: to try be important in this society. He went from growing up as a Labourite, to being a Labour basher, to founding AD, to becoming a John Dalli groupie. The problem is that he is now approaching late middle age and he’s running out of bandwagons. And he is still not as important as he thinks he should be.
So bitterness is setting in, thick and deep. One of the most hilarious moments in my life was when a few years back he took me to court because I wrote that he has “a third rate mind”. (I giggled my head off when he accepted to settle out of court if I declared that he was not disabled.) This is the real, spineless Saviour Balzan, not the self-proclaimed saviour of the nation. And this is the reason why Malta Today, for all its nauseating self-praise, is nothing but Saviour Balzan’s bitterness in print.
Not Matthew “Graffitti” Vella? Oh bugger…
If Saviour will join Dalli in Brussels, then Lawrence Gonzi will have killed two birds with one stone.
[Daphne – And they say he doesn’t know what he’s doing.]
Now that John Dalli is no longer a cabinet minister, they will be increasingly motivated to attack this government, since they do not have anything to lose.
This story (even though not completed) is quite similar to the backbenchers coup orchestrated by Gordon Brown, who became the most hated person within a couple of months of becoming PM.
Who are they? Tal-Maltatoday?
pls edgar….two hunters with one shot
The demise is confirmed of Malta Today … should that be the resurrection, given that it was moribund?
Because Saviour is driven by money, not ideals….
ET TOI, MADAME?
[Daphne – In the toss-up between money and ideals, ideals always win with me. And I tend to be inclined towards people who are the same.]
If you’re calling her “Madame” it should be “vous”.
So, who’s this Matthew Vella fellow then?
Daphne, correct me if I am wrong. I am no political analyst, but out here it is understood that Labour wanted to push Dalli for prime minister in this planned coup, the reason being that then after appointment they would start their attacks, ( ghax dak hekk, u dak huh ghamel hekk) and so on and so forth.
So, my point is this: do Dalli and his potential appointees not know what he would have faced once appointed prime minister? This would have been political suicide – or are they so naive, or did they thoink that they could take the risk and face the consequences?
God forbid such a situation as we worked hard and have been through personal sacrifices to have honourable leaders.
[Daphne – You’re not wrong at all. You’re perfectly right. What we have seen over the last year or so is not a coalition of progressives, but a loose coalition of opportunists on both sides of the house, using each other for their own personal ends and completely unable to see the big picture because they are so far up their own butts.]
Why do you think that Super 1 never covered “l-istorja tas-sapun”?
I just cannot believe this… after all the crap this man has written about the Brussels gravy-train it would take some unbelievable cheek to hop aboard and give everyone the finger. Every man has his price, I guess, but I’ll remain a doubting Thomas until it’s announced.
@ABC – x’differenza bejn Becks u bocca eh!? the brains of course….
Thank you Davinia …. that is, of course, the only difference
I read the announcement about Matthew Vella being appointed Editor and quickly looked for Saviour’s title and it was ‘Managing Editor’. I assumed – perhaps wrongly that Saviour was assuming a ‘less executive editorial role’ while retaining control over editorial content.
Has it been confirmed that we are rid of Saviour?
Sorry for asking .. but what is the connection between Dalli and Balzan?
[Daphne – Saviour Balzan tied his flag to Dalli’s mast in the PN leadership contest, and uses his newspaper to fight Dalli’s battles. The word was that Dalli bankrolls his newspaper, but Balzan has always denied this. I don’t necessarily believe him. And it’s irrelevant anyway, given that Malta Today behaves as though it owes Dalli something, with all that suck-up coverage and bashing of his enemies.]
I’m not at all surprised, Saviour Balzan is not the first one to opt for a Brussels job, like other blue eyed boys. What about you Daphne, I think you are fully qualified.
[Daphne – My eyes are brown, Carm. My father’s eyes are blue, and my sons’. I have a nice house, a nice life and nice work here, and I am not interested. London or Manhattan would be a different matter. I would happily live in two rooms there. The people in Brussels are like the Chinese – they all look the same to me, especially the men, who blend into one mass of mousy hair, grey skin, nondescript face and a raincoat. Not interested – at all. Besides which, I am unemployable, because I don’t take orders. I prefer being my own boss and doing as I please. Imagine having to ask for leave of absence from work, or having to set an alarm to be at work on time. Horrendous. The thought of working 9 to 5 in a grey office full of bureaucrats – or any office at all – is enough to make me want to top myself. That said, I work much harder and for longer hours than most people in offices, but at least I’m answerable to no one.]
There’s no decent fishing in Brussels, so that rules me out.
Any bets Bastjan Dalli will be spotted hitch-hiking in Brussels? Kumbinazzjoni dejjem.
[Daphne – Imagine what a lot of fun he’s going to have the next time he’s arrested for smuggling in Libya: “Don’t you know who I am? My brother’s an EU commissioner.”]
Daphne, as much as I would love it if we were to get rid of Balzan………are you absolutely sure about this. Because as far as I know, he has been “Managing Editor” and not “Editor” of MaltaToday for quite some time now. Don’t know what it actually means but anyway.
But are you well informed about this?
It’s not all doom and gloom in Brussels especially if you don’t work with the institutions. I’ve found it can be rather surreal though: http://unexpectedtraveller.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/braving-all-weather/
The Unexpected Traveller
Savour the man’s wit and sharp humour while you can.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2009/12/02/sbalzan.html
Well, if nothing else, he might have a shot at writing scripts for Istitut Kattoliku pantos. They’re always looking for talent.
Leonard
“http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2009/12/02/sbalzan.html”
Typical Saviour Balzan “news” story: pure imagination.
His mastery of the English language is astounding:
“And the phone simply cuts.”
Daphne, Are you saying that Saviour Balzan and John Dalli are buddies? I thought Saviour Balzan hates the PN. Do you believe that Gonzi was being threatened by Dalli?
[Daphne – Saviour doesn’t hate the PN. He hates Lawrence Gonzi – for having ‘taken’ the party leadership, and hence the premiership, from John Dalli, who he backed in the race – and really backed. Another thing – haven’t you noticed that Malta Today fights Dalli’s battles? What do you think the Tonio Fenech campaign is all about?]
I thought Dalli got the job because he lobbied for it.
[Daphne – Have you thought long and hard about who the competition was?]
To me John Dalli has been on track in bringing much needed reform to the health care delivery system. Had he stayed and brought the change he would have elevated himself even higher. Personally, I don’t know why he wanted to go to Brussels. A lot of money is important to a young person, but to a 60 year-old man, a huge salary is not at all that appealing.
[Daphne – Oh come on. A huge salary is especially appealing to an old man, because where else is he going to get one. And a huge pension is definitely appealing to an old man. What are you suggesting, that here’s another one, sacrificing himself on the altar of public service, and taking the job when he could have done so much better here? I don’t think so.]
Let’s hope his wife will treat herself to a handbag with some of the money. Going out bare-faced “bil-hwejjeg tad-dar”, with a wallet in her hand/tucked under her armpit may blend in in some Maltese villages; the same cannot be said when it’s an EU commissioner’s wife doing it; it already sticks out a mile at a Portomaso cafe …
Do you think those PN MPs doing their best to rock the boat plan on standing for election under the PN ticket in the next elections? And even if they wish to, will the PM accept their candidature? It’s true any thing is possible in Malta, but I find that hard to believe.
[Daphne – Of course they will. If they can’t bear not to be a minister, which is what all this bitter resentment is about, then imagine how hard they’ll find it to be out of politics altogether. And the party will have to accept them, because imagine the public screaming, rows, tantrums and rabble-rousing if it doesn’t. It’s up to people then not to vote for them. I’m certainly not going to do so.]
Of course they will contest again. Most politicians here in Malta never accept the fact that they may find themselves out of the political scenario. If you pay enough attention you often hear them say ‘Politics is my life.’ They may be successful businessmen, lecturers, lawyers etc but once a ‘political animal’ they remain so.
When they are not re-elected or they find it impossible to obtain the position they aspired for, they try to excel in other areas but the longing for their political life remains there and inwardly, they are never really happy. Then the jealousy, the giving away of stories about former colleagues will follow.
John Dalli will be successful in carrying out his tasks in Brussels, but if he really wanted the premiership, it is no substitute, no matter how much money he is going to be paid.
A huge salary is appealing to everyone,I guess. But there are rare cases where pride takes precedence. Matt, although I agree with your point of reasoning – ghax issa dak hobzu mahbuz, sort of.
Who will replace Dalli ?
Daphne, don’t you ever consider going to Brussels. Who will then issue those interesting periodicals, Taste, Flair and Town?
[Daphne – It may surprise you to know that many of them are actually produced from a hotel room.]
And who pays the hotel room?
[Daphne – I do. These days women earn their own money – yes, even in Malta.]
Is Lou heterosexual? There go my dreams…pfff!
On a more serious note, I recall a particular editorial written by Mr Balzan in which he states that no pay on earth would ever convince him to move to the city where the sun never shines (pre-JD nomination) and another in which he categorically refutes the “rumours” that he will accompany JD there. I guess time will tell…
That the guy is so bitter is understandable; that he chooses to deal with it in such an unintelligent fashion is just pitiable.
Since he thinks the sun shines out of John Dalli’s arse, it’ll more than make up for the grey weather.
Why shouldn’t Saviour Balzan not accept the EU job? Who wouldn’t? Good for him if he is lucky to get one.
I don’t know Mr Balzan, I admired his guts to criticize the police force which seems above the law and they are accountable to no one. I rarely read anything critical of the police in The Times and even less so, in The Malta Independent.
Mr Balzan is not only a “third rate brain”, as Mr Bondi’ adroitly called him, but an incredibly unethical person.
One day perhaps we will get to know about certain photos of certain people in certain clubs and what use was made of them.
And if that happens when he is in Brussels – if he really goes there that is – then it will be very, very interesting to hear what Farage and the other Eurosceptics will have to say to Barroso! Will it be a repeat of the formidable speeches he delivered in the past, which embarrassed the Commission?
That would really be the day! When Saviour Balzan is used by Eurosceptics to embarrass the European Commission!
Daphne, I really doubt that Saviour is going to Brussels. I think you should be carrying out further research. There were signs that he might be leaving Malta for some months before Dalli was offered the job.
Well, if he does join Dalli’s cabinet, which I think is unlikely, I will be rather disappointed by Dalli’s choices. I’m thought that Dalli had the right qualities to be a good Commissioner, but if the type of person he wants to work with him is Saviour Balzan, then I’m afraid that he’ll give Malta a bad name.
So, I hope your calculations are wrong!!!!!!!!!!