It’s tough getting your snout out of the trough

Published: December 3, 2009 at 10:25am

joe-borg

One day I might understand why so many people don’t think before they speak. I must give the impression that I’m one of them, but the opposite is true. I think very hard before I speak, but I make certain that I don’t think myself into a hole.

You can do that sometimes; it’s the reverse of shooting your mouth off. You wind up not saying anything – and believe me, there are times when silence really isn’t golden.

So when I woke up on Sunday morning and saw that outgoing EU Commissioner Joe Borg was all over the newspapers with his hurt feelings and his damaged ego, behaving like the adult equivalent of a two-year-old smashing his trucks, I couldn’t help but wonder whether that level of poor judgement and even poorer manners had informed the rest of his behaviour over the last five years.

This business of atrocious conduct by people in high office is beginning to get to me.

The chief justice takes cash-bribes. The leader of the opposition brags that he’s not big on protocol and rolls up late or doesn’t roll up at all. MPs throw tantrums because they don’t get the ‘big’ jobs they want. They sulk all over the newspapers expecting us to side with them in their efforts at causing trouble for purely self-centred reasons.

An ex government lackey rushes off to pimp for the Opposition on the promise of a pay-cheque and now spends her time going up to people and asking them whether they want to meet Joseph Muscat or have him open their art exhibition.

And now, our EU Commissioner stamps his feet and sulks to the press because he was counting on his job and its attendant perks being in the bag for another five years, and he can’t bear the thought of somebody else getting it when he thinks of it as his by right.

It really is too much.

Call me old-fashioned, but in certain situations I think that dignity and discretion are called for (they’re called for in all situations, but particularly this sort). Joe Borg behaved appallingly badly by whining to the newspapers because he didn’t get what he wanted.

I tried hard to work out his motivation in saying what he did, or what he hoped to achieve, and I couldn’t get a handle on it. Does he honestly expect people to take his side and become irate on his behalf? Why would they bother?

Why would they say, ‘Oh you nasty man, Mister Prime Minister, taking away Joe Borg’s toys and depriving him of all that money when he hasn’t had enough yet”?

That’s not how it works. And that’s why I suppose he didn’t stop to think or even to count to 10 before he gave vent, in the most public manner possible, to his irritation at having the prize snatched from his maw.

For that is what it is all about, really. He tried to make out that he was upset because he wasn’t told ahead of the announcement (and the prime minister has denied not making it clear that he was no longer in the running; I suppose some people only hear what they want to hear).

Joe Borg said that he only found out the job had gone to somebody else when Mrs Borg rang him from Malta after hearing the news on TVM. He was in Brussels at the time, where they are apparently so cut off from home that I’m surprised she didn’t send him a telex or telegram.

And that, to my mind, is an equally damning insight into how he conducted his business as an EU Commissioner and a politician. I can understand Mary at the grocer not being able to work out that John Dalli was very definitely going to be the new EU Commissioner, and that this was a foregone conclusion.

But I cannot, no matter from which angle I look at the matter, understand how in heaven’s name the incumbent EU Commissioner, who probably follows the news and keeps track of things much more closely than Johnny Average (or should do), failed to grasp all this. It says much for neither his political perception nor his nous.

The interview was pointless and damaging to him and moreover, there is no way on earth that it was ever going to achieve anything. What did he imagine – that the prime minister would retract his offer to John Dalli, tell Borg ‘Oh sugar, you can stay there for another five years after all, given that you’re finding it so very hard to let go,” and then apologise for failing to be bossed around by those who clearly don’t know their place?

I don’t think so.

Borg’s motivation appears to have been nothing short of the pointless venting of anger. It was cheap and tacky and some most unfortunate remarks were passed that would have been best left unsaid. This is not because they harmed the prime minister (they didn’t), but because they harmed Joe Borg himself.

They made him look like a sore loser – and what’s worse, an ill-mannered and greedy one who can’t bear the thought of getting his snout out of the trough, still less the thought of somebody else’s snout getting stuck right into that same trough instead of his.

Whoever advised Borg to proceed in such a self-demeaning fashion counselled him poorly indeed – and this not just because he came across as exceedingly boorish and ill bred, but because one of the things a politician should never, ever do is make a public announcement that he is so cut off from reality and so ill-served by his private secretariat that he relies on his wife, watching the television news in Malta, to find out what’s going on – even if it affects him directly.

Joe Borg thinks he embarrassed the prime minister with that bit about his wife and the news. The truth is that he embarrassed himself. It is yet more evidence of his poor insight into situations that he hasn’t grasped this fact – or perhaps now he has done, when it is too late.

This article is published in The Malta Independent today.




35 Comments Comment

  1. David S says:

    Very well said – but I blame some men’s very poor judgement because of cajoling by the wife (or partner). Min jaf kif Mrs Borg kilietlu wiccu.

    [Daphne – Most men take advice from the women in their life. That isn’t wrong. It all depends on the quality of the advice – and of the woman. If she had counselled him to do otherwise, he wouldn’t have been wrong in taking that advice on board. But while a clever woman is an asset, I agree with you that anything else might be a problem.]

    Perhaps Joe Borg could have assisted the government by being appointed a consultant to the prime minister, say for enterprise – to focus on foreign investment. He was an effective minister and should have established some useful contacts in Europe. But he has blown it big time by insulting the prime minister.

  2. Silvan Mifsud says:

    Dear Daphne,

    I know you have to defend the PM and his actions. That’s the agenda you have been given. It proves the PM feels damaged by this matter.

    [Daphne – It proves nothing of the sort, Silvan. I have no agenda, earn my own money entirely in the private sector, and say exactly what I think because I am free to do this. It is difficult for people whose political views are different from mine to accept that somebody who is of above average intelligence, thinks clearly and is very perceptive about people and situations (I would never say this about myself except to illustrate an important point like this one) doesn’t agree with them and has a scathing view of their political party. If I were silly, stupid, a confused thinker or not particularly bright, you could brush it off. Because you can’t brush it off on that basis, you think that money or an agenda must be involved. The reality – that I actually do think the Labour Party is rubbish and that I prefer the Nationalist Party, warts and all, is too hard to digest. Might I remind you that it is the Labour Party who found itself having to buy, and in the most publicly embarrassing manner possible, the support and services of a columnist. Unfortunately for Labour, she is not intelligent or clear-thinking, but merely cunning and manipulative – qualities that are useful to, say, crime and self-advancement, but little else.]

    However, kindly note that Joe Borg’s whole argument is that he expected to be at least informed about the whole matter. Even if the appointment of Mr.Dalli was a foregone conclusion, it would have cost nothing to no one, to pick up the phone and say ” Hey Joe, its me Lawrence, sorry mate, I will have to substitute you with you friend John. I will explain why, when you get back to Malta”.

    [Daphne – Silvan, I have written this elsewhere on my blog, but you must have missed it. The prime minister did make such a telephone call, asking the EU Commissioner to come over for a meeting at which he would let him know about the job. The EU Commissioner’s (very rude) response was that he would only bother if the job was his, and couldn’t see why he should bother if he was going to be told that the job wasn’t his. The prime minister’s response was along the lines of ‘Well, in that case…’. So why hasn’t the prime minister said this? Because he isn’t as vulgar as Joe Borg. He was discreet in his statement that Borg knew before the announcement, without going into details about his crassness. Perhaps Borg couldn’t see what was staring him in the face after that telephone call? All I can say is that in retrospect, the prime minister took a high-risk step by bothering to inform him at all, or trying to and being rejected: imagine if Borg had made that kind of public scene before the government made its official announcement.]

    Having been a student of Joe Borg, back in my university days, whereby he was a real and true gentleman with all his students, I have no reason to believe that Joe Borg is lying on this matter.

    [Daphne – Oh, I don’t think it’s a matter of lying, Silvan. That’s way too strong a word and like you, I really don’t think he’s a liar or that he’s capable of lying. Anzi, on the contrary, what his behaviour shows is that he is unable to conceal his feelings and emotions. I think it’s a matter of being in denial. To you and me, that telephone conversation would have been confirmation that the job had gone to somebody else. But in his desperation to stay on, he probably clutched at every last shred of hope.]

  3. Twanny says:

    Even every word in that article was the gospel truth, it does not diminish in any way Gonzi’s incredible lack of courage in telling Borg that he was out to his face.

    And it isn’t Borg who has been damaged by this episode – far from it.

    [Daphne – Twanny, if you support the Labour Party you are bound to think that the prime minister has been damaged by it. It’s called wishful thinking and it’s what Joe Borg was victim to. As for Joe Borg not being told – please read my comments to Silvan Mifsud. People of a different social background might not understand just how crass Joe Borg’s behaviour has been. They might think that stamping your feet and insulting the prime minister for not giving you what you want is justifiable (like taking bribes and then going to Lourdes). But the majority of those people vote Labour anyway. One has to look at situations pragmatically.]

  4. Marcus says:

    Daph, you have stated the obvious. This might not have been immediately obvious to all, however. To be honest, I think that your article is simply an extension of the same story that was published on the front pages last Sunday.

    I am, though, just very slightly surprised that you didn’t offer any other possible scenarios for the media item being so high on The Sunday Times agenda.

    [Daphne – They had a good story, and they were damned right to use it. I would have done the same, but with one crucial difference: I would have bothered to ring the prime minister to get his side of the story. That’s the way it should be done. Otherwise, you’re at the level of Malta Today, where I hope standards will improve now that Saviour Balzan has given up the editorship.]

    Of course, I don’t believe at all that Joe Borg did not know that his job was being terminated.

    [Daphne – This is another complete misconception. His job was not ‘being terminated’. The job is still there. He had reached the end of his tenure. He KNEW it was over. He wasn’t seeking to stay on. He was seeking to be reappointed. But he’s making out like he’s been removed or sacked.]

    I am sure that he knew very well. Whether he was OK with that is another matter, but I’m sure he knew and I’m also sure that he accepted it. And this has nothing to do with John Dalli or his merits for the job. I am suspicious that the whole media frenzy last Sunday was created as a smokescreen. A smokescreen for what, you might ask. I don’t know, I’m not a journalist. That’s more your job than mine, but it might have suited certain people (especially Joe Borg and the government) to give the impression that there was an acrimonious situation between the same Joe Borg and the government. I would love to hear your reasoning on this.

    [Daphne – Thank you for using the word ‘reasoning’, because it is so often absent from discussions. Joe Borg didn’t get what he wanted. Joe Borg, possibly wound up by Mrs Borg, sulked and stamped his feet. He cancelled all his meetings with delegations from Malta. Then somebody in The Sunday Times newsroom said ‘Let’s ring Joe Borg and ask him how he feels about it. It might make for a good story because I’ve heard that he’s really pissed off and so might pass some indiscreet remarks.’ The rest is history. Take my advice: in all areas of life, both public and private, the most obvious explanation is almost certainly the most accurate one. But you have to be the kind of person who sees situations (and people) for what they are, and not the kind of person who sees conspiracies everywhere. Is it likely that a self-interested person like Joe Borg would immolate himself on the altar of somebody else’s political expediency? No. So there you have it.]

    • Marcus says:

      Ok, I stumbled into some of my own words . . . And you caught me out, but that was not really the gist of what I was trying to imply. When I said his job was being terminated I actually meant that he was not being re-appointed.

      We heard Barroso compliment Joe Borg very recently, hinting that he should be re-appointed. We heard similar testimonials or endorsements and nothing but praise for Joe Borg and his work very recently.

      [Daphne – I’m sorry. But this is the business I work in. Who do you think organised all that and, more crucially, organised the reports in Malta? If Borg’s PR people had devoted more time to working out that he hadn’t a chance in hell of being appointed, and that he wasn’t even in the damned running since the beginning of summer at least, then they would have been doing their job properly.]

      Of course he was trying to be re-appointed, who wouldn’t? But my thrust was that he knew that he wasn’t going to be re-appointed, he knew it was over. And when I say he knew, I mean that it had been spelled out to him and it was discussed. Plus I believe that a mutual understanding had been reached. This is what I meant when I said that ‘he accepted it’.

      But he was portrayed or portrayed himself as being in the dark till his wife told him. Why would anyone do that? For his own public image you say? Sorry, I just don’t bite it. I think there is much more at stake here. Not to say that Joe Borg isn’t as you described him – ‘self-interested’.

      Daph, I really see your point, I really do. And I’m not one to see conspiracies everywhere; luckily I don’t suffer from such paranoia. But when you factor in the unlikely messenger for this story – The Sunday Times and the message itself, to me there is something that doesn’t make an ounce of sense.

      [Daphne – On the contrary. Men are very simple creatures who behave in very simple ways, unlike women. I don’t mean ‘simple’ in that sense – I mean plain and straightforward. Sometimes it gets them into trouble, like that tal-haxix vendor. But with men in general, unlike with women, what you see is really what you get, most often. I can’t see why anybody would be reading something complex into a situation as old as the hills: Man Gets Hurt. Man Lashes Out. Man Regrets It Later. Too Bloody Bad And Too Bloody Late. It’s the kind of reaction that puts men in prison when it involves, instead of a job and a prime minister, a woman and a shotgun.]

      I think that certain things in political life we will never fully understand or come to know. That does not mean however that we should appease ourselves with the most plausible explanation according to our judgment and reason. (I think that we should simply recognise that there are questions to certain issues, events and declarations. Anyone can can come to their own conclusions, very often the fruit of their own holographic imagination of webs of interest, connections . . . That would be, of course, irresponsible speculation.)

    • john says:

      “The most obvious explanation . .” One of the maxims of medical diagnosis is: common things occur commonly.

  5. Vanni says:

    The PM giveth, and the PM taketh, to quote Sir Humphrey Appleby.

    Such a public lament has most probably scuppered any future chances for Joe Borg. A pity really, because I think one will be hard pressed to find a nicer bloke.

  6. Ian says:

    Daphne, where did you learn that the Prime Minister asked Joe Borg for a meeting to inform him that he was out of the running? And when was this offer made?

    [Daphne – It’s quite simple, Ian. As with all other things, from getting my kitchen made to my car fixed, I ask the right people. Anything else is a waste of time and an expensive mistake.]

    I ask so as to be able to form an opinion based on facts. As I see it, the person suffering most from this event is the Prime Minister himself. And, in my case, it’s not wishful thinking at all!

    [Daphne – I’m not going to tell you, Ian. But know it for a fact. And no, I don’t think the prime minister was damaged by it; I think Joe Borg was. I don’t know what you do for a living, but this might be one field in which our opinions on the matter do not have equal weight, because mine is a professional opinion. Over and above that, I’m also (boringly) Mrs Everywoman, which is why my views strike a chord with so many. When I woke up on Sunday and saw that front page, I immediately sent a text message with the words ‘Is Joe Borg nuts or just ill bred?’, which was my instant reaction. It was not ‘Oh my god, what did the prime minister do?’]

    • Paul Bonnici says:

      Daphne I had the same reaction as you.

      Such a senior political figure as Dr Borg should never have given an interview to the press especially so close to the reappointment of Malta’s EU commissioner.

      Dr Borg burnt his bridges and I can’t see what he gained from it. Look how arch-enemies Blair and Brown worked ‘together’ for 10 years, yet they always hid it from the public.

  7. Anthony Farrugia says:

    You could not have analysed this sorry, sordid affair better. I had commented about it on previous threads and first mentioned snouts in troughs (no kudos please).

    I think he was pushed into giving that bad-loser interview to The Sunday Times which will haunt him like the Ghosts of Xmas Past, Present and Future.

    • Twanny says:

      Lino, you musn’t get carried away by the chorus on this blog. If anybody has ended up looking bad in this business it is Lawrence Gonzi – to 95% of the population, that is.

      [Daphne – Conducted a rapid survey, have you? I think I know the situation better than you do, through long experience: 90 per cent of people don’t give a penis ring about Joe Borg and how and where he was told because they don’t even know what an EU Commissioner is. Of the rest, it all depends on their social background and voting habits. NQLUs and those who vote Labour: Joe Borg is right to sulk in public and the PM was wrong ‘not to tell him’. The rest: Joe Borg behaved appallingly, and what the prime minister did or didn’t do is completely irrelevant – but now that it has become known that Borg was told, then it puts Borg in an even worse light than before.]

      • Twanny says:

        ” now that it has become known that Borg was told”

        You are the only one saying that. I think we need a bit more confirmation than that.

        [Daphne – The prime minister said so, Twanny. Perhaps you need to have his word corroborated too? You are beginning to sound increasingly like Joe Borg: I was told but I chose not to listen.]

  8. Lino Cert says:

    I wonder was this a clever ploy by the PN think-tank to make Gonzi look good. Cetrainly it has worked in my case and I wouldn’t put it past the PN to cleverly manipulate the media by making Gonzi look like a fair and just leader in the face of unreasonable and demanding backbenchers and ex-ministers.

    [Daphne – Oh dear god in heaven, another conspiracy theorist suggesting that Joe Borg was a willing sacrificial victim: ‘I’d rather have my throat slit on your altar than be EU Commissioner.’ I don’t think so.]

  9. Silvan Mifsud says:

    Daphne,

    I may be stupid, and yourself with above average intelligence.

    [Daphne – I’m not saying you’re stupid. Far from it. In fact, I know you’re not – unless you’re another Silvan Mifsud or somebody pretending to be the one I know. What I’m saying is that I made a conscious choice to vote for one party rather than another, because I was brought up in neither a Nationalist family nor a Labour one, and that it is hard for some people to accept that somebody intelligent and truly progressive (though I would never use the word other than ironically), left unencumbered by ‘political heritage’ would make a rational choice in favour of the Nationalist Party rather than Labour. I’ve noticed that when intelligent and very intelligent people support Labour, they invariably have a ‘Labour heritage’ which makes it a less than rational choice even if they might see it otherwise. The family political heritage and the loyalty that goes with it goes far towards explaining how otherwise bright and rational people would vote Labour, an entirely irrational choice even now.]

    You believe that the Labour Party is rubbish, and might not be the only one, whilst I believe that you are acting according to a dictated agenda.

    [Daphne – The very individuals I assume that you think are doing the dictating would be the first to tell you that I belong to that class of people who will take orders from no one, which is why – except for very brief periods – I have always been self-employed. But that’s because they know me well, and the people who cast this kind of aspersion don’t. Also, why on earth would I take orders? Unlike Marisa Micallef, nobody is paying me.]

    Everyone is entitled to draw his own conclusions. That’s why Eddie saved democracy for us all, mhux hekk?

    [Daphne – Yes, and you have the comments-board on timesofmalta.com to show you that there is a distinction to be made between the right to jump to -rather than draw – a conclusion and air it, and the wisdom of not doing so.]

  10. Steve says:

    I think you are spot on. I’d like to think if I were in that position, I’d perhaps be pissed off, and I’d let the Prime Minister know I’m pissed off, but that’s as far as I’d go. Apart from anything else, going to the papers is not going to get him his job back. All it does is make him out to be a spoiled, whining little brat. That may or may not be true, but I do not know him, and that is the impression I now have of him.

  11. Steve says:

    Oh, and another thing – let’s assume the Prime Minister didn’t tell Joe Borg directly (something I, like Daphne, find hard to believe). It’s still a matter between Joe Borg and the Prime Minister. Going to the papers and whining about it won’t help anybody.

  12. Twanny says:

    I cannot help trying to imagine how other PMs of recent memory would have handled this.

    Mintoff would probably have given him a dressing down (whether deserved or not) and told him brutally that he was out – to his face

    Fenech Adami would have ommitted the dressing down, but he would have been no less direct and brutal – to his face.

    KMB would probably have shed a (genuine) tear as he dd it, but he would have done it all the same – again to his face.

    Sant would have been cold and clinical and trotted out some logical reason for it – again to his face.

    It is only Gonzi who seems to lack the right appendages to do what should be done.

    [Daphne – Let me repeat, because you are obviously cut from the same cloth as Joe Borg. The prime minister summoned him to a meeting. Joe Borg said he would only turn up if he was going to be told that he was reappointed. The prime minister says, well, in that case….The meeting never takes place. What would you have demanded the prime minister do next – catch the afternoon flight to Brussels, turn up on Borg’s doorstep and say, ‘I’ve come to tell you to your face, whether you like it or not.’ I despair. People in public life think they can get away with atrocious behaviour because they know that members of the public have such low standards themselves. As for Fenech Adami: you’re wrong. He didn’t necessarily tell people the bad news himself. He usually got somebody else to do it for him, and that person ended up paying the price. As for the crass, common and extremely vulgar Mintoff, you shouldn’t be holding him up as a paragon of conduct. ]

    • john says:

      “As for Fenech Adami . . ” R.C.C. knows a thing or two about that.

      [Daphne – That’s exactly what I meant.]

  13. David S says:

    …the first thing I did when I read it on timesofmalta.com was send a comment “It’s unbelievable that even Joe Borg is engulfed by the gravy train” , and even more unbelievable that the comment was censored.

    • Anthony Farrugia says:

      I sent several posts to timesofmalta.com similar to posts I had made on this blog re Joe Borg but, wonder of wonders, none were published. It may be paranoia but does The Times have a hidden agenda on this?

      [Daphne – No, they just worry about libel suits.]

  14. maryanne says:

    I was surprised to read that Saviour Balzan has resigned his editorship. Jaqaw sejjer Brussels?

    [Daphne – Mhux ovvja.]

    • maryanne says:

      And then he wants us to believe that he had no agenda. This move explains a lot of things and puts them into perspective.

      Speaking of agendas: I have been wanting to ask why Evarist Bartolo is the main speaker, apart from Joseph Muscat, on the BWSC story. Isn’t he supposed to talk about education? Since the last general election we haven’t seen much of him and all of a sudden he is back with vengeance. I am half expecting an interview with his wife so that she may tell us ‘kemm hu twajjeb minn barra u minn gewwa’. Just like Anglu Farrugia.

  15. Leonard says:

    I see you staying away from the press but running after Lawrence Gonzi with a golf club.

  16. Tim Ripard says:

    Question is, if Joe Borg is such a lout, why was he appointed in the first place?

    [Daphne – Maltese political life is replete with louts. Or hadn’t you noticed?]

  17. Matt says:

    Joe Borg has behaved like a true prima donna. His public comments made him look foolish and conveyed a message to the public that he didn’t understand his position of a public servant. Doesn’t he realise that public servants are there to serve the public and not the public serve him?

    Undoubtedly, his high-powered position and the jet-set lifestyle he led for the last five years clouded his judgment. To me the prime minister comes across as a classy man and I do not believe that Dr Borg was not told directly or indirectly by anyone. He should be grateful and feel privileged. Why shouldn’t the prime minster give the job to someone else? Wasn’t five years enough?

    Great article. I hope he read it, as he needed a dose of good medicine.

  18. jomar says:

    Much ado about nothing – one more time.

    It’s all about the growing up process. Especially, since joining the EU we have gone through a number of ‘firsts’ and this is the first time for Malta’s EU Commissioner to be re-appointed or replaced.

    The Prime Minister chose to replace Joe Borg – end of story, except, Joe Borg chose to write a boring chapter rather than a short ‘Thank you’ for the honour, and put himself in poor light.

    Whether the Prime Minister had a face to face meeting with Joe Borg or not is immaterial because the result would have been the same anyway. Dr. Gonzi must have agonized over his decision over a certain length of time and why and how he made the decision is something which warrants confidentiality and should not be subject to public scrutiny. If Joe Borg approached the PM with a conditional meeting, it was like approaching your boss with ‘either you give me a raise, or…’ Joe actually gave the PM an endorsement of his decision!

    Burning bridges is never a good idea. Joe Borg should know that. People of much lesser intelligence know it!

  19. davidg says:

    I expected Joe Borg to say “Thank you, Prime Minister (or better still Malta). Now it is time to move on and give way for others.”

    Changes in institution bring in new ideas, motivation, etc….

    We are afraid to change people, and the end result is bureaucracy, unaccountability, nepotism, and in some cases even corruption. Change brings in new challenges and if these challenges are addressed properly we will surely progress.

    I also think that Joe Borg was really irritated not only because he was not reappointed but because no new appointment was in the pipeline for him.

    We have a tradition of appointing Mr. X as private secretary to Minister Y and then ambassador to Malta, and than Commissioner and then consultant with Ministry Y and so on. A lot of talent is wasted as truly gifted people never get the chance to administer. It is time to hire public administrators on 2 to 3 year contracts and that’s the only way forward. Payment assigned against performance and results achieved.

  20. H.P. Baxxter says:

    Too bloody right, davidg (David Guetta? Nice!) There’s this Maltese idea of appointments for life, unless you fuck up or your superior wants some “vendikazzjoni”. So the logic goes: he’s being replaced, therefore he must have fallen out of favour etc etc bla bla bla. Reminds me of the days when Roger Ellul Micallef was perpetually the only candidate for the post of the rector. Because “he’s good, so we should not replace him, lest we be thought of as traitors.”

  21. Anthony says:

    I refer to the interview with Joe Borg in The Sunday Times of 29th November. My reaction was, with all due respect to this honest and honourable man: is it possible that this was the best we could propose as EU Commissioner five years ago? What a puerile, pathetic reaction after five years in this top post. Has he not learned anything? Will he ever learn anything?

  22. Carmel says:

    Daphne, this is a good article but things don’t always work the way you think, you have to admit that the Prime Minister was a bit harsh with Joe Borg. I think this is pure arrogance on the part of Dr. Gonzi.

    [Daphne – Confused thinking, Carm. The pure arrogance was Borg’s.]

  23. Silvio Farrugia says:

    I, like yourself Daphne, am fed up with people in high places behaving atrociously. All the talk we hear ” serving my country” and ”being a service to the people” is bollocks. No wonder many have lost their faith in politicians…all they are after (that is the perception of the majority one can communicate with) is money and power.

  24. Paul says:

    Joe Borg nimagina li ga kellu postu fejn kien jixraqlu, ghax il Prim Ministru mhux se jhalli good brains barra mil-picture, imma vera paroli fil-vojt li ghamel.

    Ma kont nimagina qatt xi haga hekk min ghandu. Kelli ammirazzjoni kbira lejh, imma issa, bhal meta tkisser tazza, issewiha imma ma tigi qatt kif tkun fil-bidu.

    Il-pass ghaqli li messu jaghmel issa hu li jitlob skuza lil Prim, halli jerga isib postu jixraqlu. Nispera li Joe Borg jaqrahom dawn il-messages u flok jissupervja, jitghallem minnhom.

  25. Paul says:

    Hawn Malta kullhadd jihu ghalih bix xejn, qisna tal-kristall, ninkisru bix-xejn. Poplu Malti, please grow up.

  26. Paul says:

    Ghaziz Joe Borg,
    Li kieku int kont player tal-football, u il-coach tieghek ma jridx jilghabek iktar, mhux se joqghod jibghatlek xi qassis jew xi counseller biex jghidlek. Dan jaqbad u ma jilghabekx. Iktar min hekk, jekk tipprova tghid xi haga int, ma issib postok qatt iktar fil-first team. Biex tkun aghar, jekk toqghod tibki fil-gazzetti, dan jurik il-bieb ta’ barra, u l-ebda coach ma jkun iridek mieghu, ghax tkun xkiel.

    Issa dan hu ezempju fuq skala izghar, imma nahseb li jaghmel sens. Dawk kollha li jhobbu il football, jistaw jifmu ahjar.

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