Comebacks are for Gordon Gekko
I hate this job but I'm going to stick it out until I become prime minister
His behaviour is completely unacceptable, but he knows that the only person who can rap him for it is the prime minister, and Lawrence Gonzi is not going to do that.
So John Dalli keeps right on pushing that envelope. He is now so far up his own nether orifice that he fails to understand just how pathetic and irritating he is.
Nobody likes a man who sits around feeling sorry for himself while badgering the rest of us to feel sorry for him too, especially not when there is really nothing to feel sorry for because he’s landed in clover.
Dalli spoke to a group of journalists from Malta last week, in Brussels as EU Commissioner if you please, and not in Hal Qormi as a former local MP, and had the ruddy and unseemly nerve to describe his work as commissioner as ‘a four-year sentence’.
Really?
Some sentence that, which gives him a massive salary, tremendous perks, status he’d never dreamed of when he was growing up as a pastizzier’s son in Hal Qormi, and on top of that, a whopping great pension which means that he’ll never have to do another day’s work when his four-year sentence is up.
Ah, but he wants to be prime minister, and he’s going to thkweam and thkweam and stamp his lickle feet until he gets his way.
It wasn’t the prime minister who asked John Dalli to go to Brussels. It was John Dalli who asked the prime minister to give him the job of EU commissioner. Dalli counts on the prime minister doing the gentlemanly thing and not revealing this very salient fact, even as he sails up and down the country behaving as though he was kidnapped and bundled off.
He assumes that nobody will ever know that it was he who went knocking for the job and so he is free to complain and be very rude about it, telling anyone who will listen how the wicked forces of the evil usurper gOnZiPn tied him up, put a revolver to his temple and forced him on a flight out to Brussels. The way he tells it, it’s like Napoleon and Elba and he’s in exile.
And the journalists, it goes without saying, just sit there and listen to his rubbish without challenging him on any point. Not one of them has the guts to ask:
“If you don’t like it, then why are you still there? Is it because of the money, the fame, the status, the pension plan? And if you didn’t want to take the job, then why did you take it?”
God forbid anybody should point out the lacunae in this man’s relentless and wholly off-putting public sobbing.
The American humourist David Sedaris has just had another book published, eagerly awaited by me and a hundred thousand other dedicated fans. It’s called Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk and it’s a sort of Aesop’s Fables for our time. Dalli (but then he doesn’t have a sense of humour, the main clue being his total lack of self-awareness) would do well to read the Sedaris fable called The Motherless Bear.
It’s about a bear which makes attention-seeking and self-pity its life’s work.
Eventually this bear ends up with no other bears to listen to its sob-stories because those other bears flee as they see the sob-story bear approach. So then it finds a captive audience – literally, a dancing-bear which is tied to a pole at night and can’t run away.
Night after night of this ‘poor me’ nonsense and at last the chained bear raises its head and talks right back. It says that it has no teeth because its captor has knocked every one of them out with a hammer. It has maggots living in its knees. Flies are raising families in its flesh. It’s been years since it has eaten solid food and its digestive system is shot. Its right foot is broken in three places.
“And you’re coming at me all teary-eyed because your stepmother died?” it says to the other bear.
That’s exactly what John Dalli does: coming at us all teary-eyed because he’s got one of Europe’s top jobs, having been given it when he asked for it in the vain hope that he would shut up about not getting to be prime minister. He took the job and he still didn’t shut up, and apparently he hasn’t read Machiavelli either, because even as he plots and schemes he makes sure he tells us all about it.
He told those journalists that he is “closely following developments in Malta” (you’d think he was living in Australia in the age of snail mail, telex and cables, the way he talks) and that he thinks he has more to give to Maltese politics once his four-year sentence ends
John Dalli told the journalists that he visits Malta frequently and has meetings with people (as opposed to dogs and tortoises, one assumes) to gauge the political situation.
He makes himself sound like Simon Mann plotting to overthrow a third-world dictatorship with the help of some mercenaries and a decommissioned Soviet plane.
He can gauge the political situation via the internet and have his chats on Skype, but no, because the cloak-and-dagger whispering and skulduggery are an essential part of the thrill of old-fashioned political plotting.
But there are some aspects of John Dalli’s four-year prison sentence which he likes. They bring out the networker in him.
“During my time as minister for health in Malta, I travelled to the US and China for talks with producers, but at the time I represented a nation of around 400,000 people,” he told this newspaper. “That is a significant number, but not enough to gain access to the highest echelons of the manufacturers. As commissioner, I now represent (a market of) 500 million people and this gives me direct access to the CEOs and highest-ranking officials, to discuss various issues including medicine prices. This is the significant difference in the level of power afforded to a commissioner when compared to a minister.”
So that’s all right, then. He’s going to come away from his four-year sentence with a little black contacts book that’s going to be a lot more impressive and useful than before he began serving his sentence in the EU Gulag. He’d just better make sure he keeps it locked away from Bastjan, or he might go after them in pursuit of a hot deal on green soap.
What a country. You just have to love it.
This article is published in The Malta Independent today.
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Was it Gordon Gekko who said “Greed is good” in Wall Street?
[Daphne – Yes, and in the sequel (a pale shadow of the first; I was so disappointed) he says that now it seems it also legal.]
Not as disappointed as he was, because there was nobody to pick him up outside the prison.
What a let down by John Dalli. I would have thought he would not act in such a childish manner. I would love to have been sent in ‘exile’ to Brussels with all the perks that it entails.
As you so rightly said, if he felt this way, he should not have accepted the post of Commissioner and gone on with his crusade. Again, what a let down Mr. Dalli – I am sure you have disappointed so many of your supporters by acting is this manner.
If he is so “fed up” of living in the dream factory that is Stalag Luft Berlaymont, can’t he ask the Red Cross to repatriate him on humanitarian grounds (seeing as how he has so much MORE to give back to Malta and its citizens)?
Pathetic – if I was Barroso I would check if his comments and statement were truthful and ask for an apology or his resignation. But fat chance of that.
Credit to wikipedia
“Commissioner’s basic monthly salaries are fixed at 112.5% of the top civil service grade. This works out at €19,909.89 per month, Plus beaucoup perks….give us a break, John.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1967R0422:20040501:EN:PDF
I hope that John Dalli reads your blog. He has to learn how to behave and be a valid representative of this small island of 400,000 inhabitants. Why is it that you, Daphne, have to ask the right questions and not the note takers who call themselves reporters?
Completely agree with Etil. His behaviour is indeed disappointing.
If being EU commissioner is a four-year sentence, there are many who are hoping to be ‘sentenced’ in some shape or form.
Litteralment biskuttini f’halq il-hmir
ara vera wiccu u ….. xorta… ghax ma jiringrazzjx lill Alla. Spoilt brat …
John Dalli, who I had admired very much as a minister, has disappointed me immensely. The serious flaw in character which has come to the fore recently is enough reason to have him disqualified outright from ever being considered as leader of the Nationalist Party.
Intelligence and charisma are not enough. The party needs people of the highest integrity at the helm, in the mould of Fenech Adami and Gonzi.
The PN is fortunate enough to have a few of this calibre within its ranks and none more so than Simon Busuttil, not that his services will be required any time soon.
How does one go about getting that sort of sentence, please?
Ara, veru ma jisthix dan il-bniedem.
What a let-down! He has lost all the credibility and sympathy that he had in 2004.
These recent events (constant whining, conspiracy theories involving his brother, closeness with Saviour Balzan, and the setting up of his own newspaper) indicate that definitely he is not prime minister material.
It doesn’t look so good for the poor island. Imagine if we had to choose between Muscat and Dalli.
John Dalli resembles Cetta at tal-grocer. Daphne do you recall that the contest for the Nationalist Party’s Leadership was between friends. How irritated is John Dalli with the winner of the Leadership. Have you any first hand information to share with us about their friendship?
Mr. Dalli is a silly ungrateful man. He lacks political savvy and is definitely no statesman. I hope for the sake of Malta his supporters distance themselves from him.
At id-Dar Centrali, who is behind him?
The more he speaks, the more I am convinced the PN made the right crucial decision in choosing Gonzi to lead the party.
As true as Cristiano Ronaldo describing himself as a slave a couple of years ago.
With Dalli’s access to the CEOs of the pharma companies and his discussions with them about medicinal prices, he is going to give Chris Said a hard time when it comes to who gives us the lowest price for Levitra.
I never had a lot of trust in politicians, but now….. Poor ordinary citizens like me.
Daphne, it seems that the prim minister on doing the gentlemanly thing,’as you put it’ and not revealing this ‘secret’, had had some sort of lapsus, becaus it seems he had confided in you!!! or sa usual , you know it all. Bye
Tony
[Daphne – No, he didn’t. I speak to the prime minister perhaps twice a year: hello and goodbye at huge and very public receptions.]
PS, every time you read and decide to hide my comments from viewers, i smile, is’nt that good?.
Tony
[Daphne – I haven’t hid your comments, Tony. I was out shopping. When it says ‘your comment is awaiting moderation’, it means exactly that.]
Another Labourite hooked on Daphne’s blog. Anthony waits impatiently while Daphne does her shopping.
DCG – Why do have to explain??? This is your blog.
Min jaf dawn tal-Labour kemm joholmu u jistaqsu ‘Imma din- Daphne min hi, xi rwol ghandha fil-Partit Nazzjonalista?’ U qatt ma jiskopru xejn u jibqghu imbellhin u jibqghu joholmu.
Dalli has lowered himself to Joseph’s level of arrogance, whining and acting like a spoiled brat.
The PN does well to rid itself of egotistic personalities who place themselves first.
John Dalli should be reminded that there are several competent individuals who can be persuaded to relieve him of his predicament.
At his age, Mr. Dalli ought to plan to enjoy his ‘golden years’ well taken care of by the EU, NI and MP lucrative pensions and not antagonize the very people who made the first possible.
Jostling for position for after they lose the next election?
Insomma as they say, Johnny gbin, ”Once a hamallu from Hal Qormi, always a hamallu”. The gall of the man is incredible. God, some mothers do ‘ave them !
“During my time as minister for health in Malta, I travelled to the US and China for talks with producers, but at the time I represented a nation of around 400,000 people,” he told this newspaper. “That is a significant number, but not enough to gain access to the highest echelons of the manufacturers. As commissioner, I now represent (a market of) 500 million people and this gives me direct access to the CEOs and highest-ranking officials, to discuss various issues including medicine prices. This is the significant difference in the level of power afforded to a commissioner when compared to a minister.”
Ma stahax jghida. As you said his Filofax (do they still make them?) or PDA must be brimming with contacts for a post-Brussels consultancy.
But no, his eyes are still on the Holy Grail of PN capo; maybe Bastjan and Gorg are doing the groundwork locally while John is miskin in exile in Brussels.
Ego and chips (as on both shoulders) for lunch, anyone?
Veru li geddumhom fix-xghir u jgergru! Donnu kull min jitla’ Brussel qisu qed jaghmlilna xi pjacir. Joe Borg ghamel erba snin u gerger, dan wara sena!
Flok ma’ jghid sibt ragel u tani li ridt, igerger ghax ikkalzrat!Ma’ jridx jghidilna li Gonzi tefghu fl-ixkora? Trid tkun tuba biex tiblaha din!
Haga ohra li ninnota hi li wiehed ma’ jistax jahdem sew fuq haga waqt li mohhu f’ohra.
Daphne, you say John Dalli has a massive salary. It seems to be around twenty thousand euros per month plus perks galore. This is a joke.
I am sorry to have to say this. These figures are risible when compared to what a well placed politician in Malta, or anywhere else for that matter, can make (as very distinct from earn).
Ghax ma jirringrzzjax l-Alla u lil GonziPN illi f’erba snin ohra ha jerga jsir ‘Johnny Cash’? Tghidx kemm impressjonana b’dak li qal. Bhal li kieku xi vittima tal-partit Nazzjonalista. Disgusting, to say the least.
Ma nafx dwar erba snin ohra Karl, imma issa kif qied igib ruhu ‘Johnny Trash’
Thank you for the remarks and questions which you have the gall to ask while other sheepish reporters sit there fiddling with their thumbs. I too read what John Dalli said and thought that surely he would issue a disclaimer.
Not so. It seems as if he wants to return to Qormi to scramble for a few thousand votes, if he’s lucky, and then challenge the prime minister for the leadership.
John, you cannot be serious (the McEnroe version).
Rich men don’t like to work hard. He’s finding it hard and tedious, let alone boring. Having to study long memos for endless meetings and face biting questions at the European Parliament in Strasbourg is not Dalli’s cup of tea. The man’s had enough. It’s been clear from Day One.