Claudine Cassar on Franco Debono
In Malta Today, last Sunday:
The frustrating thing in all this is that Franco Debono may be right about many of the issues he raised, but clearly none of the issues are important enough to merit toppling a government.
Someone needs to sit him down and give him a stern talking to, explaining principles of proportionality.
The reforms he is championing are valid and he definitely should raise a hue and cry about them.
However he is going about this the wrong way – there is a major difference between making the leader of your party squirm in order to get his attention and stabbing him in the back. Sticking a knife in him will definitely get you noticed but that is not very useful if your leader is dead!
So all in all, Franco’s actions are ultimately self-defeating, because the second the government falls, so too end any hopes of reform by the current administration. If Franco Debono continues on his current course, he is giving a clear message that he believes that the Labour Party in government is more likely to take forward the reforms that he is championing.
For otherwise, what is the point?
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Well, maybe he does think that Labour is more likely to introduce the reforms “he is championing”. So what?
Another reason to show that the government has lost its majority in parliament and must go to the people.
And governments, by the way, are not “toppled”. Very very Manglish “twaqqa’ l-gvern”.
Governments lose their majority and then the Prime Minister resigns. In a functioning, Western democracy this is the more normal thing. But not in Malta. Here it is the ultimate catastrophy, which will “destroy jobs”, “destabilise the country”..yeah right.
So what if he believes “that the Labour Party in government is more likely to take forward the reforms that he is championing”.
If he truly believes this then it might be that according to him what he is doing is right and the only way.
Hasn’t he been begging (according to him) his party for the last three years to consider his proposals?
So what’s wrong if he thinks that a Labour governmentwould eventually take them on board?
I think there comes a time when one has to decide to stop begging and act.
I am sure that this Italian saying fits the occaision: “Meglio vivere un giorno da leone,che cento anni da pecora”.
[Daphne – Jaqq, Mussolini.]
I can assure you that HE was not always “Jaqq”.
You can confirm this, by asking most ot the old guards of the P.N. who might be still around.
[Daphne – Of course Mussolini was always repulsive. Do you imagine he woke up one morning and became that way? As for your suggestion re the Nationalist Party, that’s exactly why nobody in my family supported the party back then. I imagine it was too right-wing, fascist and pro-Italian for their taste. The cultural split in Malta was even bigger then than it is today.]
Just on a light tone: he was the one who made the trains, in Italy, go on time.
Maybe we need him now to fix Arriva.
Don’t waste you time answering me, as I am only being provocative.
[Daphne – I don’t consider it a waste of time helping people improve their general knowledge: http://www.snopes.com/history/govern/trains.asp ]
I didn’t know that was a quote from Mussolini. Interesting that Joseph Muscat used it as well in 1998 in reference to Alfred Sant’s decision to call an election.
http://www.maltarightnow.com/default.asp?module=news&at=Ka%26%23380%3B+tipiku+ta%27+ba%26%23380%3Bu%26%23380%3Blu+ta%27+Gvern+Laburista+li+dak+i%26%23380%3B-%26%23380%3Bmien+kien+se+jaqa%27&t=a&aid=99814080&cid=19
D’oh!
How many more people does he need to tell him, rationally and calmly, that he is going about the issue in a wildly irrational manner?
Is his state of denial be so grave, that he is deaf to what is being discussed out there, even by friends and allies, about the obvious reasons behind his behaviour?
Can he honestly, when sitting alone with his thoughts, imagine that the newly found waves of support to be found on comments boards, Facebook and from the likes of MaltaToday and the Labour media, are born of sincerity and concern over the issues he raises, or for his own well-being for that matter?
Debono may be an easy target for our criticism, but reading the contributions you’ve posted here actually instil a sense of pity for the man. What on Earth is he thinking?
Another maltastar gem: Making free trade an economy.
http://www.maltastar.com/pages/r1/ms10dart.asp?a=19387
Franco wanted to show that he has always been better than his ex-schoolmate Joseph. Now by undermining the government and throwing the country into an early election, he stands to make Muscat prime minister. He’s lost sight of the end-game.
Claudine who?
Dear Daphne,
This is not a ‘comment’ but just a short message to tell you well done for all the hard work that you put in keeping your blog up to date.
You are my morning and afternoon coffee at the office. I just love your work. I disagree with a few articles and agree with most.
May you find the energy to keep writing and take care of yourself cos we need you to keep writing the truth and what other people think but haven’t got the balls to say.
regards
Michelle