He was unfit for purpose from the start
So now Dalli is going to sue for unfair dismissal, for all the world as though he was some kind of middle manager at a chain of supermarkets.
This is like a minister suing for unfair dismissal when told by the prime minister that he is no longer required in the cabinet.
And he went to Brussels to hold a press conference and tell everyone, embarrassingly, what his plans are. Unfortunately, at this stage, and with Dalli taking things so far, it’s only going to rebound badly on the prime minister for being the one who nominated him.
It’s going to occur to others, as Dalli’s behaviour becomes more and more “incomprehensible” (to quote Jose Manuel Barroso), that there is something very seriously wrong with him and that this problem didn’t develop over the last few months but was there already when he was inflicted on the Commission.
It will then occur to the Commission that this is precisely why he was inflicted on them.
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”Unfortunately, at this stage, and with Dalli taking things so far, it’s only going to rebound badly on the prime minister for being the one who nominated him.”
As if he cares – probably that is one of the prime (excuse the pun) reasons why he is acting as such.
Still…
http://euobserver.com/tickers/117987
http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/europaeische-union/weiterer-ruecktritt-affaere-dalli-weitet-sich-aus-11936756.html
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20121024/local/olaf-supervisory-board-head-resigns-in-new-twist-to-dalligate.442473
And now this. It’s getting messy.
Indeed it is!
Daphne, contrary to what you may think, I have never met, known or spoken to John Dalli or Silvio Zammit and if they are proven guilty by means of due process, I hope they get what they deserve.
Having said that, it has been obvious from the start that OLAF and Barroso have acted more like an inquisition than a fair tribunal or investigation board. The tell-tale signs were there from the moment the story of Dalli’s resignation broke last week, and I’m sure I don’t need to spell them out to you. If you set aside your bias, you’ll see them clearly. (And John Dalli’s competence or lack thereof is a completely separate issue, quite apart from how his case was handled.)
The least I would expect from a self-respecting journalist, now that all sorts of things are starting to come out in the wash, is that you stop your gloating and reserve judgement until all the facts are known.
[Daphne – You must be joking. You seem to have forgotten how long I and others have had to stand by – years – watching this sleazeball cream it off while being unable to write anything about it because we didn’t have the cast-iron proof that the law requires. He’s been nabbed at last, and not by anyone on this Godforsaken rock, obviously.]
hey Def,
whilst the guy (was as you say – creaming it off) he was busy changing malta’s direction to what it is now. followed by several life threatening threats. i don’t call that ‘Creaming it off’. what do you think??
Now that Dalli is having his claws painfully extracted, I hope that people who do have any proof against him will feel brave enough to come forward.
I believe there are many people in Malta who have endured a petrified silence for many years, too afraid to stick their head above the parapet for fear of retribution. If any are reading this, courage, your time is now.
Dear God. How did this pathetic, corrupt bastard end up representing me in Europe?
I wish he would just drop dead before he does any more damage to our country.
Gonzi deserves all the grief he gets because he should have seen this coming. But I don’t. F**k you, Dalli.
I agree. I also object to having my taxes used to support people like Dalli in Brussels and I want my money back.
It is also another reason to add to the growing list why the UK should leave the EU. David Cameron is toying with the idea of having a referendum on this subject. As with the divorce referendum in Malta, this one in the UK is inevitable.
I have to add that I have dual Maltese/British citizenship so I feel Dalligate is a double whammy for me. The sooner the UK kicks the EU into touch, the better as far as I am concerned. We have more urgent, more important things in the UK to spend our money on than cushioning the backside of Mr Dalli and others with their snouts in the trough. Enough is enough.
He did not end up representing you in “Europe”. He was appointed by our Prime Minister as Member of, and so to represent, the European Commission. You are represented, in the EU, by our MEPs.
It may seem like a trivial detail but it is crucial in explaining why so many Maltese people are reacting so bizarrely to Dalli’s resignation.
Dalli was not representing you, because as Commissioner he represented the European Union, which makes the effective sacking of Dalli a whole lot worse.
Malta was then dragged through the filthy mire by the fact that Dalli is Maltese.
He was asked to resign because he was considered unfit for purpose. Now let us hope that the likes of Simon and RCC have left such a lasting impression that they outshine this gibbon’s foul antics.
How can Dalli sue for unfair dismissal if, as he infamously claimed in his letter to Barroso, he is still Commissioner?
Can someone withdraw his European passport?
I suggest that the basis should be “unambiguous circumstantial evidence of totally eroding Malta’s reputation as a Member State of the EU.”
I agree that John Dalli was not fit for the job and he is an easy person not to like as he suffers from innate negative charisma.
But it looks to me that there is a whole mountain of characters and clandestine shenanigans involving other people in the EU organization and on the outside in this debacle and it is mighty handy for them to have a likely sacrificial lamb or patsy for a cut and dry closure of a “He Done it” that is it there is nothing to see here lets move on.
Like most people I hate injustice and John Dalli has been treated shabbily in this affair by Barroso and the EU officials and by us here too.
If it was still 1972 and the Pace brothers were being robbed and railroaded over their BICAL bank and financial empire by the nice boys of the golden era, then we in the know would have instinctually have known that an injustice was taking place.
Although not so cut and dry as in the Pace brothers injustice episode but I get that similar feeling now in this Dalli/snus affair.
Wrong is always wrong.
I find it rather strange that Barroso did not give him the reasons why he asked him to resign. As a rule, if someone is charged with something they have to be told what the charges are.
Consider JM Barroso as Prime Minister and JD as a minister in his cabinet. PM loses confidence in minister after damaging report, than latter is out on his ear. QED.
Dalli obviously has no friends with integrity: they might have otherwise had a frank word with him and advised him how to behave as an ex-Commissionner.
Dalli desperately needs professional help and guidance to stop talking like some shop floor union member.
Dalli does not need professional help and guidance. He needs breeding and manners, which no amount of money (not even 60 million Euros) can buy.
It is time for the PN to burn the bridges.
The damage being wrought on the PM, the PN and the entire nation warrants immediate expulsion of Dalli from the party.
In the interests of Malta.
Lawrence and Paul heed my advice.
My only interest is the PN and the country.
To my mind they are synonymous.
I do not need anything from anybody. Thank God.
My advice is totally disinterested.
Please disassociate our Party from these shameful shenanigans.
Act fast.
Just so to confirm, had anyone missed it, that political decisions and business interests are the same.
If and when Dr Joe Cassar steps down as minister of health he will have his work cut out working as a psychiatrist with all this madness going on around us.
‘The chairman of the OLAF supervisory board, Christiaan Timmermans, has resigned over alleged breach of procedure in the office’s handling of the John Dalli case, according to reports in Germany and the Netherlands.’
May justice prevail and may the wicked ones be shamed in public, for ever and ever.
Dalli ma kienx impjegat tal-Commission imma politiku jirraprezenta lill-Malta fil-kullegg tal-Kummissarji, qisu ministru ta’ l-Ewropa kollha.
Ghalhekk minhabba li l-pozizzjoni hija wahda politika, il-President tal-Kummissjoni Barroso ghandu l-prerogattiva li jtemmlu l-mandat tieghu xhin irid jekk jitlef il-fiducja fih, anke minghajr raguni, ahseb u ara meta ghandu provi li kiser il-kodici ta’ etika tal-kummissarji meta ltaqa’ ma’ persuni barra l-ufficcju b’involviment dirett ta’ kanvasser tieghu li m’ghandu x’jaqsam xejn max-xoghol ta’ l-ufficcju tieghu.
U dan lil hinn mil-kwistjoni l-ohra ta’ jekk intalbux flus jew le.
Ghalhekk JD m’ghandu l-ebda bazi biex jibda azzjoni legali kontra l-kummissjoni daqs kemm bl-istess mod politiku fil-kabinett tal-gvern Malti m’ghandux bazi fuqiex jiftah kawza kontra l-gvern meta l-Prim Ministru jkun nehhih minn ministru.
Unfortunately it seems that most cannot distinguish between law and ethics, or politics and business.
Thus the confusion between illegal behaviour and unethical behaviour, management processes as opposed to judicial or political processes, etc.
This confusion is not surprising – after all, there are continuous demands that the prime minister ‘shuts up’ a blogger, proving that even basic concepts such as ‘free press’ and ‘freedom of expression’ are still unfamiliar to many. I despair.
As regards to Dalli, he is smart enough to know the above, but unfortunately also unscrupulous enough to exploit the general ignorance thereon.
Too many people need professional help on this island. We’re swimming out of our depth.
And people were scandalised when our Prime Minister said that he did not have a large pool of talented people to choose from. Joseph Muscat will not even be able to scoop up a drop of talent with his lot.
When is our collective good sense going to wake up from its hibernation? We send idiotic, clueless clowns like Joseph Cuschieri, and slimeballs like Dalli to Brussels and bring back home one of the few people (RCC) who does not make us blush.
Insane!
Dalli should thank Barroso for freeing him from the prison GonziPN sent him to.
Dr Gonzi did not send him there – Mr Dalli asked for the position.