John Dalli: he was unfit for purpose from the start (like his Labour friends and his pet JPO)
You can’t blame people for growing up in households where they don’t learn correct form, proper manners and how to behave in a variety of contexts. It’s not their fault.
But they are very much to blame if they reach the age of 64, after decades in public life, still determinedly having refused to learn all of that by observation or instruction, because they think it isn’t necessary and people should take them as they find them.
In that case, it most definitely IS their fault and they should be chastised for it.
Did we really dispatch to the European Commission a supposedly seasoned politician who begins a formal letter to the President of the European Commission with ‘Jose Manuel’, on the understanding that this is what he called him on a face-to-face basis, and because this is how commissioners generally address each other in routine correspondence?
Yes, we did. We dispatched to Brussels a man who cannot distinguish between ‘Jose Manuel’ his colleague on a daily basis, and the President of the Commission (the formal role).
And then to make matters worse, he signed off as “John Dalli, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy”, as though he were still the incumbent.
Oh, and he used a letterhead with his home address at Portomaso, while signing off as EU Commissioner, which would have been absolutely wrong even if he were still a Commissioner (if you sign off in your official role you use your official, not domestic, stationery). Just incredible.
19 Comments Comment
Reply to Ghoxrin Punt Click here to cancel reply
When was this sent?
I miss the date.
The Times said it was sent on Sunday.
He just doesn’t get it.
Someone really needs to spell it out to him.
They may start out as PN but, sooner or later, they see in Labour their proper home.
Oh no Daphne! This is not so much about manners or form as even a troglodyte like Dalli knows better. The form of his letter is intentionally petulent and childish in his manner of trying, in vain, to make a point (and embarrassing us further in the process.)
Only that he was dismissed completely. The Commission spokesman said “It is past. It occurred on Tuesday”. Brushed off as he deserves to be, particularly in the light of his behaviour following his sacking/resignation (semantics?).
And hear hear – TVM reported that no judicial letter appears to have been filed against Silvio Zammit. If this information is reliable, then John Dalli would have been caught lying yet again, as he already did when claiming that he had filed a report about the hacking incident with the police authorities.
“Did we really dispatch to the European Commission …”
No we didn’t. Our PM did, to get Mr Dalli our of his (the PM’s) way.
Our PM was elected by the majority and therefore had the right to send who he wished. Every is wise with hindsight. I cannot imagine the PM would have ever thought, in his wildest dreams, that Dalli would prove to be such a bad choice and embarassment.
Word of warning, if you think this is embarassing wait for the ‘party of form’ to be elected.
We’ll have a PM who is always unfashionably late, and has no idea of protocol; a number of ministers who have in past already been caught with their hand in the till, so to speak; and a whole lot of individuals who cannot string a sentence together in Maltese, let alone in English. How’s that for embarassing!
Then we’ll become the joke of Europe and not the domicile of choice which is the current situation in the financial services and gaming industries, to mention by two sectors
And you know what? I can’t wait for the day of their election to come. As a nation we don’t deserve any better.
The Prime Minster selected Dalli not on the basis of Dalli’s abilities, but for convenience. Now he must shoulder the blame.
Yes, we’re probably in for a fun five years. Then again, things have been going downhill for quite some time. The PN needs to clean up its act. If they won’t do it of their own accord, the people will force them.
The PN does not need to go in opposition to clean itself. Can’t you see the obvious, that it is already doing that while in government? I do not risk my present and my future to ‘clean’ a political party.
Additionally, you may also clean it yourself by using your vote wisely. The MLP on the other hand is inept even on the opposition benches and after all these years I find none of them competent.
Also, I do not believe that the PM sent John Dalli as a commissioner to get rid of him.
If I am not mistaken, there was a post this blog some time ago that it was Mr Dalli himself who asked for the position.
[Daphne – The fact that he asked for the position does not mean that he had to get it. And obviously, he couldn’t be ‘sent’ there against his will. He wanted to go and he got his wish.]
I also remember Mr Dalli saying something in the sense that it was time for him to move on. Dr Gonzi has proved time and time again that he can stand the heat pretty well.
It wasn’t as if getting rid of Dalli was going to give Dr Gonzi a trouble-free legislature, because he still has many other problems, like JPO, FD, JM, etc. Therefore, one more was not going to make any difference at all.
The Prime Minister must shoulder a lot of the blame for this embarrassment. With his history of scandals and controversies it was sheer madness to nominate him as EU Commissioner.
On Friday, I stopped by a village bar for hobza and tea and inevitably the subject was John Dalli and Silvio Zammit. Not one of the persons voicing their opinions seemed to believe Dalli and Zammit are innocent, notwithstanding what Malta Today would have us believe.
That to me says a lot.
The folk at the village bar seemed to know that this was a disaster waiting to happen, so how come our PM did not have the required foresight?
What’s his connection with New Europe? And what European policy do they have, anyway?
Why do they remind me of Kev and Sharon No2EU?
New Europe is like the drunk in the corner who will listen to any old crap as long as you buy him a drink and keep him company.
I think Johnny boy really misses his 240,000 euro annual salary.
Not bad money for being a nincompoop.
It was good while it lasted.
He is still on 100 grand a year, for doing nothing.
Mind blowing.
And you don’t put your name above your address, either.
How cheap.
The guy’s a peasant.
It would be interesting to see Barroso’s reply, if any.
Kemm hu bezzul dan Johnnie Kexx.