Made in Brussels – the tapes
You know how the simplest explanation is almost always the correct one, but also tends to be the one we overlook?
There’s been lots of speculation going on about what Jason Micallef has over Muscat. At the Labour Party general conference in January last year, Muscat made this big production about how he had asked Jason to concentrate on the major reforms (where are they?) at Super One, and how he had made “a great personal sacrifice” in giving up his plans to be an electoral candidate so as to concentrate on the party broadcast media instead.
Then Jason got up on the podium and talked about his sacrifice, and how you must not ask what the party can do for you, but what you can do for the party.
A few months later, and Jason had already defied Muscat’s wishes and was touting his candidature about town, to the fulminating annoyance of Anglu Farrugia (they’re both Mosta men).
The next thing we know, Anglu has gone. We thought it was all about removing an embarrassment and replacing him with a more presentable Louis Grech (who has turned out, incidentally, to be an equally hopeless public speaker). That was a strong element, certainly, but let’s not underestimate the Jason factor. Anglu was his biggest obstacle to getting elected, and his removal has left him with a clear field to a seat in parliament.
So to get back to the quite obvious uncontrollable power that Jason Micallef has: people are talking about ‘made in Brussels’ tapes of a particular kind.
But you know what? It’s probably a whole lot more prosaic: the real, actual Made in Brussels tapes, episode after episode in which Joseph Muscat detailed the evils of the European Union. How did it not occur to us before? Jason Micallef controls Super One. He controls the entire Super One archive. He is master of an archive of years and years of recordings showing Joseph Muscat in politically embarrassing positions, saying compromising things.
All he has to do is upload the best bits on Youtube and watch them go viral.
That’s my two cents’ worth. I don’t really think there are any Lorry Sant/Dom Mintoff type photographs because Muscat has always struck me as a rather sexless sort. But of course, one never knows and stranger things have happened. We had to wait until a ghastly scene in parliament in 1992 to discover how Lorry Sant had been blackmailing Dom Mintoff for a couple of decades, that a brown envelope of photographs was the source of his uncontrollable power and the way he did what he liked as a rogue minister.
We may never find out why Jason Micallef defies his party leader with impunity, gets his way, and nobody is able to stop him.
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Very well thought out, as usual, Daphne.
Not too long ago someone here suggested that the Made in Brussels tapes should be released once again to show what kind of person Muscat is. The reply was that they disappeared. More likely they’re under lock and key as an insurance.
I still say, that the HOLD is on the mrs.
Brussels can get lonely for spouses of.
Daphne,
today on the article “Oil dealer wants pardon to turn on corruption ring” on the times, there is a very interesting name at the end of the article (on the printed version). The Lawyer defending the businessman who wants the pardon is….. Franco Debono!!!
The funny part in all this is that Franco Debono up to a couple of days ago said that this pardon isn’t even worth the paper that it is printed on!
Now Franco is advising his client to get this pardon!
Please Franco make up your mind!
ex-pl
I’d wager it’s something more mundane than that. Jason controls Joseph’s public image. No need to have an archive of material (which he does, I’ll grant you that) when one can make Joseph look bad several times a day on the news.
Go back to 2008.
“Joseph Muscat, who is being pushed by Alfred Sant’s alliance, to take the role of Leader of the Labour party, is now showing that he doesn’t want to have Jason Micallef as Secretary General of the Party. This is in spite of Jason Micallef being the person behind the alliance of Alfred Sant.
…
Adding on to this, ex Secretary General of the Labour Party, Domnic Fenech expressed his view. He said in l-Orizzont that ‘if you rely on certain rumours, you can almost tell who already planned everything out and has it ready for action.’
Meanwhile the alliance of Alfred Sant is also working to control Evarist Bartolo and to offer him the role of Deputy Leader; they are doing so, so that the votes of Sant’s alliance won’t be split up between Joseph Muscat and Evarist Bartolo. ”
http://www.maltarightnow.com/default.asp?…Joseph+M...
Not sure I agree with you on this one. The theory would make sense if the men, or at least one of them, were principled enough to consider that making a political U-turn is a scandal.
Anyway everyone can see Muscat’s hypocrisy on the EU – it’s not something on which Jason can hold Joseph hostage.
Plausible theory. The only thing that doesn’t add up in my head is the fact that the Labour party is also touting Louis Grech on Jason’s district and Louis has as much of a chance (if not more) as Anglu of being elected. So I wonder…
Maybe the second part of your theory is more plausible. As to no dirt to be found about rendezvous of the Great Leader in Brussels…the less said the better.
Out of context but I would like a link about what the prime minester said about policemen’s pension. Thank you.
As you said, you never know.
After the blatant copy of the Obama electoral video, here is another example.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFRedzh0iog
Joseph Muscat even has to wait for the PN to publish its Electoral Programme before publishing his own so he can copy it.
For those like myself, who have a reason not to hold any particular affection for Lawrence Gonzi or some Members within the PN, this is the alternative.
This is the Prime Minister Malta risks having, come March 9th.
“We may never find out why Jason Micallef defies his party leader with impunity, gets his way, and nobody is able to stop him.”
Certainly not during the election campaign. There is a good chance that Jason will find himself having a Prime Minister rather than simply a party leader by the b***s. A much more valuable chip in his pocket.
This is true Labour waiting to erupt come March 9th.
First the comment by Godfrey Grima to set the pace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4N2Wv_aL9M
and now to face the reality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGheSJkeEZM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVL-rjPe-RM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNuQSKfQ_qM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_MYvpy9ijg
and for the final eye-opener
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy3JFP36OrA
I was sure Daphne will find the truth.
This is extremely interesting.
It must be why Joseph Muscat is always harping on how he will fight red tape. Those tapes must be red hot property at One Productions.
Yet, something tells me that if Joseph becomes Prime Minister at 39 on 10 March 2013, Jason would quickly proceed to publish those tapes.
It will be the first step necessary in succession planning and management at the Centru Nazzjonali.
pardon, it’s Godfrey Grima
Memories of Michael Portillo’s Cambridge days.
That was a manoeuvre by Muscat not to irritate Anglu Farrugia because Anglu’s vote was still needed in Parliament. But when all is said and done and Parliament was resolved Muscat came from behind to stab Anglu Farrugia.