Here’s the unedited footage: an ill-mannered Mintoffian Maltese redneck goes to Brussels (and doesn’t realise he’s being laughed at)

Published: March 7, 2013 at 12:40am




199 Comments Comment

  1. Helene says:

    Some may say he did right by sticking to his guns, others might say supperv – but the real reason of this embarrassing scenario was that his speech was prepared in Maltese and he was too incompetent to improvise in English.

    • ken il malti says:

      I haven’t figured out why he could not and would not improvise and ad -lib on the fly his whole speech in English.

      Even I can do that and I have learned to read Maltese on my own.

      Is he that stupid and arrogant ?

      Defiantly I say he is.

      His Jesuit teachers should have not unleash such a dunce on us.

      A potential Prime Minster should not be fazed and red faced by such a minor hiccup.

      • Oscar says:

        And now ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce our next prime minister, . . . . . .Sweet Jesus what have we done to deserve this?

    • George says:

      Very true. He should have improvised under protest.

    • vanni says:

      Be it as it may, Helene, there are ways and means of courteously expressing your disapproval, especially when representing the Maltese who elected him.

      The bad acting and his aggressive behaviour reflects badly on a whole nation. If he couldn’t switch to English, he could have spared us the histrionics, and just say that he would present his speech when the translator was available.

    • Eddy Privitera says:

      What you refer to , instead of denigrating Dr. Muscat, on the contrary, proves that he is a WORTHY SON of our dear country ! Of course, coming from people who find it difficult to speak, let alone write, Maltese, one can understand your frustration at seeing Dr.Muscat STANDING UP for our own language !!

      • TinaB says:

        Privitera, ahna il-Malti niktbuh hafna ahjar minn dawk il-qabda illitterati (li jirrifjutaw li jitghallmu u jaghmlu uzu mil-edukazzjoni eccellenti li joffri il-pajjiz grazzi ghal gvern Nazzjonalista) fanatici ta’ Joseph Muscat il-Mintoffjan u l-lejber li nhar it-tnejn Malta sejra tkun ‘taghhom ilkoll’.

      • Rita Camilleri says:

        Qzamtli qalbi Eddi ruhi – kemm int patriotiku.

      • Tana toilet paper says:

        It would take an absurd old fossil like you to say something like that.

        The day a language needs to be stood up for is the day the whole world can lie down and die.

        Muscat could have done a lot more for Maltese PEOPLE if he’d shown he was capable of making a speech rather than reading it.

      • H.P. Baxxter says:

        F*ck your patriotism, Privitera.

    • Eddy Privitera says:

      WELL SPOKEN JOSEPH ! This is the man we need so that Malta gets the respect we expect ! No wonder on Saturday the big majority of the Maltese will be electing him as our prime minister !!!

      • mattie says:

        You have not seen any professional people in your life, that’s why you don’t know.

      • mattie says:

        And please don’t answer me, I’m tired of reading more of the same comments.

      • Jozef says:

        You don’t get the respect you expect, only the one you deserve.

        Ejja wahda l-fosos Privitera, x’sejrin taghmlu Hal-Far, quddiesa ghand Patri Mintoff?

      • mattie says:

        Hallina Joseph, Eddy mohhu fil kont tad-dawl u ilma bhalissa ghax ma’ li jmiss zero sa jkun so qed jaghmel il-budgets tieghu ghal bil-lest.

        Forsi l-partnerr ma tahdimx u jkunu jistghu jlehhqu bil pensjoni tieghu biss, li x’aktarx ha tirdoppja mill gimgha d-diehla.

        Nistennew u naraw u nispera li jidhol jghidilna.

        Tragic.

      • mattie says:

        Oh and Daph, keep your site opened next week, open a section where Eddy and many like him, can post his dreams come true list.

      • George says:

        Do you mean the kind of respect Malta got during your beloved Mintoff’s reign? Who told you Mr. Privitera that today’s Malta needed that kind of respect bestowed only by Communist Regimes who happen to be your comrades?

      • Tana toilet paper says:

        You’ll get respect, alright, but it won’t be the sort you need. Mintoff was respected, but only by your sort.

        Muscat is an embarrassment to all of us. Yes, you too, even though you don’t know it.

    • CARMELO PACE says:

      HELENE JIEN NAZZJONALIST SA ARQUBI,PERO FIL POZIZZJONI TA MUSCAT KONT NAGHMEL L ISTESS,SUPPOST KIEN HEMM IT TRANSLATION SYSTEM W MA HADDMUHIEX+LI BDEW JIDDIHQU BIH,MHUX SEW,PROSIT JOSEPH BHALHEKK KONT NAGHMEL

      • Stefan Vella says:

        Generic common name – check
        ‘Jien Nazzjonalist’ disclaimer – check
        All capital letters – check
        No distinction between translators and interpreters – check
        Chronic inferiority complex hidden behind right-wing behaviour – check
        Uneducated and proud – check
        Idiot like the fearless leader (oh the irony) – check

        Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell a lil’elve?

      • H.P. Baxxter says:

        Suppost, Sur Pace, li Malta hasbet biex tharreg, thallas, u tibghat translators fl-istituzzjonijiet tal-EU wara li ferfret rixha u qazzet dinja biex il-Malti gie dikjarat lingwa ufficjali. Jigifieri ara sewwa ta’ min huwa t-tort qabel ma tipponta sebghek lejn l-Unjoni Ewropea. Jekk Muscat kellu jghid “what the heck” lil xi hadd, imissu qalha lill-Maltin shabu.

      • mattie says:

        Mhux dak il punt, Carm, il-punt hu li ma titpastatx fuq hmerija.

  2. P Shaw says:

    Malta..soon to be the laughing stock of Europe.

    • Eddy Privitera says:

      P, Shaw: Are you referring to Gonzi after Saturday’s result ?????

      • haga mohgaga says:

        Funny economic statistics point otherwise Eddy, but it’s understandable coming from a red-blinkered man.

  3. Herman says:

    Imagine Dr. Gonzi or Tonio Borg reacting in this manner. Truly disgusting.

    • Eddy Privitera says:

      Of course not ! They would stick their tongue out AND START LICKING !

      • TinaB says:

        We know that you are an ignoramus, Eddy, but for your own sake, do not continue to confirm it with every comment you make, here.

      • haga mohgaga says:

        So according to you, Edward Scicluna, John Attard Montaldo and Louis Grech were “LICKING to the EU”.

        Imma kif ma tistax ggib wahda tajba, Eddy?

      • maryanne says:

        Jaqaq inkwetat, Eddy? Ghax meta tkun inkwetat u mhasseb tersaq ‘l hawn int.

  4. D Gatt says:

    You won’t show my comment but here goes:

    Meta tghid … bniedem bil-bajd. Dak li qed tara f’dan il-clip.

    • La Redoute says:

      The trouble is, if he had any, they were in a twist.

    • K says:

      Maledukat = bajd. Mentalita tipika. Se nergghu nispiccaw bil-glorifikazzjoni tal-medjokrita’, u min hu edukat (as in manners) jidhku bih.

    • Matthew says:

      Bniedem bil-bajd ma jaqbadx jgħajjat ma ħadd ieħor mingħajr ma jigi provokat.

      Pastaż, inkapaċi u tal-mistħija; dak li hu.

      Il-president tal-kamra tah spjegazzjoni leġittima (teknoloġija) li kieku kellu ftit melħ f’rasu, Muscat kien ibassar li xi darba se tfalli.

      Il-President tal-kamra talbu skuża wkoll. L-inqas ħaġa li seta’ jagħmel Muscat kienet li jirringrazzjah u jispjega b’mod ċivili għaliex ma jridx jagħti d-diskors tiegħu

      Jekk stess ried jagħmel punt, dan qatt ma kellu jsir bit-tisbit tas-saqajn iżda bi protest ufficjali miktub jew b’kelma tajba u spjegazzjoni.

    • Charlie says:

      I don’t know Joseph Muscat personally never meet the guy and not likely to, but man you make me as a Maltese very proud small as we are no one have the right to treat us as second class we are Maltese and yes if it is our right to speak Maltese yes we do good on you mate.

      • No Problem says:

        Man, ever heard of punctuation marks? Full stops, commas etc?

      • Catsrbest says:

        Can anyone decipher this language, please?

      • La Redoute says:

        Muscat wasn’t treated as a second class citizen. He BEHAVED like a third rate pruzuntuz, throwing a tantrum in English to tell the EP that he wanted to read his speech in Maltese.

    • TV Marlene says:

      Tkun bil-bajd meta jkunu kbar u ma turihomx, mhux meta jkollok zewg gewziet u tipprova ddahhak.

    • Roy says:

      D Gatt: obviously hailing from the other Malta. One other side where the grass will never be greener.

    • afm says:

      First of all why shouldn’t your comment be shown?

      And secondly, meta tghid bniedem bil-bajd ghandek ragun. M’hemmx dubju fuq hekk. Il-problema hi li billi ghandek il-bajd ma jfissirx li int edukat fil-manjieri bazici tas-socjeta’.

      L-attegament tieghu u kliemu haga wahda biss urew. L-injoranza grassa ta’ bniedem li ma jafx jaddatta ruhu ghal kul sitwazzjoni.

      • Eddy Privitera says:

        afm: Skond int TRID TKUN TAF TILGHAQ LILL-BARRANIN biex tkun taf taddatta ruhek ! Mhux ta’ b’xejn li GonziPN se jaqla tkaxkira nobis !

      • Wormfood says:

        Joseph jaf kif jilgħaq kieku, hu u l-partit tiegħek għamlu karriera jerdgħu u jilgħaqu il-laħam ta’ Gaddafi qabel ma’ biċċruħ il-Libjani.

      • No Problem says:

        Gonzi ghandu l-bajd imma qatt ma rajtu jaghmel bhal Joseph.

    • Pheidippides says:

      D Gatt, this video does not show a principled man sticking to his guns, but a spoiled brat who is unable to handle pressure. You’re easily impressed if you can’t tell the difference.

    • Nazjunalist u kburiiiiii says:

      OK mela skont int bniedem bil-bajd u bniedem li idahhaq in-nies bih kif deher sew u bniedem arroganti u supperv – hux hekk?

      Bniedem bil-bajd hu bniedem li hada kontra Gaddafi meta Gaddafi stess kien liktar niedem bsahtu fil-Libja.

      Bniedem bil-bajd hu bniedem li meta Gaddafi qalli ibaghtli l-ajruplani lura qallu le, mhux ser nibghatomlok.

      Dak hu bniedem bil-bajd, sur Laburist.

      • Jozef says:

        Ara Mintoff, lanqas gunboat ma seta’ jibghat ghax l-ufficjali Libjani rrifjutaw li johorgu mill-port.

        Iva sinjuri, l-armata, l-airport u l-ibhra ta’ Malta kienu f’idejn Il-kurunell.

    • Futur fis-Sod says:

      There’s a fine line between confident and assertive, and cocky and tactless. But someone like you wouldn’t know the difference.

    • Futur Imcajpar says:

      Jien qed nara bniedem inkompitenti, pastaz u hamallu, b’manjieri tal-gungla. Ma tindunax li qieghdin jizzuffjettaw bih? X’haseb? Li kienu fuq ix-xwiek biex jisimghuh? U pattihielhom billi ma tkellimx? Teatrini ta’ Duminku, li l-ewropej kienu ghaddewh ta’ mignun.

      • Catsrbest says:

        U hekk kien Mintoff – MIGNUN – bl-ghejra bazwija li kellu ghal kull min kien ahjar minnu, u bl-ossessjoni li xtaq li jkun dittatur bhal siehbu l-maqtul Gaddafi, u ma rnexxilux.

      • Eddy Privitera says:

        U l-inkompetenti ta’ Brussell kellhom jaghmlu dak li ried Dr. Muscat ! U qatt ma rega kien hemm nuqqas ta’ interpretu Malti !

      • Jozef says:

        U l-folla ghajtet Jiena Malitja!
        Miskin min ikasbarni
        miskin min jidhaq bijja

        Mid-Denfil.

      • mattie says:

        Eddy, int min qallek li ghax kien hemm zball tekniku, ma kienx ha jkun hemm interpretu permanenti fi hdan Brussell?

        Jekk tiqaflek il-waxink maxxine, jigifieri, mhux ha tahsel hwejgek aktar?

    • WhoamI? says:

      Different people have different definition of Bajd. Yours, quite clearly, is the wrong one. But then again, what do you expect from a Labourite?

    • Dattard says:

      Bil-bajd!? I will admit that yes, he had a point, but the way he expressed himself was rude and given the circumstances he should have just continued in English and asked for a translator for next time – politely.

      Saying things like ‘what the hell’ and his gestures! Fejn haseb li qieghed dan? Il-kazin?

      • Catsrbest says:

        What is exactly the point that he had?

        If the translators were not present, maybe due to valid reasons such as sickness, etc, where was his point?

        No he had no right at all to be rude and ill-mannered, period.

  5. Tesla says:

    Did he just say “f*ck” at the very end?

  6. Mandy Mallia says:

    What a cocky, ill-mannered, ignorant shit.

  7. MD says:

    This is how Malta Taghna Lkoll will treat those it does not agree with.

    BUT WHAT THE HECK.

    • Paul says:

      A very good reaction by Joseph Muscat!!!! Well Done!

      Are you for real P. Shaw? Maltese people have always suffered from a terrible inferiority complex and most foreigners know this and try to capitalize over it by making us feel subordinate.

      People that withdraw their rights do so because they assume that they deserve so! Inferiority complex is not a contagious disease – its contained in the few – please don’t talk like that and assume yourself as Maltese.

      @ Herman. You are right. With all due respect, Tonio Borg just sold his principles away and embarrassed the whole country out there – I know what i am saying.

      • Jozef says:

        If he were the statesman, he could have delivered the speech sparking a comment to the capability of the Maltese compared to the EU’s niggles.

        How’s that for capitalising on a situation?

      • TinaB says:

        And then you want us all to believe that you have changed and became modern and progressive.

        You are all still extremely Mintoffjani, Paul, most of all your leader and you can keep trying to convince us that your party has changed direction until you’re all blue in the face – WE DO NOT believe you.

        Joseph Muscat is a fake and his whole electoral campaign was based on nothing but LIES.

        Use your votes wisely next Saturday, folks – do not let this man bring your country to ruins.

      • vanni says:

        If YOU have a ‘terrible inferiority complex’ Paul, I’m sorry, but it’s YOUR problem.

        I live among foreigners, I work with them, I shop with them, and guess what, they don’t behave otherwise because I am Maltese.

        However If you want to see see someone who treats all Maltese condescendingly:

        http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/03/yana-mintoff-vote-for-change-and-this-is-the-change-you-get-and-look-whos-talking-about-klikkek/

      • Augustus says:

        Paul, the people we’re talking about are Europeans like us. We are in the same league, so we don’t call them foreigners.

  8. Edward says:

    Oh Lord. Did you see him on the verge of tears?

  9. Mandy Mallia says:

    One video down.

    Next one needed – Muscat the then journalist heckling Eddie Fenech Adami ten years ago tomorrow, during the televised debate on the eve of the EU referendum.

  10. Zep says:

    ‘ I tinnnkkkk…’

  11. La Redoute says:

    Two pressing questions:

    1. What’s he wearing on his right wrist?

    2. Is this his real hair colour?

  12. Fran says:

    What a stupid, uneducated prick he is.

  13. canon says:

    X’umiljazzjoni.

  14. Iced says:

    He was incompetent as an MEP, let alone as a Prime Minister.

  15. ciccio says:

    Irrational and arrogant behaviour.

    Reminds me of Mintoff.

  16. el bandido guapo says:

    Le prat du jour.

  17. tansplants says:

    He actually says ‘f**k’ at the end?

  18. TinaB says:

    Cinturin bil-bokkla kbira kien jonqsu.

    As I have mentioned earlier Joseph Muscat is much worse than Dom Mintoff.

    Has anyone noticed his lower lip trembling with anger at 1.15-1.16?

    This clip gave me shivers down my spine – it took me back to 30 years ago.

    Tal-biza.

  19. nadia says:

    Not to take away from the hilarity of Joey’s tantrum….but who are the 4 stooges we keep seeing?

  20. AllIWantIsToLiveInPeace says:

    Pastaz!

  21. MoBi says:

    At one level I think this video shows Muscat’s contempt for the EU, and his bitterness at the fact that despite all his efforts, Malta joined the EU.

    At another level it shows what a crass undignified berk he is. He throws his toys out of his pram and lets his emotions get the better of him at such a high level of representation, at a place where Malta has so much at stake, and over a minor technical issue.

    Any level-headed person would give the EU the benefit of the doubt over this – that the missing interpreter was an administrative mistake, and nothing malicious. Muscat could easily have laughed off the incident and walked off diplomatically, making his protest with more dignity. But no, this prick makes a scene and starts shaking with anger, and even swears! showing an ego and lack of self-control that is typical of the backward, narrow-minded boors that vote for him.

    He’s just an arrogant prat through and through.

  22. judy says:

    No wonder Franco Debono feels at home with these idiots . IMPRESSIVE to say the least.

  23. DAISY says:

    Now tell me, how will this ill-mannered spoilt brat try to negotiate anything at all with the European Union – by shouting, slamming and saying ‘fuck’?

  24. Village says:

    Venezuela – there goes another socialist failure par excellence.

    Joseph is calling himself a socialist democrat and should therefore be asked what he thinks of Hugo Chavez’s regime. Will he emulate his model? What is behind the apparently progressive roadmap of the Labour party?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20795781

  25. Gahan says:

    He will deliver all his speeches in Burmarradi come 2018 when Malta would have the Presidency of the EU.

    God help us!

  26. Gordon says:

    How his lips quivered…thought he was gonna cry.

  27. Village says:

    A foreign friend summed up the Labour Party’s electoral programme in these words. ‘The Labour manifesto is composed of 20 disjointed, parochial ideas without substance or an overarching strategy to pull them all together.’

  28. Natalie says:

    Some Europeans think that Mediterranean people are coarse, inflexible, ignorant buffoons.

    Thanks to Joseph, they just reinforced their prejudice.

  29. CG says:

    Hi Daphne, could you give me an email address where I could contact you please? Thanks.

    [Daphne – [email protected]]

  30. Jo Jo says:

    Labour’s in panic mode. Read this and note the inconsistency: http://www.maltastar.com/dart/20130306-gonzipn-says-it-is-regaining-massive-support

    They are contradicting their own lies. Earlier they said that it is the Laburisti who are going to the clairvoyants, now they are saying that it is the Nazzjonalisti who are inventing the stories re fortune tellers.

    http://www.inewsmalta.com/dart/20130305-tax-xorti-jaraw-il-blu

  31. jenny says:

    I’m very glad you put up this video, Daphne, otherwise I wouldn’t have noticed it for sure. It is very admirable to note that there is at least someone who when confronted with foreigners and the european union, doesn’t get hot flushes and faint in front of them out of sheer respect and a** licking!! I respect people who stand up for their rights, in front of anyone. It is only these people who manage to get what they want because if we always bow our head in respect in front of any big headed politician – be it foreigner or maltese, we get nowhere and gain nothing! Yes, it is very admirable to see his reaction when tested – he was fighting not only for his right, but for malta’s right – fearlessly! Well done Joseph for handling the situation like this – I’m sure the next time he was given a translator! Thanks again Daph for putting this up and advertising the LP.

    [Daphne – Well, jenny my dear, there were tens of thousands who admired Mintoff for his vulgarity and his chippiness in the face of ‘foreigners’. People like me don’t divide people into ‘foreigners’ and ‘Maltese’. We divide them into ‘socially awkward’ and ‘not socially awkward’. Their passport or nationality is irrelevant. Please don’t imagine that I have anything at all in common with Joseph Muscat just because we are both Maltese. Lots of other Maltese feel the same way. That is the mistake people like you make: seeing a shared background in nationality.]

    • TinaB says:

      Jenny, dear, your comment clearly shows that you do not have the slightest idea how civilised people in the civilised world, behave, because unfortunately you and many thousands like you continue to live in a Mintoffian time warp.

      This is Mintoff’s legacy, and which Joseph Muscat has no intention of eliminating – on the contrary he will make sure that it becomes stronger and stronger after next Sunday.

    • Wilson says:

      A more appropriate response: Lady! you are talking out of your ass.

    • Jozef says:

      Foreigners as the enemy. Except the ones loaded with cash.

  32. manum says:

    Zattat, cocky self-praising asshole.

  33. Grace says:

    A short irate response would have been justified. He should have continued in English, because educated Maltese people can speak both languages with ease. After all they are both official languages.

    Such a reaction was rude and shortsighted and walking out was cowardly – hardly what I would want as my representation.

    • bystander says:

      He did continue in English.

      He slagged them off in English.

      Don’t you see the irony?

      If he had carried on having a strop in Maltese wouldn’t that have been consistent?

  34. Tabatha White says:

    Pastaz. Kif ma tisthix twaqqa’ l-pajjiz tieghek ghar-ridikolu?
    Inti suppost taf li bhala Malti ‘l barra minn xtutna tkun bhala mera tal-kultura Maltija ghan-nies barranin li jkollok x’taqsam maghhom.

    Those people representing their country would generally be more genuinely conscious of the honour of being called upon to do so.

    Did you feel it necessary to place others in a position of embarrassment for your lack of preparedness? A true scout should always be prepared for any eventuality. Did you neglect to join a Scouts Chapter at St Aloysius? Did the people who have always backed you and prepared your texts for you at Mile End not bother to ensure your back-side was covered on this occasion too? Did they fall short? That is so non-RCC. As with everything else about you, so lacking in dignity and respect.

    The real beauty of truly being able to use a language is to be able to say, to those who WILL understand, precisely what one means to say in more rarified terms and with a smile.

    The degree to which one is able to flex to one’s advantage the several layers of register is perhaps the true test of comprehension of code and conduct as a diplomat for one’s country, especially abroad. Especially too, when the spotlight is upon you as orator.

    Speaking a language does not make you fluent in it. Learning a foreign language does not make you truly proficient in it. It merely enables you to get by a number of situations in non-specific, non-refined terms.

    Understanding a language at the receiving end of a communication would require a different level of competency to the command of it required for delivery of a communication. Already at the receiving end, one should be aware that tone, inflection and polish speak volumes even before recital of the actual intended message is completed.

    People who think they can speak a language even at University degree level often remain ignorant of the cultural quicksteps and foxtrots, rumbas and salsas etc. called for on specific occasion, and any regional variation to such dance that may be vital to ensure, when one’s job is done, a success rate of over 70% minimum. In this case the success rate is not established as one for oneself, but the conclusion is an assessment clocked-in for the nation.

    Your lips quiver. Your body language is not in control. Your oral expression is at the level of street jargon that no diplomat in the true service of his country would use in formal settings.

    In situations of unpreparedness, or being caught short, there seems to be a pattern with you that panics and botches the mission. How much better, even on that other blokka-silg occasion, to have simply stated the truth and in all honesty excused yourself – in this case above for your poor command of English and ad-lib delivery, instead of knocking the fault onto others and attempting to slap them with it in the process.

    Goodness, how transparent and embarrassing: both the lack of manners and the absence of grace in your comportment as well as your language and ill-placed temper.

    Did you think you’d gotten away with it?

    This is what we mean when we say – even before having seen this footage – that you are ill-equipped at the best of times to negotiate on Malta’s behalf. And that doesn’t even cover the tiniest fraction of what is expected from the Leader of our proud little nation, Malta.

    You are a sad joke, Joseph, a dangerous puppet clown. And it would be doing you a kind turn to sacrifice you now, rather than have you turn the whole country into a regressed reflection of your falsities, hopeless directional ability and not insignificantly: your linguistic and cultural retardations.

    God forbid you send Norman Lowell into that kind of setting, IF you slink in.

    • Jozef says:

      Hear hear.

      Tabatha, I follow the semiotics, believe me when I tell you his failure is even worse.

      He’s a product of materic quantity, ethereal quality is not just shunned but ridiculed.

      Just an example, with all his talk of sustainable development, green jobs and energy audits, he still pours scorn on the night tariff, saying people use their offices mainly during the day.

      Technology feeds through daylight to turn it into green energy, not to mention the inverse, insulation from the radiant heat provided by same application.

      Muscat will not engage the merit and creative potential allowed by the space, physical, in time nor in our collective mind. He is a limit.

      I was responsible some time back for maximising a team effort for an automaker’s think tank, it included having a psychologist providing me with the necessary input how and where to employ individuals selected from around the globe.

      Muscat reminds me of a particularly problematic individual who wouldn’t acknowledge ideas. It resulted that this one had been imposed on the group, the son of a client.

      Both go on with the project outline, concept ideas and intial brainstorming but won’t carry it on to synthesis.

      That’s the hardest you see, it requires risk, commitment and choice. It implies judgement, moral and practical justifications made one. It requires character and the intelligence to form a result greater than the sum of its parts.

      I’m not suprised his ‘roadmap’ is 827 proposals long. It’s a collection of all the post it notes, sketches and graphs pinned to the wall of the studio.

      It’s the camel against the horse, detail compromising design.

      It means he won’t be capable of choosing which priority supersedes all others. Which one encompasses everything.

      In the end, we had to get rid of mummy’s boy, absolutely no one wanted him.

  35. fred says:

    Il-MEPA vera efficenti ghal Joseph ghax applika ghall-permess biex iwaqqa u jibni d-dar li tah fireworks dad u johoroglu permess dakinhar stess. Tiftakru? U dawk il-washrooms tghid ghaqqadhom u saru abitabbli ‘skond il-permess’? Taghna lkoll, taghna lkoll, Malta taghna lkoll!

    Try to Google ‘joseph muscat permess’.

  36. CG says:

    Oh Christ, is this the star MEP and future ‘sic’ prim minister?

  37. spa says:

    is his lower lip trembling at 1.15 secs?

    • Jozef says:

      Yes, he was in a similar state when the first no confidence vote was defeated and when Caruana’s vote caused the other rumpus.

      He goes red, loses it and his breath then stomps off in those videos.

      He seems to have ‘altered’ his reactions lately.

  38. Another John says:

    Is that a bracelet around his right wrist? Wow!

  39. lejberstar says:

    You either give us 1.2 billion or thank you and goodbye. Them EU negotiations are going to be a laugh.

  40. fear & hope says:

    Lest we forget The Hon Dr Muscat promised that if he messes things up, he will resign.

    Thanks Mr. Prime Minister to be, but I am not an experimental farm animal.

    Hijacking the monies Dr Gonz admirably acquired for this country is not going to be a guarantee for work.

    I remember papa Dom screaming he had all the money and couldn’t create work!

    It’s all question of trust and the first thing people trust is their purse. The first light tremor in the market and it is a fugi fugi. Shall the LP leadership “blow the whistle “like papa Dom threatened and finally realizing it wouldn’t work?
    Ironically despite the full coffer, it was the very beginning to the end of his utopian dreams.

    Socialism won’t work, full stop.

    I am voting NP.

  41. old-timer says:

    Why the surprise? Just look back and remember Mintoff (and his daughter).

  42. AllIWantIsToLiveInPeace says:

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120510/local/vassallo-in-scating-criticism-of-ditatorial-joseph-muscat.419242

    Many people have forgotten Adrian Vassallo, but what he said at the time is quite consistent with what we see here:

    – Muscat’s crass ‘superiority-complex’ behaviour and the staged audiences/support are the hallmarks of most communist dictators;

    – the PL’s ‘rewdmep’, which has no substance, combined with its overwhelming electoral campaign has shown that its “…only aim [has been] to bring down the Nationalist government, ‘and then we’ll see’.”

    It is understandable that a person with some ethics would not feel comfortable within this party.

  43. bookworm says:

    Ma kienx hemm interpreti ghax ma riedux jinterpretaw il- hmerijiet li hergin minn fommu.

  44. bobo says:

    To me it looks like he is about to cry. Look at how his bottom lip starts to quiver and his voice starts breaking.

  45. Anon says:

    Jahseb li jekk jitpastas biex jaghmel il punt tieghu johrog ta ragel. Jekk ghawn xi hadd li prova li hu ragel bil bajd, kif poggija D Gatt, kien Gonzi meta kien ghawn il krizi tal Libya.

  46. fear & hope says:

    We should not miss the crucial point, the President did apologized and he was genuine when he remarked that it that he would have seen to it that would not happen again.

    Dr Muscat should have been quick and accept the apologies and improvise in English.

    For Dr Muscat, the Prime Minister in waiting, diplomacy is an unknown art.

  47. just me says:

    So rude and arrogant. He reminds me of Mintoff.

  48. Wayne Hewitt says:

    Can you imagine him acting like this around the table of EU Prime Ministers negotiating a budget?

    Our reputation would be flushed down the gallows and probably they would need bouncers to throw him out.

  49. just me says:

    I have just watched Dr. Lawrence Gonzi on TVAM. He was brilliant.

    There will be a repetition on TVM2, I believe at 9am.

  50. Nicky says:

    At least he doesn’t seem to wear a bracelet anymore.

  51. freefalling says:

    Quite amusing.

    What’s missing are the diapers – if Muscat thinks he can carry on with these shenanigans while overseas as Malta’s Prime Minister then my plan is to wear the mask of shame from now on.

  52. Claude Sciberras says:

    Having Maltese as a recognised language of the European Union was one of the biggest feats for our language in recent history.

    We should all realise that this comes with a set of challenges and in the beginning it was very difficult to find Maltese translators and more importantly interpreters (which is a completely different thing) particularly because we were not accustomed to translating and interpreting at all.

    This was mainly because if you are in Malta and you want to make a speech there is a good chance you will do it in English if your audience is not purely Maltese. I think that its good to be assertive but at the same time we need to be practical.

    We should be proud that we have something that other countries dream of but we should not bite the hand that feeds us. When something like this happens the right way to act is to make your point that interpreters should be provided but then continue in English.

    This shows that you are giving importance to the language but can put your point across anyway in another language. I think that by doing so you elevate yourself. By stamping your feet you look petty.

  53. Mister says:

    His body language screams … insecurity.

    Joseph Muscat’s reaction to a problem: “What the heck” ?

    Soon we will have the pleasure to see him ‘hecking’ our economy and throwing years of hard work down the ‘heck’.

    I’m voting early on Saturday. I want to see what ‘hecking’ people are out there who want to vote for this ‘hecking’ heck.

  54. A Montebello says:

    Yes, he did say fuck towards the end. But that’s OK.

    1 minute 16 seconds into the clip though he looks like he’s going to burst into tears. My mother would call that “bix-xoffa”.

  55. Kurt Mifsud Bonnici says:

    Why the hell were people applauding then?

    [Daphne – For a break from the boredom, and for the same reason we applaud tal-Ajkla. I hope you didn’t miss the undertone of slight contempt in the apology he received. Oh, I forget – Maltese people tend not to pick up the subtleties in communication because our culture is literal.]

    • Bubu says:

      And note also that the president replied *in English* and did not need to make use of the translator.

      Muscat would have cut a far better figure if he had simply gone ahead and spoken in English. He may have stumbled a few times, but everybody would have understood that translating a prepared speech on the fly can be a bit bumpy.

      As it is, make no mistake – he made a fool out of himself. It was pretty obvious that he was about to burst into tears at one point.

    • Kurt Mifsus Bonnici says:

      Why the hell do you have to mock a supposed inability of the Maltese people because I’m outraged that there was any clapping involved whatsoever.

      When you do that I feel as angry as I do when that imbecile Joseph Muscat thinks that he needs to explain his electoral manifesto bit by bit because he dismisses the possibility of anyone being intelligent enough. I find that unacceptable.

      And to be honest I do not believe that people were clapping to make fun of him because the ones they showed on camera were not. The look of disbelief and disgust at Joseph’s babyish attitude was obvious for all to see. I would have expected everyone’s reaction to be likewise.

      [Daphne – Oh, do stop. I did not say they were clapping to make fun of him. I said they were clapping because of momentary relief from the boredom.]

    • La Redoute says:

      I sat through several sessions of the European Parliament. Not all applause is sincere. It’s often used as a show of disapproval.

  56. Ivan Magro Dingli says:

    Correct me if i’m wrong but the gentleman at the end of the clip was speaking in his native language and a translator promptly translated into English.

    So why didn’t they cater for a translation from the Maltese language as well?

    Is Malta being truly treated at the same level of other member states? I’m assuming that since this incident, matters have been rectified. This clip dates back at least 4 to 5 years.

  57. claudine says:

    I dont see your Problem !! he was rightly arguing that if Maltese is recognised by the EU as our official language than there should have been a translator. I am sure that if the speech was in Finnish or Norwegian that would have been the case. So what would do you suggest ?? what should Mr . J. Muscat have done in your opinion ?
    Please come out with a serious answer.

    [Daphne – He should have switched with elegance to English, and if he thought it necessary to show any form of disapproval for the situation, then he should have done so with a smooth witticism. His reaction was horribly ill-bred.]

    • Matt says:

      Exactly, the problem isn’t that he complained. He was right to complain. He just did it inappropriately.

    • Wormfood says:

      He could have made his disappointment known without coming across as the equivalent of a council house estate, crack addict single mum demanding more benefits and welfare in an ill fitting suit.

    • L.Gatt says:

      Yes. Couldn’t he have politely stated the truth that, given that Maltese is an official language, his speech was prepared in Maltese and that he therefore preferred not to carry on.

      Yelling “what the heck” in that contest and using that typically Labour stupid sarcasm which only Mintoffjani use and understand “I thought Maltese was an official language eeee?” is way, way out of line.

      In fact, the others were sniggering behind his back. Probably saying “Oh God, we’ve angered Malta, that’s the end of the EU!”

  58. Ooooops says:

    sorry for posting this here. I do not have your email. I just read this on facebook here is the link https://www.facebook.com/apsaid

    Helen Abela posted this…

    Ma tantx inhobb nikteb fuq politika ghax kulhadd ghandu l opinjoni tijaw gewwa dan il-pajjiz. Imma id-diskriminanzjoni li rajt gewwa il home tal-Msida tal-anzjani ma rajtha imkien. Ghandi il-kunjata tinsab hemmhekk sirna nafu li marret il-gustuza Michelle Muscat bil-lista ta min huwwa Labour. U min huwwa Labour tawom cakijiet tal-busy bee, pastini, laring, fjuri u min kien PN alqulu il-bieb, halli zgur ma jara xejn. Allura hekk sew? Shame on you PL inbasta niftahru ‘Malta Taghna Ilkoll’ u inbasta nitbaqbqu fil-meetings li ahna ma narawomx bil-kulur in nies. Imma hemmhekk rajtuwom bil-kulur ta. Ghax imiskom tisthu taghmlulom hekk l-anzjani. Tal-Misthija araw min irid imexxi dal-Pajjiz. U il-penzjoni kulhadd ihallasa homor u blue. Tal-Biki. Kompli sejjer hekk Partit Laburista.

    • Jozef says:

      Marret tqassam il-kuruni tar-ruzarju, dawk li ma kienux fuq il-lista ghalqulhom il-bieb.

      L-anzjana li rrakkontat l-farsa kienet miksura.

      Tista tahseb se jaghmlu bil-waiting lists, bil-medicini fid-djar, bit-tahrig ghaz-zghazagh, bl-incentivi ghal-kumpaniji, bil-haddiema tal-gvern u bil-permessi.

      Joseph jibqa’ jghid sal-bierah li se jemmen lil dawk li jivvutawlu imma li jibzghu mid-diskriminazzjoni. Jekk sa martu titpastaz b’dal-mod, ghandu ghalfejn.

      Baxxa hi, Yana, Marie Louise, Helena u Justyne.

      X’hasbet Deborah, li dawn nies li jifilhu l-mibeghda li tnawarrhom?

  59. Mandy Mallia says:

    He DEFINITELY said ‘What the HELL’.

  60. michael says:

    He was right the way he acted. I a agree totally with his reaction. Coming from a PN supporter.

  61. Paul Bonnici says:

    ‘A la Mintoff’ behaviour at its best. His outrageous behaviour is over the top.

    Dr Muscat should have anticipated the lack of a Maltese interpreter and should have had his speech translated into Maltese just in case.

  62. Wilson says:

    The initial part of the recording: you can hear the anxious breathing of his speech delivery, followed by the outburst: a show where the anxiety was pushed forward into a shouting fit.

    Second bad thing: you do not shout to prove your point in places like that.

    Third bad thing: you do not point to people like that in places like that, very offensive.

    Fourth bad thing: speech about money laundering— then do an election campaign which is practically a money-laundering exercise.

    Completely wrong posture to be taken seriously, what a divide between this speech and the campaign. But make no mistake the one above is the real Muscat.

  63. MxC says:

    the next Beppe Grillo

    • Jozef says:

      When he was there, he switched from Italian to French to English, depending on the interlocutor. Excusing himself when it wasn’t to scratch.

      Muscat is just rough and an embarrassment. Will he expect the same on a state visit elsewhere?

  64. ms says:

    Just a technical point – Muscat needed an interpreter not a translator.

    Way back these were quite a scarce breed for a new member state.

    Interpreters for 27 languages are not brought in for every session (you require a minimum of two per language). He was right to ask for them if they were scheduled, if not, it was useless asking for them.

  65. Bob says:

    What the hell?

    Dan fejn mar skola? Ara ver qisu Franco Debono.

    Did you see his upper lip quiver?

  66. yvette says:

    If he should ever aspire to be the next prime minister,vI suggest he attends a serious anger management course for at least a whole year and maybe thereafter we may see a more patient, polite and humble new Joey – but obviously if he has been raised to suppress his anger during his youth until he was appointed leader of the opposition, can one imagine what his bursts of anger and aggressiveness shall be if he should win.

    Woe to all of us and to the European Union.

  67. Giovanni says:

    Noticed this morning that Joseph Muscat’s poster is being removed and instead electoral promises are being stuck.

    Joseph Muscat’s poster did not last for a week like all posters of leaders do.

    Food for thought.

  68. Matthew B says:

    Hi,

    I have a FB labour friend of mine who has just posted somthing labour style :) Can I send you link or screen shot.

    [Daphne – Either will do. [email protected]]

  69. Rachel says:

    And what he should have been asking for is an interpreter not a translator. Two different roles and skill sets.

  70. Wormfood says:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5He_PGomJVs

    Here’s another showman bil-bajd, just like our Joseph. At least he does have the benefit of coming from a juggernaut of a country that can afford to stay out of the EU and he served in the army too unlike Joseph.

  71. xejnsew.com says:

    Maybe you want to start a fresh tread

    Ghax Malta taghna lkoll Bringing Partisan Politic into sport
    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130307/local/man-utd-supporters-club-distances-itself-from-ferguson-endorsement-of-the-pl.460490

    The PL has been whining about Malta Taghna Lkoll throughout the whole cmapaign, now suddently Manchester United has become PL only!

    Why did not Joey get an endorsement from Berlusconi Bunga Bunga after all he sides with Milan not Man United! He might have even been invited to one of the parties :P

  72. Ron says:

    So first, the nationalists announce proudly that maltese has become one of the official languages of the EU and now they ridicule a person who makes a use of this right. Prosit ibqaw sejrin hekk

    [Daphne – No, we are ridiculing his vulgar behaviour, and not his desire to ‘make use of this right’.]

    • Ron says:

      I’m sure that if it was one of the Nationalist MEPs who acted in this way he would be called a real Nationalist who stands up for his nation and it’s culture, but sadly it was not the case.

      [Daphne – You’re wrong. People who vote Nationalist tend to be more discriminating and lots of them are from the sort of background that finds that kind of behaviour truly appalling and embarrassing.]

      • Ron says:

        It’s true and that’s why I believe the nationalist party has lost it’s true meaning, and not only recently. As you should know in other countries the rightist parties were against joining the EU primarily because of their nationalist ideology. Joining the EU obviously means giving up certain national powers and this was frowned upon by the nationalists in other countries. Nationalists, and I’m using this term in general, i.e. not referring to the supporters of the PN, should be proud of their own nation and believe in their country’s capabilities instead of shunning its culture and historical achievements.

      • Wormfood says:

        Being proud of one’s country does not imply being an arse about it and throwing a hissy fit like a spoiled teenage drama queen on MTV when your demands are not readily met.

        In case you haven’t realised Maltese is only spoken by a population of less than half a million, there are probably more Welsh speakers in this world. English also happens to be our official language and the nation would do it self proud by sending a representative who can express himself eloquently in both, off the fly. Can’t see how our sovereignty is being lost there.

        As for shunning one’s culture, Joseph barely speaks Maltese to his own daughters at home, he shouldn’t have been so uptight about switching to English in Brussels unless he was simply wetting himself at the notion of thinking on his feet and doing something outside his comfort zone, like the ball-less disgrace that he is.

      • Jozef says:

        Oh yes, VivaMalta Taghna Lkoll.

      • Ron says:

        You really believe that’s a hissy fit? In my honest opinion he just expressed his views strongly. It’s quite ironic that you insult Muscat and then both in the beginning and in the end of the video the President is speaking in his own language. It’s a problem from the EU’s side. You and I both know that there are enough Maltese translators working in the EU so Muscat was right in demanding that there should be a translator present.

  73. xejnsew.com says:

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130307/local/actavis-to-close-r-d-facility.460491

    Issa naraw Joey kemm ser jsibilhom job gdid la jkun prim ministru tlett ijiem ohra.

  74. Ooooops says:

    He said ‘fuck’ at the end of this clip.

  75. matthew says:

    Any Manchester UTD supporter around? See timesofmalta.com.

    Sorry he’s Labour. Switch to another team please :)

  76. Nina says:

    He should put this incident on his resume’ when be becomes prime minister.

    He must have been so proud of himself to make such a scene in 2005 on a dossier that was/is so important for Malta (bearing in mind that Malta is a Financial services’ centre and a very significant gaming jurisdiction in the EU) and all this in front of Commissioner McCreevy who was responsible for Internal market and those services among other things – embarrassing.

    I wonder if he even knows the meaning of diplomacy.

  77. Apolitical citizen says:

    I would be very ashamed to have a prime minister representing my country with such bad manners.

    He could have made his point politely but firmly by requesting that an interpreter be provided in the future.

    Then, he could have delivered his speech in English, elegantly and fluently, to prove his point that he was making a point for the sake of his country, not because his language skill was lacking.

  78. Jurassic Pace says:

    Joseph kellu l-hila jitkellem bil-Malti ghax kien dritt tieghu. Haddiehor bhal xi ‘Sahhara tal-Bidnija’ jipprova jitkellem bl-Ingliz u jispicca jhawwdu mal-Malti ghax ma jafx jitkellem bl-ebda.

    [Daphne – I am perfectly fluent in both (as mother tongues), and you have ample evidence of that on this website, Mr Jurassic Pace. Sadly, it is Joseph Muscat, who will be prime minister on Monday, who can speak neither language well. He is clumsy and awkward in both.]

  79. Joe says:

    Have you deleted my comment you sick fuck?

    • TinaB says:

      Viva Malta taghna lkoll, Joseph.

      Bhal lijder tieghek, pastazun – mur hu kamomilla ha tikkalma.

    • maryanne says:

      Don’t let Joseph hear you because on Monday I have been invited to work with him even though I vote Nationalist.

  80. Len says:

    Something worth mentioning, is that the reason for not having any interpreters was not because the Commission failed to employ one.

    Everybody knew that we did not have any Maltese professional simultaneous translators at that time, including Joseph Muscat.

    Dr Muscat staged that “Arani Hi!” scene at a European parliamentary knowing that we did not have such English interpreters in Malta for the simple reason that we never needed one.

  81. Bella Kumpanija says:

    Mur gibu kien madwar il-mejda tan-negozjati ghal-fondi ta UE lil Malta? Konna nibqghu bil-bajd ta’ Joey f’idejna mhux bil-Euro1,128,000,000 li gab Gonzi. Il-vera “Mummy’s boy” jew inkella “Me Shall’s toy or spare wheel”. hehehehehe

  82. Adam says:

    Wow, impressive footage! I’m shell-shocked.

  83. Twanny borg says:

    Ma nahsibx kellu ghalfejn jaghmel dawk ix-xeni u l-paniku kollu. B’mod kalm kien iwassal il-messagg ahjar.

  84. Ganna says:

    Ara very bezqa – in which language does he speak to his twins? I bet they can hardly speak one word of Maltese.

  85. just me says:

    What is really amazing is that people who side with the Labour Party are sharing the video on Facebook.

    They are so happy and proud with the way he acted.

    Do they think that with this kind of rude attitude at the negotiating table, Joseph would have obtained 1128 million euros as Dr. Gonzi did?

    He would not have managed to get half the amount.

  86. patriot says:

    Daphne – scroll this video to 1:34 sec and lip read. Do you read what I am reading?

  87. Mark Borg says:

    He went about it the wrong way, completely. Is this how you represent a nation? NO. What a redneck.

  88. Kevin says:

    Daphne

    Look at this old dinosaur of a song they now resurrected and read classy comments left by some PL supporters….disgusting

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEcC6pNXHEM

  89. ali says:

    No way! Is he joking?

  90. Michelle Bonello says:

    The more I see of Joseph Muscat the more i feel like crying.

    It makes me sad to think he might be running this country in a few day’s time. He is a show off nothing more!

    Malta already belongs to us all, Joseph. And so does the rest of Europe.

  91. tinnat says:

    The background to this is that back then, when Malta had just joined the EU and Joseph still had a lot of hair, there was a lack of Maltese interpreters (note: not translators, as Joey calls them). The problem was simply that: not enough people were trained to be Maltese interpreters, so the few there were were thin on the ground. The problem was not the EU’s – recruitment procedures for interpreters were underway. As a Maltese MEP Joseph knew this, so the only reason he reacted the way he did was because he panicked.

  92. Lolinu says:

    Hi Daphne, is it true that Dr Fenech Adami will be addressing the mass meeting? Ghax lanqas qed nemmen.

  93. Candide says:

    I am surprised there are actually a few here defending this idiot.

    Yes he had every right to protest but he was duty bound to give his speech in English!

    And what the heck was he doing there in the first place? If he is such a man of principles, like he tried demonstrating by protesting, he shouldn’t have ever contested the election to become an MEP.

    But the irony is that our yes vote of ten years ago allowed this opportunistic pig to live in a Malta u Ewropa ta’ Kulhadd which gave him the right to present himself as a candidate for the MEP elections, get elected and benefit from the rights and monies which he fought so much against.

    Moreover, he is now two days away from becoming prime minister of this odd island state and he gets to benefit from all the hard work that Lawrence Gonzi did in the past 9 years and spend €1bn of EU funds in the next 7 years.

    Vive la democratie!
    Vive l’opportunisme politique!

    Veru poplu tas-swat u l-biki!

  94. Augustus says:

    What did you want him to do, tell them that he can’t translate the speech?.

  95. H.P. Baxxter says:

    WOT DI HECK!

    Bajd? Kont se nghidilkom bajd.

    This is exactly the sort of rude hick shenanigans that makes us the laughing stock of all nations. I hate to have to repeat this at every turn to my fellow countrymen, who seem never to have left the physical or mental shores of our rock: Small-island inflated patriotism is not fashionable. Nor is it a desirable quality in European politics or, indeed, in European social life.

    So let’s stop finding excuses for mini-Mintoff.

    He’ll turn us into a laughing stock among the nations, after twenty years of struggle to claw our way out of the Mintoffian abyss.

    Malta wanted to lynch me when I mentioned urinating on Mintoff’s tomb. This one needs urinating on alive.

    I make no apology.

    Baxxter out.

  96. david anastasi says:

    Bajd kbir is what Gonzi showed in the Libyan crisis.

    In this incident Joseph Muscat should have shown a sense of humour, and pulled their leg.

    [Daphne – Good to see we agree on that, David. I too think something witty would have been more appropriate.]

  97. david anastasi says:

    Bajd kbir is what Gonzi showed in the Libyan crisis.

    In this incident Joseph Muscat should have shown a sense of humour, and pulled their leg.

  98. L.Gatt says:

    Simon Busuttil just said “il fosos post minsug bl-istorja tal-Partit Nazzjonalista”.

    My God, how right he is.

    Brought back memories of running all the way to Floriana not able to breath and see for tear gas released of a peaceful crowd and for no reason.

  99. ESA says:

    Mhux ta’ b’xejn gibna 26,000 vot wahdu Joseph Muscat. Nara clip bhal din u kburi bil-prim ministru gdid..

    Tiskanta kemm hemm membri li xtaqu jkunu huma ukoll bil-guts (biex ma nghidx kelma ohra) li jaghmlu dak li ghamel Joseph.

    Persuna li ghamel hoss fl-Ewropa u mhux bhal haddiehor.

    u lanqas go xi cella ta’ xi depot nhar il-jum tas-silenzju..

    Hehe ghiru

  100. Mel says:

    The irony is that my voting back in 2003 (referendum, election) paved the way for this little incident.

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