All for Malta’s sake, of course.

OMG! That makes it much, much worse than it seems.

You mean to say that the Ms Bratusek left her seat for some reason, little Joey went to sit in her seat to talk with Mr Rutte in her absence, and when she came back he didn’t stand up immediately, but left her standing there while he kept on with his conversation?

Pastaz mit-twelid is really putting it mildly.

How dare you wish such evil on the Slovaks? Konrad will certainly hurl a “Shame on you” (and, maybe, a few drops of spittle, as well) for saying that.

That accounts for her disgusted expression.

Probably because he cannot even read!

Have a good look at her expression (enlarging the photo will help). She is DEFINITELY saying just that – and certainly in more expressive verbiage.

I am with Daphne on this. He does not do it for cultural reasons. In fact, surprisingly, the Maltese do not gesticulate half as much as other Mediterranean peoples.

Muscat does not gesticulate, he physically controls the other person by obstructing them, blocking any possibility of a polite exit. He knows this all to well. People well-versed in diplomatic protocol do not do this, be they Greek, Sicilian or Andalusian.