There’s another name which the prime minister’s political aides left out

Published: October 30, 2013 at 12:55pm

Mark Rutte

It isn’t only the prime minister of the Netherlands (they have now corrected it to ‘the Netherland’, singular) who they were unable to identify and couldn’t be bothered to ask.

There’s also Alenka Bratušek, the prime minister of Slovenia, standing there patiently while the prime minister of Malta, sitting in what is clearly labelled as her chair, ignores her and waves his hands in the Dutch prime minister’s face, leaving her waiting until he vacates her seat at his leisure.




37 Comments Comment

  1. Calculator says:

    It seems forms of diplomacy – or just basic manners -have gone to the dogs.

  2. Jozef says:

    I bet he was selling passports. Naqa’ bizniss.

  3. canon says:

    Probable Alenka Bratusek had to wait until the seat had to cool down.

  4. Volley says:

    Tal-misthija! Shame on you JM!

  5. ciccio says:

    He has a habit of waving his hand in people’s faces. He did it with his wife Michelle, on the balcony at Mile End, the day he won the elections. Now he is doing it in the face of the Dutch prime minister.

    It seems that when he is not striking journalists under the belt, where it hurts, he is waving his hands in people’s faces.

  6. PWG says:

    ‘ Netherland’ copied directly from the name plate not realizing that the ‘s’ is blurred out.

  7. Carmelo Micallef says:

    `Tonight I take you to a nice restaurant`

  8. anthony says:

    Not only did he not offer the lady his chair but he commandeered hers.

    Can someone please tell them that a large minority of Maltese are actually civilized.

  9. Ta'Sapienza says:

    That’s why she looks exasperated.

  10. Min Jaf says:

    Jista jwahhal bandar ta’Malta mal-karozza tieghu. Imma ghoxx kien, ghoxx ghadhu, w ghoxx jibqa.

  11. Niki B says:

    They may be trying to learn a few things from their Chinese pals:

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/30/chinese-officials-new-photoshop-fail?CMP=fb_gu

  12. Paddy says:

    Wot, no manners? What a moron we have been saddled with.

  13. just me says:

    Rude… rude… rude…
    In this photo, Muscat is rude on three counts.
    1. He is occupying someone else’s seat while she is left standing, waiting and totally ignored.
    2. Even if were not her seat, a gentleman would offer his chair to a lady and not leave her standing.
    3. The way he is waving his arms in Mark Rutte’s face is simply horrendous and so very rude.

  14. django says:

    Mela that’s why Mark Rutte looks surprised. He is asking himself how did Alenka Bratusek turned so rude and bald.

    I think Joey taghna is explaining to them what ‘taghna lkoll’ means – I can take your seat and you can stay standing or go f**k yourself somewhere else in the EU

  15. Lucius says:

    The Netherland…is that in the Nether Regions?

  16. George Grech says:

    I’m sure he didn’t know who she was let alone that it was her seat his fat ass was occupying.

  17. Bubu says:

    Hilarious if it weren’t tragic.

  18. Michael says:

    Probably not her chair since Slovensko translates to Slovakia. But your point stands.

  19. Catherine says:

    She’s only a woman. Come on, the men have important things to talk about. I know I sound like an embittered feminist, but Labour really do make me feel this way. They’re just such appallingly awful men.

  20. L-ieħor says:

    Proprju ħamallu, as Mrs Zammit Lewis would have said in times past.

  21. Peritocracy says:

    Kompetizjoni tal-gimgha. Ghidulna min hu l-personagg misterjuz faccata ta Dr. Joseph muscat u tistghu tirbhu ikla ghall tnejn ghand Id-Depo il-Furjana.

    It-twegiba tajba hija:

    a) José Manuel Barroso
    b) Freddy Krueger
    c) Herman Van Rompuy

  22. La Redoute says:

    Forsi hasbuha s-segretarja.

  23. minn mars says:

    Can he get any lower?
    Maybe he said that the seat is taghna lkoll.

  24. Lorry says:

    Why you look at him like that. You wait when he ready he goes. Hekk Joey. Tistenna.

  25. Gordon says:

    How does he expect to get the respect of his fellow leaders by being so rude and arrogant.

  26. Josette says:

    His actions are very revealing of his real attitude towards women … he doesn’t even consider them. Most inclusive government my foot!

  27. Matthew says:

    You couldn’t make it up, even if you tried.

  28. TROY says:

    Dan min il-qahba hu? Hadli is-siggu.

    U dan mhux l-uniku siggu li ha u li kien ta’ haddiehor.

  29. Liberal says:

    Lanqas jisthu, ja qabda zibel.

  30. Makjavel says:

    The living illustration of ‘ta’ wara l-muntanji’.

  31. Ajeje says:

    “Together with…”

    Was this really published online this way? i.e. with a “….”?

    [Daphne – Yes, that’s a screen shot.]

  32. Alex Falzon says:

    Maybe he invited the Dutch prime minister to a high five?

  33. Ghoxrin Punt says:

    How rude!

  34. Francis Saliba MD says:

    It is no wonder that Alenka Bratusek looks so disgusted at Joseph Muscat sitting in her chair and gesticulating in the face of the ‘Netherland Prime Minister’.

  35. Tracy says:

    Was the caption written beside the small photo of JM in the above photogragh written by JM himself ?

    If so, is he that proud of addressing himself ‘Honourable’ ?

  36. Gaetano Pace says:

    Having grown used to mishandling darling Michelle when facing crowds, it becomes second nature for him to sideline any other woman.

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