Richard III meets Gaia Cauchi: and the prime minister has got his decorations in a twist. Is it the National Order of Merit or Gieh ir-Repubblika? He’s not quite sure. Oh, and he lied about this being a cabinet decision.
Now even his back is fat. And what was left of his neck is gone. Richard III meets Gaia Cauchi in his tower.
But as long as he can hitch a ride on an 11-year-old girl singer and steal some of her limelight, who’s to care?
These are desperate times, and desperate times call for desperate measures.
I quote Times of Malta:
Gaia Cauchi and her team are to be nominated for Gieh ir-Republika, the country’s highest honour, the prime minister announced this evening.
(…)
Dr Muscat said the singer had made Malta proud and the Cabinet had unanimously decided that she should be given the honour. It will be conferred on Republic Day, December 13 and Gaia will be enrolled in the National Order of Merit.
So what’s it to be, then? Gieh ir-Repubblika (double b, my dears) or the National Order of Merit? The two are not the same thing, and Times of Malta, with a glaring error like that staring them in the face, didn’t even bother to push the point home with the prime minister.
Oh, and the prime minister lied. They didn’t get him on that, either. Too blinking slow. The Labour cabinet meets on Tuesdays, not Mondays – in other words, tomorrow. So how could they have taken a decision on this if they haven’t yet met?
What he means is that HE took a decision and will be informing cabinet of their decision tomorrow.
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https://gov.mt/en/Government/Government%20Gazette/Government%20Notices/Documents/Gieh%20ir-Repubblika.pdf
Love the coat of arms on the medal. Brings back many happy memories
Best said in Maltese: Imma kemm jiflah jaqa ghan-nejk.
Hadthieli minn halqi. Ma jifilhux jaqghu izjed ghac-cajt.
Must have been the idea of the infantas of Castille… conversation went something like this: “ded, ken we giff republikkk price to Gaja?”
Are those huge biceps?
No, it’s pure fat plus three layers of thermal underwear.
And it was only last winter that he was telling us ‘Jiena zaghzugh’.
Now he looks like somebody’s fat uncle, visiting to suck up the contents of your fridge and wine cupboard.
No, it’s what they later make into one of these things: http://i.imgur.com/jVDtzCi.jpg
No Bob, I think he is still wearing his sponsored North Face outfit under the suit.
Unlikely – the sponsorship agreement and free clothes mean the brand has to show.
I gathered something like this (i.e. the medal being awarded) would happen when it was announced on the news – that same evening, I believe – that Manuel Mallia rang up Gaia Cauchi as soon as she won the song festival.
X’ghandu x’jaqsam? If anything, shouldn’t it have been Jose Herrera ringing her up?
It makes sense that Manwel Mallia covers Eurovision for Labour and all lobbying. Just up his street.
Here we’re talking about the Maltese equivalent to a knighthood or Legion d’Honneur!
Pathetic and farcical.
Joe, what’s really pathetic and farcical is that people overwhelmingly voted this chump into power.
All else is detail and follows from there.
You are right, but that is the situation, so now people have to straighten things up again.
Yes that is the crux of it all!
This country deserves no better.
If he keeps expanding at this rate, Renzo Piano will soon be asked to come to Malta again, this time to design tailored suits instead of architectural buildings.
Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren and the rest cater solely for normal-sized customers
It’s not his width that’s the problem so much as the height-to-width ratio. Boss is a German brand and makes suits for Vikings. Muscat is the width of a Viking and the height of a jockey, and that’s why his shape is absurd.
I bet that before Gaia Cauchi won the contest, the PM didn’t even know that there was a festival going on.
Those twins would have told him – unless he ignores them like he ignores their mother.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/Stay-puft-marshmallow-man.jpg
I wonder if Joseph Calleja is laughing or crying or both?
Ma jistax jaqa ghan-nejk iktar minn hekk!
Times of Malta reports are increasingly becoming the printed version of ONE News reports.
They’re also toying with the idea of launching a ‘Go Large Investor’ deal – for €999,999 you get a Maltese passport, a Gieh ir-Repubblika and a flat in Mistra.
And if you’re really lucky, Marlene Mizzi will also show you her cat.
No large chips and free onion rings with that?
I am sorry to say that this gesture has shown disrespect and even disdain to the many people who work tirelessly with the poor, the needy and the sick who have never been recognized officially for their contribution to society.
To give this award to an 11 year old (who admittedly is a wonderful talented girl) is belittling the value and prestige of the award. Shame.
This is a disproportionate response to a happy win for the girl Gaia and Malta.
But must we always behave like losers who have never won or done anything and blow this thing up as though the whole nation has gone bipolar?
This isn’t necessary as Malta boxes way above its weight in almost every endeavour.
But if giving the medal for the highest honour to the Republic for a song is disproportionate (and I agree it is), what about allowing our National Flag to be defaced by a medal? And a foreign one at that…
Are you still obsessing about the G.C.? Get a life…
Panem et circenses… but without the bread.
I wonder whether the real reason behind this decision is actually to decorate ‘the team’ – Gillian Attard is a known for her political inclinations and hosted a programmer on One TV; possibly other members of ‘the team’ appeared on some billboard?
No they didn’t ! And politics is not the issue here. The issue is the way Eurofrikkinvision is super overated here while other Maltese musicians and artists have succeeded in more worthy endeavours abroad and nobody gives a shit about….that is the problem here
And of course when you have a populist individual in power, the chickenhead masses are to be pleased!
Hadn’t the President said lately that we shouldn’t bestow such honours lightly as we risk devaluing their meaning? Once again Mighty Joe doesn’t care less and the President has to bow down to his whims, just like he did in reading the infamous Speech when inauguring the new Parliament.
The government should propose an honour list specifically for children. Children who talented and shine out will be given this honour. But please not Gieh ir-Republika or Order of Merit to children.
John Dalli must really feel betrayed.
Not to mention Franco Debono.
Muscat is following in Mintoff’s footsteps. Agatha Barbara was appointed President for the sole purpose of ridiculing the establishment and now Muscat is doing the same, ridiculing the Gieh ir Republika.
And you switchers if you did not see all this coming – then something is wrong with the empty space between your ears.
Some outstanding personalities in the world of Music, Drama and other Arts have been awarded honours by the British Monarchy. Those I can recall:
Sir Thomas Beecham, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Charles MacKerras and Sir Simon Rattle – all orchestra conductors.
Sir John Gielgud and Sir Laurence Olivier – both eminent actors.
Sir Alex Ferguson – Man. United Coach.
All of these have been honoured after a long spate of activity in their particular spheres and were in their middle or late-middle lives.
Even the Beatles were awarded their M.B.E’s – although at a rather early age and much to the displeasure of some other holders of that title.
Holders of Gieh ir-Repubblika and related honours in Malta have given most of their lifetime in the philanthropic or artistic spheres – and definitely their first forays on the world , or even the local, stage.
May sweet little Gaia grow up in her talent and her grace – and then gracefully earn the honours due to her.
There’s no winters of discontent for this man with all his rugged North Face apparel.
Muscat has no concept of value, be it life, humans, honesty or identity. Expecting him to know the value of such awards is a lost case.
So far, he has been fidgeting with “adult” issues largely the remit of adult discern. Now he has painted this talented girl and her family in a corner for personal gain, when he could have added value by awarding a scholarship or tax credit for vocal training fees.
I happen to know Gaia and her “proper” parents who teach their daughter proper values. I just hope this useless and misplaced award does not complicate the excellent job they have been doing.
Soon enough we’ll have the Gieh ir-Repubblika bestowed onto his own twins – you know, just for being daddy’s favourite daughters
I agree, this is ridiculous. Gieh ir-repubblika should not be given to someone for just winning a festival.
Maybe it is time to create a new award to be given to those who distinguish themselves in the performing arts: singing, acting and dancing. A local kind of Oscar/Grammy combined. It should be given only to those who achieve success abroad or those with a very long successful career in Malta. It can be even given posthumosly, to people such as Oreste Kirkop and Joseph Calleja (the actor).
And it would also be given to Gaia Cauchi for winning the Junior Eurovision and for being the first Maltese to win a Eurovision festival.
First of all I would like to congratulate Gaia for her achievement.
I hope that the government does not consider selling our Highest Honour of the Republic for peanuts like he did with the Maltese passports as it seems to be up for grabs to everybody who falls under the stars.
Well said:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131203/blogs/more-gieh-ir-repubblika-recipients.497368#.Up2xk9iA2M9
Long ago I came to the conclusion that Joseph Muscat says what suits him at the moment without bothering whether it is true or correct. This could be explained, but not justified, by the fact that he was seeking to curry favour to win the forthcoming general election.
Since he became prime minister he has confirmed my conclusion, and this time there is no general election on the horizon.
The order of merit falls under the “Ġieh ir-Repubblika” honours and is awarded under the “Ġieh ir-Repubblika” Act as is shown in the PQ. http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131203/local/gieh-ir-repubblika.497392
The above pictures depicts two big contrasts : one who made Malta shameful worldwide for his hard-headedness in selling maltese citizenship and the other in making Malta proud by her marvellous voice and interpretation, thus winning the contest.
Our Joe must have been phoning all his cabinet asking each minister if he approves nominating Gaia for Gieh ir-Repubblika or National Order of Merit. By Joseph’s standard code of ethics, that could be considered as a cabinet decision
Could it be that this piece BLA AGENDA
The National Order of Merit award and the Ġieħ ir-Repubblika award fall under the Ġieħ ir-Repubblika Act. A list of the holders of these awards shows that not many of them have made an outstanding contribution to the country.
Gym sponsorship run out? Better get it again, maybe those Adventure guys can arrange it through their “contacts”.
It is like awarding the Victoria Cross to the first British guy who wins the Sandhurst Competition.
Idiots.
Dear Daphne, I think you are a bit jealous, are you?
[Daphne – C. Fenech, if you the women with whom you generally associate are routinely jealous of children to the point where you think it’s normal behaviour, know that it is not normal and that they are in need of psychiatric care.]
omg youre all so pathetic and stupid leave the poor girl alone may be one day you all will get a medal for making malta proud ,bloody jelous people no wonder you lost the elections and more to come grow up and get a life after all this time .still sitting on the toilet shitting your sorrows
Of course I’m jealous. When I was eleven the only thing I could look forward to was Eileen Montesin on a black and white telly and a bar of Catch, and maybe a visit to the Sunshine Snacks factory.
So get a life yourself. No, actually go fuck yourself.