Rules – spoken, written and unspoken

Published: January 20, 2014 at 10:43am

I received the following email yesterday, with which I fully concur:

What bloody cheek – did you see today’s front page headline on Maltatoday: ‘Castille fumes at Brussel’s choice for Malta representative’?

Viviane Reding intends to appoint Johanna Darmanin as the EC’s head of representation to replace Martin Bugelli. But the Prime Minister’s office is annoyed about this choice and has told MT that “there is an unspoken rule that the Commission consults with the government of the day over such an appointment”

So apparently everyone else must behave respectfully and follow “unspoken rules” and tiptoe around, whereas the PM brazenly ignores whatever unspoken rules he likes.

Is there, perhaps, an “unspoken rule” that as PM you should respect the views of the overwhelming majority in the European Parliament?

Is there also an Unspoken Rule, perhaps, that as PM you don’t wear an anorak and jeans to official meetings on citizenship when everyone else is wearing suits?

Or that as PM you don’t lease your own car to yourself to pocket the cash?

Or that you don’t use the country’s police force as waiters at the PM’s official summer residence?

Or that you don’t award the country’s highest medal of achievement to a 25-yr-old guy who has achieved practically nothing and is so ignorant that he didn’t even bother to show up?

Don’t get me going…




24 Comments Comment

  1. Bullivant says:

    “I do not believe that it was good idea to impeach a judge with 600 pending court cases even though he was still due to retire in August!”

    Latest nugget of wisdom from timesofmalta.com re reassignment of Judge Farrugia Sacco’s workload.

    For pity’s sake I have deleted name of person posting but some mothers do have ’em.

  2. Bubu says:

    Ah so first he pisses everybody off and then he’s offended when he gets the cold shoulder.

  3. Gahan says:

    He meant that it’s not ethical, but could not use that word.

    As if we’re in the 1900s when the governor had a say in the choice of a bishop.

  4. J.J. says:

    Or that as PM you don’t appoint a disgraced former European Commissioner as your consultant.

  5. La Redoute says:

    Or an unspoken rule that you can sell citizenship of 27 countries over which you have no jurisdiction?

  6. Sue says:

    Of course, competence is of no value to Castille; they would expect the commissioner to act like our PM and appoint incompetent and unprofessional representatives.

  7. J.J. says:

    Or that you shouldn’t give three promotions through the ranks in as many weeks to an army officer who is a family friend, so that you can make him the new commander.

  8. Calculator says:

    I’m sure if Ms Reding weren’t polite enough and speaking in an official capacity, she would tell Joseph to take his opinion and shove it up where the sun doesn’t shine. At least I think it’s what a good portion of us want to do by now.

  9. Manuel says:

    Every time I read about how this country of ours is being governed, about the high jobs reserved to Labour’s faithful and to Super One journalists, about the way we have been ridiculed in the face of all the world, I cannot but help to feel angry about the way the switchers reasoned before the election.

    How could they not see this?

    True, Daphne, you wrote in another piece, that we should not remind them of the fact that they voted for Labour. However, I think, they should be reminded constantly because all this mess is the result of their unreasonable reasoning and because of their narrow-mindedness.

    This mess will greatly effect all of us, including their children and their children’s children. This mess is definitely and squarely on the conscience of those who failed to see the writing on the wall which was, mind you, clear since the inception of Muscat as leader of the Labour party.

  10. canon says:

    Is there an unspoken rule not to consult partners when you sell something that belongs to them as well?

  11. Alexander Ball says:

    We only have his word for it that he wasn’t consulted.

    Who in their right mind would pay attention to anything that a proven liar says?

  12. Gahan says:

    Joseph lil-votanti:Tista’ ma taqbilx maghna imma tista’ tahdem maghna.

    Joseph lil-Parlamentari Ewropej:Mhux se nahdem maghkom ghax ma jaqbillix.

  13. Joe Fenech says:

    “Or that you don’t award the country’s highest medal of achievement to a 25-yr-old guy who has achieved practically nothing and is so ignorant that he didn’t even bother to show up?”

    How was this justified?

  14. Alf says:

    Viviane Reding should give Joseph Muscat a dose of his own medicine by sending him the following note :

    “Noted, but No Thank You”.

  15. Francis Saliba MD says:

    Article 4.3 of the Treaty of the European Union that Ms Reding quoted at Joseph Muscat is not an “unspoken rule”.

  16. Ramona says:

    Though you have to admit, “Castille is fuming” is headline of the month given recent news.

  17. one of us says:

    Change of subject – Fire in Castille on Saturday, bus on fire in Burmarrad today – is it an omen?

  18. Ghoxrin Punt says:

    At least the EU recognises that we have people of calibre. It is only Muscat who believes that we are incompetents.

    Muscat stop betraying Malta.

  19. Augustus says:

    Or that you shouldn’t make Franco Debono Law Commissioner when he has to discuss with an opposition that he was a traitor to.

  20. natari says:

    And one should not allow someone who is under investigation for fraud to be selected as a candidate for the EP.

  21. Nitpicker says:

    At this rate we could just as well have the fire brigade on standby at Castille

  22. P Shaw says:

    There is a Maltese proverb that states “Il-gurnata minn fil-ghodu turik” and it is amazing that the chronic liar was not treated as such by the irresponsible media that now lost all credibility and the naive population.

  23. ciccio says:

    Rules? Since when is the prime minister Joseph Muscat interested in any rules?

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