Agreed. What really annoyed me, to the extreme, was his uninterrupted sequence of gesticulations – someone please advise him to tie his hands behind his back and compel him to follow a course in public speaking.

He also taught the EU a new species – Blue Fish Tuna despite being brought up in a, I quote, “small fishing village”.

Then he tells us he is a convinced European [Funny how some Labour supporters still can’t stomach the EU while others seem to have persuaded themselves they’re more pro-EU than Simon Busuttil].

Finally he has the gall to present himself as not being at the hearing as a Commissioner for Malta but one for the EU. With that coming from someone who spent his life shouting the Malta L-Ewwel u qabel Kollox doesn’t that sound like blasphemy? What can I say – Hawn min ma jafx jisthi min Alla li halqu.

Just your wishful thinking. Things are going from bad to worse in Brussels. It is all about the gravy and the Euro Parliament is there just for the plebs’ consumption. If things were otherwise, there would not have been a prior agreement in the first place.

I fully agree with your view, with respect to Vella.

I believe that Joseph Muscat may think that the road after the acceptance of Vella is downhill – say on the issue of hunting – but I think that this marks the beginning of a period of immense pressure by the environmentalists on the Maltese government.

I am not so sure that Juncker’s life will be made hell. He has hedged his risk well: if the pressure is about Malta, Vella or the Maltese government must face the music. If it is on more serious European issues, Vella will probably face the same choices given by Barroso to Dalli.

I believe that Juncker has been kind to Malta this time: its Commissioner does not need to be associated with a request for Eur 60 million to let Malta’s name down.

The mere mention of Vella’s name should be enough to humiliate us in Europe.

So Lowell was right. Again.

Bleat on, PN.

Of course there was, after the pasting both large groupings got from the far right in the last elections. They did a deal.