The signs were there at the start
Published:
December 30, 2011 at 8:13pm
Franco Debono’s website, www.francodebono.info, includes a list of articles that quote him or include his picture. The first on the list (at the bottom, in chronological order) is the following. I quote verbatim.
Diskors ta’ Ringrazzjament b’Risposta ghad-diskors tal-President ta’ Malta fil-Ftuh tal-Hdax il-Legislatura, maghmul
minn Franco Debono fuq mozzjoni mressqa minnu stess bhala l-izghar deputat min naha tal-Gvern :. May 08
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The following must be what keeps him awake at night:
Diskors ta’ Ringrazzjament b’Risposta ghad-diskors tal-President ta’ Malta fil-Ftuh tat-Tnax il-Legislatura, maghmul minn Joseph Muscat fuq mozzjoni mressqa minnu stess bhala l-izghar deputat min naha tal-Gvern u l-izghar Prim Ministru ghal ghexieren ta’ snin :. (Xahar) 2013
The vacant expression in his eyes gives much away.
Ara ghada kemm se jkun hemm minn tal-Labour bil-bnadar tal-Ewropa u bit-torca jilqghuh fl-ajruport, meta jasal lura mill-btala ta’ 3 ijiem.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there will be Kate Gonzi with a bunch of white orchids at the VIP lounge waiting anxiously for his arrival at MIA.
Your comment shows that you know nothing about Kate Gonzi.
Why would a lawyer of his calibre make such a mistake in his career that ruins it all? He’s becoming a black sheep of his party and getting too dangerously close to the herd of wolves in sheep’s clothing that is the Partit Laburista.
Why should Franco be considered a black sheep? Isn’t the government in shambles?
Police attacking passers-by in Paceville. The disappearance of confiscated property under police custody. No one responsible.
A minister who owns a taxi company and other few businesses. No one seems to know.
The EU which wants to tax the poor maltese workers who earn less than the Germans and the French.
Our prisoners are full with emigrants whom we are feeding for free and who should have a suspended sentence .
And the last one is the passport visa racket in our embassy in Libya, no one is suspended and no one is charged and no one knows how the blue eyed people there were employed.
In the meantime people are directed to shoot the messenger.
What do you think of having an MP who expects to be Minister for Justice, who is a member of parliament, who works as a criminal lawyer and who counts among his clients a political activist in the opposing camp.
Some nerds are more equal than others.
Some policemen are well out of order bordering on criminality. These are a minority,so let’s not demonise all policemen. A member of my family has been subject to criminal police harassment, in one case an officer was dismissed from the force.
Daphne herself has been subjected to such harassment.
You must be in a confused state.
“Government in shambles?” Why because of one dissenter?”
“The disappearance of confiscated property under police custody?” What are you talking about? The alleged cash which may not have been in the envelope in question, to begin with?
“A minister who owns a taxi company and other few businesses” – name him/her.
“The EU which wants to tax the poor maltese workers who earn less than the Germans and the French?” How? 10% of e100 = 10. 10% of e200 = 20, so if Germans earn twice, they pay twice what Maltese pay.
“Our prisoners are full with emigrants …” Do you mean ‘immigrants’? Do you mean that immigrants who break the law should be given suspended sentences while Maltese criminals are jailed? Or, do you prefer that immigrants be starved to death? A typical Labour solution?
“…the passport visa racket in our embassy in Libya…” is under investigation and up to now are mere allegations. You have to wait and see.
Who is the ‘messenger’ people are directed to shoot? The one who blabbered 51 inanities while being unable to answer ONE of ten simple questions directed at him by the Prime Minister?
Disappearance of money is remediable, disappearance of evidence, files and tampering of evidence is irreparable and prevents justice being done. A regular event during Socialist times – the ‘golden years’.
Ministers owning business? Now that’s a good one! The last Minister who made a business out of his portfolio, now has a monument in Paola. He happened to be a Labour minister.
Police beating bystanders? Beats police beating up ‘alleged’ (but innocent) criminals at Police HQ, the ‘disappearance (and later found dead) of persons held in Police custody, and others subject to ‘frame-ups’?
The EU overtaxing Maltese? We were not even EU members when our application was frozen by the genius known as Alfred Sant when the W&E bills were raised to the skies when oil was selling at $12 a barrel?
Immigrants costing us money? If I recall, the EU which Labour hates so much, is helping out and we would have been in the same or worse position EU members or not. So we should adopt Joseph’s advice to “turn back immigrant laden boats in danger of sinking to where they came from”?
Any racket is deplorable and if proven, the culprits will be dealt with. Who was ‘dealt with’ when one had to pay a ‘fee’ to MLP clubs in order to be put ahead of others to buy a colour television? And that’s after Ministers were ‘caught’ watching their colour television while importation of colour sets for the public were prohibited!
Now which messenger do you suggest we shoot?
Debbie, try police attacking PN supporters with bullets and tear gas.
The disappearance of people from police custody, to be found later DEAD.
Ministers who owned not just companies but the lives of people who had no choice but to do as told.
The EU alternative was Svizzera fil-Mediterran! That didn’t work, Debbie.
As for feeding imigrants, I believe the good book says, blessed are those………
And for the passport racket, I believe we should go back to the green one and stop this illegality.
“herd of wolves in sheep’s clothing”?
Cows herd, not wolves (or sheep).
Wolves move in a pack. And sheep flock.
Whatever decisions are taken, Franco Debono is (politically) finished. Nobody will trust him again.
Because a large number of individuals enter politics for the wrong reasons. Then the self-serving primitive ego takes over…..
Right-click, delete. Regardless of the outcome of Dr. Debono’s current tantrum.
Franco is referring to a routine motion which is always tabled by the youngest MP on the government’s side.
It a motion thanking the President of Malta for his speech to parliament after very election whereby the president addressees Parliament and outlines the government’s policy.
So Franco is hereby boasting about a plain straight forward motion of thanks. And to get the records straight there is obviously a youngest MP in every legislature. Anyway the writing was on the wall. Pure narcissistic traits from day one.
The Prime Minister must put the interests of the country before anything else. The PM can’t allow a backbencher blackmail him and debase the office of the premiership.
That office must be held at high esteem and Gonzi must guard the highest office on the land.
The PM has been way too accommodating to this insubordinate MP. The PM together with the cabinet must find a solution without calling an election. An early election would result a huge loss to the PN.
Franco Debono’s ultimate goal is to overthrow Gonzi. That is his end game to be the Prime Minister and not a justice minister..
Di-ve.com is reporting that Franco might be offerred the post of a parliamentary secretary. This is insane – I can’t beleive Gonzi is so weak.
Life for the minister will become a piece of hell. Can you imagine going to work having this pest around every day?
Debono will be so empowered that will make life for Minister Mifsud Bonnici unbearable, unless he gets what he wants every single day. If I were in the Minister’s position, I would probably resign.
I’m not saying that I believe that news item, but in practice, the way this could be done is to put the Parliamentary Secretary under a different Minister. Otherwise, if it’s all under the same Minister, the separation of the roles would still not be achieved.
That would call Debono’s bluff. Does he really want a separation of powers or does he want to head the justice portfolio?
If he’s offered the post of parliamentary secretary for justice under Mifsud Bonnici, he can either eat his words or prove what we’ve known all along – that Franco Debono is only interested in Franco Debono and democracy be damned.
It is appropriate for someone who signs as “shepherd” to talk about sheep,wolves,herds etc.
As any good shepherd will tell you, Dr.Debono is doing exactly what the Billy Goat does, to impress the sheep.
He wants to project himself as the leader of the herd, he wants to impose his will on all the rest.
Most of the times he achives his aims.
So will Dr. Debono, I see no way out for the P.M.but to appease him, if the P.N.wants to survive in office.
As far as I see it, this is not the right decision and in a short time, you can be sure that, he will come for more.
.
About narcissistic personality disorder:
An obvious self-focus in interpersonal exchange. Problems in sustaining satisfying relationships
A lack of psychological awareness (see insight in psychology and psychiatry, egosyntonic)
Difficulty with empathy
Problems distinguishing the self from others (see narcissism and boundaries)
Hypersensitivity to any insults or imagined insults (see criticism and narcissists, narcissistic rage and narcissistic injury)
Vulnerability to shame rather than guilt
Haughty body language
Flattery towards people who admire and affirm them (narcissistic supply)
Detesting those who do not admire them (narcissistic abuse)
Using other people without considering the cost of doing so
Pretending to be more important than they really are
Bragging (subtley but persistently) and exaggerating their achievements
Claiming to be an “expert” at many things
Inability to view the world from the perspective of other people
Denial of remorse and gratitude
it is a tradition in the Maltese parliament, based on the Westminster model, that the youngest MP on the government side presents a motion of thanks to the President’s address. There is nothing abnormal in this, it is not a sign of anything except normal procedure.
Albert, you seem to have missed the point of this blog entry. If I understood Daphne correctly, the “sign” she’s referring to is not that Franco Debono gave the speech but that he’s presenting it on his website as if it was something extraordinary, a notable achievement.
Your saying that it was, in fact, normal procedure only confirms the significance of this “sign”.
Without sympathising with other issues, it is an achievement (however achieved) to be an MP when relatively young; it is not without pitfalls however; look at Josie Muscat in his heyday.
Youth is synonymous with energy, verve and joie de vivre. Old age is fraught with too much caution. Both are generalisations that deserve to be individualised.
William Pitt was young yet he is considered to have been as good and effective as any elder statesman preceding or succeeding him.
I think Dr Debono will not cross the line. He’s simply playing hard to get and being a person who craves for attention he loves to be controversial while getting the good things he wants.
In Maltese we have saying which fits perfectly here: “Kelb li jinbah ma jigdimx”.
One has to take into consideration that Franco might also be afraid of some hot headed criminal we may have on the loose, who could harm him, he is accustomed to such stupid people with such mentality whom he has to face in court and in his office on a daily basis.
Our political history is dotted with such incidents: RCC, Dom Mintoff, Louis Galea,Strickland, Ninu Zammit Josie Muscat , and come to think of it even Dr Gonzi himself felt uneasy at Girgenti lately when two shots were fired at the dead of night.
I empathise a lot with these persons.
How does feeling threatened explain – let alone justify – Franco Debono’s tantrums?
It looks like Franco’s worries could be debbie’s and mark’s :
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111223/local/Debono-not-comfortable-in-ministry-vote.399641
Frank Muscat
Dec 23rd, 13:02
Dr. Debono, beware, there are crazy people out there.
Reply to Frank Muscat
debbie Voss
Dec 23rd, 14:07
Is this a threat Frank? than you are playing with fire. It is criminal to threaten anyone.
mark borg
Dec 25th, 09:29
Be Frank please Frank on what are stating…..as this is very serious …..
Wishing you and your family a happy new year
It is just a tradition that the youngest MP from the government side proposes this ‘motion of thanks’, probably a remnant of British parliamentary tradition which we just copy given our colonial mentality.
[Daphne – It has nothing to do with ‘the colonial mentality’. We use the British parliamentary system.]
He just happened to be the youngest – not that he’s not bonkers, but it serves PN right for its ‘min jigi jigi’ approach to candidate selection.
I remember the way Dr Debono used to go round the clubs in the 5th district bragging and boasting over the fact that despite having no one to help him out he managed (oh what a feat!) to unseat the likes of Louis Galea and Helen D’Amato.
The people who voted him in in the first place soon started telling themselves and each other ‘nizzilna zewgt izwiemel u tellajna hmar’.
And Dr Debono’s behaviour over the past weeks is proving this dictum right. Only a person with a donkey’s brains would seemingly have it all (especially career-wise) at such a young age only to throw it all away like this.
Not a lot to say about this waste of space, just that he literally looks ‘different’.
Oh, and he sounds like a childish spoilt brat.
Power in the wrong hands, and you have a dictator.
Kieku jien Lawrence Gonzi naqsam il-ministeru u naghtih lil Dr. Beppe Fenech Adami. B’hekk naqtaghlu xewtqu imma ma npaxxihx.
@Fatta Hemm qawl ezatt :Jaqghtalu l-ghacc bil-perzut.
First you do not know whether Dr.Beppe Fenech Adami would accept this position.
Secondly, what are his credentials?
Is it just because he is a lawyer,or is it because he is who he is?
Just offer the post to Dr.Debono, close his mouth for a few months, and see what else he comes up with.
The end result will be the same. He will be digging his hole deeper and deeper, and he will be a good excuse for losing the coming election, which is now seeming more likely.
In actual fact the signs were there even before the ‘Diskors ta’ Ringrazzjament b’Risposta ghad-diskors tal-President ta’ Malta fil-Ftuh tal-Hdax il-Legislatura’.
Just ask persons who were at the counting hall during the 2008 elections to find out about the way Debono went about objecting to a counting agent who happened to be employed in Louis Galea’s ministry, and then we get his mother claiming on Xarabank to have been an ardent Louis Galea camvasser – with friends like these who the hell needs enemies?
Ask why the final count took so long to be officially announced and Debono’s reaction when he was reined in by a high ranking PN official who made it clear to him that he had to stop objecting and asking for recounts.
It was the same years before when he became a lawyer but then I am very privileged to say that I do not consider him a ‘kollega’ and thank the stars for that.
George you’ve got mail:
mary mifsud
Yesterday, 19:20
@ George Cutajar:
Are you the same George Cutajar who said that you are a great friend of Ninu Zammit on NET TV programme “Evidenza”?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120102/local/debono-says-declaration-should-be-interpreted-in-a-reasonable-manner.400741
“X’kumbinazzjoni” I received similar mail from Franco himself.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111025/local/Debono-softens-stand.390650
franco debono
Oct 25th, 19:25
@ j schembri
are you the same j schembri that a few days after the last election had hoped for and predicted on another site that as a consequence of my election to parliament this country will have “a Lady Speaker and a President as a side effect of your unseating of Dr Galea and Ms D’amato.”
Surely Franco is not mary ,if he were it would be scandalous, all that preaching about Schiavone’s anonymous letter and the suffering Franco has been suffering… or?
Min jaghmel qoffa jaghmel qartalla.
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Daphne, this is to thank you for a year of news and entertainment and for the space given to our voices.
Wish you, and all your readers (including those who would never admit they read your blog!) all the very best in 2012.
Happy New Year to the owner of this blog and her family and to all those following this blog.
Daphne, I can’t believe what the di-ve.com is reporting this evening. The PM should never reward Franco’s appalling behaviour! Franco will stop only when he overthrows Gonzi and be the PM God forbid.
Dr. Gonzi must be forceful and must never appease this blackmailer.
Gonzi must look unwavering. This is a golden opportunity for Gonzi to emerge stronger and to send a message to insubordinate MP.
The party must kick him out. The country, our European friends and neighbours can’t afford to lose respect for our PM. Dr. Gonzi must turn off Franco’s political switch permanently. Teach him and his likes a lesson.
Dr.Gonzi must go on national television, split the departments as it is in the interest of the country and simultaneously rebuke Franco forcefully. I have no doubt that Gonzi’s popularity will be elevated and be stronger for the upcoming election even if the election comes a few months before March 2013.
Happy New Year Daphne! You have been brilliant in 2011. Keep up the good work in 2012 and thank you !
Well said ciccio2011. I share your thoughts and sentiments.
So Maltese MPs are pompous b*st*rds. I thought it was a prerequisite for the job.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120102/local/debono-says-declaration-should-be-interpreted-in-a-reasonable-manner.400741
Dear Dr. Debono,
This is not about campaigning or about the reform you desire for the law courts. This is about holding the Prime Minister to ransom, and in doing so you are holding the PN and the country to ransom. You are creating instability at a time when the country least needs it. That is totally unacceptable no matter how justified your cause may seem (to you).
Come the next elections your political career will be over. In the unlikely event that the PN allows you to contest the elections as a candidate, no PN supporter in his right mind will vote for you because a vote for you will be a vote for instability.
jae
PS: Is there any relative or friend out there who can kick some sense into the head of this political moron?
Your concern is misplaced. You seem to equate PN to Government as if the two were synomyms. They are not. Yes I do agree, the country needs stability and in the current scenario, there is no such thing.
And as DCG stated on various occasions, FD will keeping coming back for more, as we’ve seen today. Thus there’s no other way about it but address the REAL concern, that is, stability and governability, by doing the only senible option available, that is, go to the polls.
“Kicking” some sense into FD’s head (as a relative or friend should do!), or resorting to a slap across the face (as a mother in her right mind would, according to DCG), are not the solution to the evident problem. Normal and modern democracies do not turn to kicking and slapping to deal with problems of the sort.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120103/local/greco-report-on-party-financing-law-based-on-obsolete-draft-franco-debono.400890
I wonder who is the inadequate one…the incompetent people surrounding Dr Gonzi (even Gonzi himself perhaps?) or is it Dr Debono?
What a sense of apathy the ministers of this administration possess. And please, don’t tell me it’s because they’re all focused on the economic crises!
Franco Debono has come back for more it seems, as you Daphne had predicted. Given the state of his mental health, you claimed, he’ll keep coming for more if given the chance.
And sure enough, back from his holiday break in Rome, the primadonna made a comeback, this time on (political) party financing.
Yet, for some odd reason, notwithstanding your spot on prediction, we had no word from you on this, on this blog. Strange, considering you are generally so quick on the mark!
[Daphne – I have been busy over the last few days with distractions far more interesting than Franco Debono who is, in any case, something of an irrelevance at the moment. The only matter pressing enough to get me to my computer was the need to ask everybody to please stop gossiping about the New Year’s Day dead. I don’t usually do much work over Christmas and New Year and, because my ability to sniff the wind is still fairly functional, I can sense that Debono’s hour has passed. To have leverage on the government like that, you don’t only need to be sitting in the ‘hostage taker’ seat. You also need credibility with the public, and the respect of the electorate. He’s lost that, good and proper. Another Jeffrey.]