It might be the AgriBank, but does it mean they have to behave like peasants?
Former EU Commissioner/foreign affairs minister Joe Borg should know better after his long career in those fields. Of Joseph Muscat we can expect no better, but now that he is prime minister he needs to engage, and quickly, an adviser on protocol.
His chief of staff is hardly going to be of any use on that score, and the head of government communications…well, let’s be kind.
Using the national flag to unveil a plaque? Sorry, honeys, but I don’t think so.
That’s considered to be a disparagement of the flag.
What you need there is a plain white cloth. That’s the way it’s done.
There are very few things for which it is permissible to use the national flag as a drape. The coffin at a state funeral and the coffins of soldiers who die in action are among them.
Plaques on the walls of banks? To quote one of our famous fashionistas: No! No! No!
But if you don’t believe me, or think that these are just the sinifiteti of a min-tahseb-li-hi-kemm-hi-antipatika-miskina-tal-pepe, here are the official rules:
“The National Flag should not be used as the covering for a monument or commemorative plaque at unveiling ceremonies. It should form a distinctive feature of the ceremony but bunting of white and red, not in the proportions of the National Flag, should be used for the covering.”
Check the link I’ve posted below.
This is one of the reasons why I really have very little time for the Labour Party and why I feel so much more comfortable with the Nationalist Party in government.
Labour regards these things as unimportant details – you know, like stuffing a wreath flat on its back with the stand sticking up in the air at the foot of a monument, and not even noticing that what they’ve got there is a MOURNING wreath fit for the foot of the war monument on Armistice Day and not the Independence monument on a celebratory day out.
Forgive me, but I just can’t stand them. Il-vera spiccali l-pacenzja. Ignorance is one thing. Not even KNOWING that you need to ask about the right way to do things is another. And knowing that there might be rules of procedure and protocol, but deliberately flouting them to show how Mintoffian you are in spirit is another still.
Malta taghna lkoll, my eye. Malta tal-injoranti u s-slavag, u ta’ dawk in-nies suppost tal-pepe li jagevolawhom biex attaparsi kemm huma “cool u democratic u mhumiex snobs” (meta huma l-aghar snobs li hawn).
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Joe Borg and Joseph Muscat could have used one of these instead:
http://www.fahnenversand.de/fotw/images/m/mt%7Dmlp2a.gif
Not even protocol is within their grasp, incredible.
https://gov.mt/en/About%20Malta/Pages/Flags-Symbols-and-their-use.aspx
Ma jgħamlux waħda tajba.
It is clear that the AgriBank purposely delayed the opening of the premises for the benefit of Joseph Muscat.
Jeesus shouldn’t Joe Borg have known better and told Muscat about this?
[Daphne – Muscat doesn’t bring the flag with him. Covering the plaque was the bank’s responsibility. The responsibility of the PM’s aides is to make sure that they have provided the proper covering, by ringing up ahead of the event to make sure all is in order. But Joe Borg should have know, yes. He was our minister of foreign affairs for years. Maybe now he’s turned Labour and finds it necessary to let his standards slip to suit. When in Rome & c & c]
Or did they just pop over to tal-Lira to buy the flag (they had tons for sale prior to the election, heaven knows why), thinking that if they bought it cheaply they could also treat it cheaply?
Have you seen how he erupted in child-like giggles when some drops of holy water fell on him?
“Berikt lill-gvern, tee-hee-hee-heeee-haaaa”, he said.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi9GqDkVNxA
Give them hell, Daph, because they bloody well deserve it.
How does that saying go? You can get the man out of the village but not the village out of the man.
Did they also sing the national anthem during the unveiling ceremony?
In the circumstances, I am surprised Dr. Borg did not use an EU flag instead, but then maybe the only thing to stop him was the thought that he might insult the Prime Minister who voted NO to EU membership.
Since he will now run Malta like a corporation he should know better how corporations stick to their branding guidelines.
Kelna lil Mintoff jitnejjek mil-Kostituzzjoni, u issa Muscat jistma l-protocol f’sormu.
Almenu jitkellem il-Manglish u jilbes sjut. Mela intom xejn ma jsoddkom?
And the Times of Malta didnt open a comment blog underneath the article. Hmm… why ?
Before the election, I worried about the future of my grandchildren.
After the election, I feared for the future of my grandchildren.
After one week in power, I’m terrified for the future of my grandchildren.
Ditto for me. And why should anyone blame us?
Agribank inaugurated by a bumpkin. Thoroughly fitting (unlike his suit jacket).
If they want to know how things should be done they can always ask me!
Nice one! Like.
Ili nghid li Gahan ghandu rasu tassew f’postha – mhux kif jghidu l-hrejjef!
Thank you rjc. If Gahan can do better than an ex-EU Commissioner, it says a lot about his finesse.
I actually pointed this out to Daphne on the other post yesterday.
To be fair with her I learned a lot about these important formalities from this evil blog, and this was one of them.
Il-Prim Ministru ceremonjier Joseph Muscat.
Check out Joseph’s hair when he went to Agribank today – hardly any gel. And he seems very tired already after a week in government.
He himself said: Dil-gimgha rajtha qisha kienet sena.
Jalla wara hames gimghat jghid li kienu hames snin – u jitlaq flilmkien ma shabu kollha biex ihallina nkomplu nghixu bil-kwiet u b’mohhna mistrieh!
Mela kemm se jarahom 5 snin – millenju?
I don’t like that smile on Joe Borg’s face. Has he been promised some cushy job?
The big one maybe?
Joe Borg now needs something to occupy his time now that his Swieqi building development is in the finishing stages and the missus can take care of that .
X’misthija! You are so right. It is a BIG no-no.
Allow me to indulge myself and remind people who we gave up in order to elect Joseph Muscat:
Lawrence: always doing things right.
http://c257.r57.cf3.rackcdn.com/business-news_05_temp-1362064069-512f72c5-620×348.jpg
http://c257.r57.cf3.rackcdn.com/business-news_18_temp-1353843579-50b2037b-620×348.jpg
http://www.sportinmalta.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/OPM_17052012_06-300×199.jpg
Labour can plagiarise, but they cannot copy.
What remains of The Times must have realised this blatant mistake. The on-line report does not allow any comments. Very unusual:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130318/local/prime-minister-inaugurates-agribank-head-office.461924
It is very obvious that Dr Joe Borg did not want Dr Gonzi to inaugurate Agribank since it’s been operating for some months now. He waited for the elections purposely for Dr Muscat to inaugurate his first plaque.
However let’s be clear – the way very valid people like Dr Joe Borg were totally sidelined and whose services were not utilized in some other function, like chairman of Malta Enterprise, is most unfortunate.
It now emerges that indeed there was a concentration of power, and lack of leadership.
[Daphne – Just some points. Joe Borg wouldn’t have wanted to be chairman of Malta Enterprise because what he wanted was reappointment as EU Commissioner for a second term, with far superior terms and conditions and, let’s face it, much more interesting things to do in a city where in wanted to live and had bought a house.
When he was not reappointed, he took on an appointment with a Brussels-based consultancy firm which, if I recall correctly, caused some consternation among the Brussels-based press because of what were seen as conflicts of interest. They thought (and I believe they are right) that a departing EU Commissioner who had been lobbied as part of his work shouldn’t immediately switch sides and go to work for a lobby because that creates the impression that there might have been some kind of arrangement between them beforehand, even if this is not the case (Caesar’s wife & c & c).
Beyond that, nobody, and I mean nobody, should expect things still less demand them, and worse still, throw a series of spiteful hissy fits when their expectations are not met. Adults do not behave like this, well bred people do not behave like this, and above all, decent people do not behave like this.
There is something seriously wrong with Malta when grown men in late middle age – for it is mainly men – think it is not just normal but actually justified to slam about town demanding that their great talents are recognised by the government in the form of a position with status and money that does them honour and their talents justice. And to then sulk for years and plot their revenge when this does not happen.
I cannot say it loudly or clearly enough: THIS IS NOT NORMAL BEHAVIOUR. IT IS A PATHOLOGY.
The truly talented and gifted do not even BOTHER with the government (unless it is because they have a mission to improve our country and find that rewarding in itself) but make their way successfully in the private sector. The only reason anybody should take on a government or state corporation role or similar is not to satisfy his own urges or self-importance but to bring Malta or that corporation forward. They should not see it as recognition of their great talents and wonderful brains, but as an opportunity to give something back. Anything else is utterly disgraceful and a really poor reflection on the individual in question.
Joe Borg has been a difficult problem for years, dating back to the Fenech Adami period. It really has nothing to do with Lawrence Gonzi. His spiteful nature was just masked by the more pressing imperative to get Malta into the European Union. You can see what sort of cheap and spineless person he is by the fact that, despite all that we went through (and by ‘we’ I mean everyone who argued, debated and campaigned for membership), he was prepared to spite Lawrence Gonzi by inviting instead of him the VERY INDIVIDUAL WHO CAMPAIGNED AGAINST HIM AND HIS EU OBJECTIVES FOR FIVE WHOLE YEARS. What sort of man does that? You have your answer right there.
What Muscat did – a five-year rabid anti-EU crusade that threatened to sink plans for membership – is all right by Borg, and he welcomes him with enthusiasm and a smile, clearly having forgiven him the major harm he did to Malta. But Lawrence Gonzi didn’t let Borg stay in Brussels for another five years of raking it in, so he had to spite him.
Judge a man on that. The trouble with these individuals is that they have absolutely no esprit de corps. Imagine them in the army, sniping at each other instead of at the enemy.
I’ll be frank: men like this really disgust me, whichever side of the political fence they sit. It has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with decency and backbone. It’s hard for a woman to have any sort of respect for them at all, because it’s just so…dishonourable and unmasculine. I’m quite sure many men feel the same way.]
I think you said it all with this: “The truly talented and gifted do not even BOTHER with the government (unless it is because they have a mission to improve our country and find that rewarding in itself) but make their way successfully in the private sector.”
I would like to see most of these prima donnas deal with real performance criteria where there’s the very real danger of being let go if you’re not up to scratch.
I was literally horrified when I saw this. Not only has the Maltese flag become another way of saying ‘Hey! I’m Labour’ but now they’re using it to cover up things. Horrific.
An excellent article about Joe Borg.
Another one of those who made the switch ‘mhux ghax ma ha xejn imma ghax ma hallewx jiehu kemm irid’.
If he has been spiteful because of a grievance with Gonzi, what about his respect for Eddie Fenech Adami who promoted him to the height of his career?
What about his loyalty to the Nationalist Party, which made things possible for him to improve his knowledge and expertise and get rich?
What about continuing to make a contribution towards our country?
Some Maltese men misinterpret the first commandment:
I am God and let there be no other.
Haven’t you noticed how the Labour Party have literally hijacked the Maltese flag
Interesting lunch table at a restaurant in Xlendi today including JPO and wife, The Hon. & Mrs Michael Farrugia, Dr Andy Ellul and Super One partner & Magistrate Carol Peralta and others. A real elitist feel about them. And the ladies were ever so polite smoking long thin cigarettes without a bother that they were annoying patrons in neighbouring tables. You could actually smell the arrogance…and it stunk.
From what i’ve read, I really am appreciating more Pope Francesco for the part of the homely he made today that rulers are great when they serve others and that’s how one should reason out things especially when one is in power.
I’ve had the opportunity to meet Joe Borg and listen to his lectures at University, and I have to say I’m genuinely sad to see him act like this.
Hearing him talk about Malta and the European Union as a protagonist of its membership bid was great and he treated his students fairly, so it’s really frustrating to see him act like this when I know he can do better.
SpiccATLI il-pacenzja. ;)