Exactly WHERE is the prime minister?
Leader of ‘the high society’: the prime minister’s wife now has a much higher profile than her husband.
He was everywhere with his natty white lectern in the first two months of this year, with six press calls a day and his photograph all over the place.
In the preceding five years, too, we could barely get away from the sight or sound of him, except for that summer when they told us he had fractured his leg at the August Moon Ball and he disappeared, leaving ‘Mrs Michelle Muscat’ to deputise for him against the correct form, in direct competition with the actual party deputy, Anglu Farrugia.
Now Joseph Muscat has disappeared. Apart from a bit of frivolous ‘news’ here and there, he has all but disappeared. It should be amply clear to the switchers and true believers now that his image and persona were artifically built up by the conjunction of plenty of money (from barunijiet) and plenty of marketing communications, in a replay of the age-old tale, The Emperor’s Clothes’.
Now that he is actually in the job, he is completely unprepossessing – looks wrong, sounds wrong, doesn’t fill the prime minister’s shoes, just doesn’t cut it.
And he can’t or won’t face the cameras, unless heavily guarded by aides in a well-constructed setting about something largely irrelevant.
Now Brussels has opened excessive deficit procedures against Malta, and where is the prime minister? Fiddling, while Rome burns, working out how much gas he’s going to save by turning off the eternal flame at the cenotaph.
His ministers are in the news more often than he is. The Department of Information news feed barely ever gives us anything, other than the trivial, about the prime minister, but every day we are inundated with photographs and press statements – none of them substantial – about his ministers.
We are 100 days into a Labour government, and the prime minister’s wife has a higher profile already than the prime minister does.
Whichever adviser it is who has recommended that ‘Mrs Michelle Muscat’s’ profile be pushed higher than that of her husband is making a very serious mistake indeed.
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Ghadni qed nipprova nnizzel l-idea li ghandhom wicc mdellek bizzejjed jitkellmu fuq ‘high society’.
Kemm huma nieqsa dan-nies? Minn xiex iridu jghadduna sakemm jifgaw d-dwejjaq l’ghandhom?
The prime minister has been taken over by his wife and his ministers, and we’re just 100 days in.
We should have seen it coming – remember how she hopped into Castille before her husband on the day of his inauguration?
‘Chi l’ha visto’.
Jason Micallef is far more visible than him at the moment. Perhaps there’s some relationship.
They remind me of those weather clocks with the two figures. One would appear with a brolly on a rainy day and the other would appear on a sunny day, but never together.
Maybe it is a calculated risk on the adviser’s part?
Let’s be brutally honest. Joseph was never the most prepossessing of the male species.
For Gawd’s sake, he waddles rather than walks. http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/01/kemm-int-sabih-joseph/.
Since his hair has all but disappeared (https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRA847N_d71wsALo8-VBa8ks3cK799s609AsFueAOrqVOH5YGsVkg) he looks decidedly jaded and old.
His wife, on the other hand, has weathered the last few months much better.
So in short, we have an Eva Peron fairytale in the making. Michelle is the face of Labour, replacing her increasingly decrepit looking husband.
Please, do not compare Michelle Muscat to Eva Peron. Women of Eva Peron’s generation owe a debt to her for “her example of passion and combativeness”. Definitely no comparison with Michelle.
[Daphne – I disagree with your assessment of Eva Peron, who was driven by hatred, bitterness, resentment, the desire to replace or eradicate ‘the wealthy oligarchy’ who made her feel inferior, and above all, by cupidity. She spent money like Croesus – on herself. She did nothing to improve the lives of the poor but got drunk on their adulation. And she used a man to get to the top, because she couldn’t become president herself, so she did the next best thing. She was a horrible woman. Read a couple of properly researched biographies. The musical is ‘faction’.]
I bow my head to you, Daphne. You seem to be much more knowledgeable than I am about Eva Peron .
Aha, but Michelle, very much like our Alf, has only seen the musical, and believed the hype.
What are her credentials?
Fashion shows and tea parties with lots of pretence and very badly pronounced English whilst trying very hard to feel she fits in with the mummies at her kids’ school
The new Eva Peron?
He’s probably too busy meeting interesting, interested, and interest bearing third parties to consolidate the lucrative power station project.
http://www.inewsmalta.com/dart/20130530-min-amel-il-korruzzjoni-mhux-se-jorqod-mistrie-pm
“Huwa żied jgħid li l-aktar punt innovattiv li fiha din il-liġi [li ttemm il-preskrizzjoni tal-politiċi], hi li politiku li jinsab li wettaq korruzzjoni jittieħdlu l-affarijiet li jkun kiseb bil-korruzzjoni.”
That plan to reduce poverty in Malta and Gozo is starting to make sense now. We wondered what her credentials were.
Dr Saliba put a link of a video about the mother of the Boston terrorists, here is another one from the UK’s The Daily Mail:
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-2332998/One-country-religions-telling-pictures-The-pews-churches-just-yards-overcrowded-mosque.html
Cannot believe he carried his white lectern again this morning…to THE PALACE!
Why does he do it? Perhaps to make it look more formal, thus making it harder for jounalists to ask tough questions?
[Daphne – It’s a psychological barrier between him and his audience. Yes, you’re right, it discourages questions. It also makes him feel safer and more protected, the equivalent of a baby’s comfort-rag.]
At least it covers all the wobbly bits we don’t want to see. When he slouches on his chair with trousers a size or two too small, he exposes to everyone things that nobody should have to observe.
Joseph Muscat is always near yet so far away when there are pertinent questions to be asked.
Probably, he is keeping a low profile on purpose to negotiate deals and cash in on his position.
He does not need to worry since he received a healthy economy. He wrongly thinks that the economy is managed on its own without any strategy or vision.
Upon what meat doth this our Ceasar feed,
That he is grown so great ?
Joseph Muscat has now got what he wanted – being Malta’s prime minister – and to ‘hack’ with everything else.
He can use Malta as his personal playground. If he could, he would also not attend parliament to avoid having to reply to the opposition questions, not that he replies immediately, if at all.
The reason why he decided to have a large cabinet was, in my opinion, so every man had his responsibilities and he, as prime minister, just oversees everything and does not interefere.
It is a good way of shedding responsibility whenever something goes wrong. In the meantime his missus will be steering the boat.
He must be telepathic – he just appeared regarding the law on time barred political corruption cases.
Half an hour ago his driver was outside Queen’s at Hamrun, the Alfa double parked, buying a load of pies and Wudy sausage rolls. No wonder the thighs and belly…. And with an extra 7000 euros, one might think he could do with a more glamorous lunch, couldn’t he?
He’s busy getting a couple of wigs – wicks? – fitted. That hair is disappearing faster than ever.
Daphne please pass this tip to Dr Mallia:
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/femail/article-2333160/Rise-XXXXXL-man-Debenhams-launch-super-size-British-men-bigger-ever.html
Maybe he’s at villa ‘Pina’, ta’ Phyllis Muscat, relaxing by the pool.
Can somebody explain this to me?
Minister Scicluna says that the EU does not believe that the Maltese government can reduce the deficit. Brussels has opened excessive deficit procedures against Malta.
The Opposition says hat it is a bad thing for Malta.
BUT the prime minister says that these procedures show the EU has confidence in how he is tackling the economy.
To my mind, as an ignoramus in these matters, being put under a microscope shows a lack of credibility
No. What he’s saying is that although Malta is under an EDP the Commission is not insisting on specific budget cuts as it did with the previous government (to the tune of some €45mln, although Tonio Fenech never told us it was ordered by the Commission or else…).
EDPs are often very costly (see how Hungary is faring – ejja, Google search, news, past week: Hungary edp; check on Italy too). There are often fines involved, although governments hate to mention that, so they usually fly past with the wind.
It is more about sovereignty than credibility, Toni. We have no currency of our own, and no balls either.
He’s here, with a bang. http://www.maltarightnow.com/?module=news&at=Titne%26%23295%3B%26%23295%3Ba+l-preskrizzjoni+g%26%23295%3Ball-politi%26%23267%3Bi+minn+fuq+ka%26%23380%3Bi+ta%27+korruzzjoni+politika&t=a&aid=99847634&cid=19
Daphne, would you please compile a list of accomplishments by this administration in the first 100 days? I will start with the following:
1. Saved $14k by having a part-time eternal flame
2. Managed to shut up Franco Debono and Jeffery Pullicino (this is a huge accomplishment)
3. Minister Mizzi found and repaired the electricity fault in his Ministry
4. Mangion found a garage for a band
There are other significant achievements which must be mentioned.
Minister Coleiro humiliated the Housing Authority CEO over a cracked soapdish.
Minister Mallia made a surprise check on the prison wardens on a Sunday night.
Minister Scicluna managed to get the EU to trigger Excessive Deficit Procedures against Malta.
Minister Coleiro does not know who is responsible for 300 transfers at St Vincent de Paule Hospital, which is in her portfolio.
There are two things I’ve noticed in the last two months and I was waiting for somebody (you) to mention them.
1. The prime minister’s absence from the news and public life. just like you said, he’s barely there.
2. How much fun the PN MPs seem to be having in Opposition. No pressure, no constant criticism and they can sit back and enjoy (literally, going by the reports from parliament) watching the government screw up.
In this photo Michelle does not look like a member of “the high society” at all.
She looks like the scullery maid. She can still get a glimpse of “the high society” when she’s lighting the fireplace, can’t she?
My nephew, who attends St Benedict College in Kirkop just told me that today at school there was a planned ceremony which was attended by Mrs Muscat instead of the PM himself.
I don’t expect one good thing from him during this 5 years exept ghaks u nkwiet. Lil min tafu tistaqsix ghalih.
Too bad he does not play golf.
Then he can pull the full “Obama” by totally neglecting his job and spend his time on the green while his nation goes to hell in a handcart.