Is Michelle Muscat Labour's new deputat mexxej?
Joseph Muscat’s total lack of comprehension of form, protocol and procedure is just unbelievable. He doesn’t even have the remotest understanding of why a political party is structured the way it is and the purpose of the roles within that structure.
First he dispenses with the party’s secretary-general. Now he gets his wife – an unelected person with absolutely no official role in the Labour Party, still less the right to stand in for the party leader – to deputise for him at a party level because he has broken his frigging leg.
Excuse me, but hasn’t the spoiled mama’s boy heard of wheelchairs or crutches? Is he that bloody lazy or is he just using this as an excuse to shove his wife into the limelight while putting the real deputy leaders’ noses out of joint?
Neither Muscat nor his missus appear to know that Joseph Muscat the party leader is not the same thing as Joseph Muscat the private person.
Joseph Muscat the private person can send his wife to represent him at weddings and baptisms, but he may not get her to represent him as party leader. That role belongs to the deputy leader, which is precisely why he is called the DEPUTY leader.
The fact that Muscat has a problem because there are two deputy leaders and, worse still, both of them are clowns and crass with it, is irrelevant. This does not give him the right to donate the role of party deputy leader to his wife while the real deputy leaders hang around like key-rings.
I cannot, for the life of me, understand how those court-jesters Anglu Farrugia and Toni Abela stand for it. There they were, at this evening’s Labour Party press conference to launch their thousand badges, standing three steps behind Michelle Muscat as she addressed the press, their hands meekly folded and their heads bowed, like schoolboys who’d just been given a right old bollocking by il-Miss.
The same thing happened when the delegazzjoni tal-Partit Laburista paid their respects to the corpse of Guido de Marco as it lay in state. Again, the party leader used his leg as an excuse not to bother, and sent his wife instead.
That his wife should pay her respects is more than acceptable. That she should lead the official party delegation – leading the deputy leaders who should have been leading her – is typical Labour injoranza sfrenata
In their stupidity, they’re Malta’s latter-day version of the Chinese Red Guard, making up form and function as they go along. Once a peasant, always a peasant – but for God’s sake, get some advice.
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Last sentence says it all D. Unfortunately it’s falling on deaf peasants’ ears.
……and where the heck do Sceberras Trigona and Abela buy their suits?
Are you sure it is crass stupidity, or is it all part of his devious plans? As you said, he removed Jason Micallef when he felt threatened, and surrounded himself with those who he could trust and manipulate, going against the grain of the party strongmen. He is happy having his two weak deputies, because neither of them could threaten or challenge his position. And now he is pushing ‘dik’ into the limelight even though she has no vested authority to represent the PL – won’t be surprised to know that she is targetting the next election.
If she at least had some idea of public speaking, I could understand, but…
Illallu! I logged on to your blog to send you this link http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100831/local/exhibition-of-submissions-for-new-pl-emblem-inaugurated because I thought the same thing, and, sure enough, you had heard about it, too.
I know it may not be healthy…..but are you watching Saviour of Malta Today licking on Super One?
[Daphne – Ma, jaqq, il-vera peccluq. And oh, I almost forgot: do you remember how hysterical he became when I announced on this blog some months back that he is an expectant father? He actually denied it. Perhaps he forgot that pregnancy – erm – eventually becomes hugely visible and is hugely visible right now. ‘Miss, it wasn’t me.’]
Certainly yes and he did come across as being in perennial denial and confusion.
For example, yesterday at one point he said that there is no freedom of communication implying that he and his “paper” are gagged and towards the end of the interview with Eeyore (I mean I always wonder if that “journalist” is physiologically sad or is so because he works at One) he said, God forbid he should tell us what ministers and back-benchers tell him!
The question is, since he was on during prime time on the station with most viewers wasn’t that instant a golden opportunity to tell all and sundry what he knew and irrevocably nail Gonzi? So is he gagged or isn’t he? Or is he trading information?
Maybe they asked Marisa for advice?
Ohhh, how romantik miskin!
The Times’ comments board is sometimes like a virtual “Xarabank”.
Here are some of the comments found on this news link http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100831/local/exhibition-of-submissions-for-new-pl-emblem-inaugurated :
Carmen Borg(1 hour, 18 minutes ago)M’hemmx xi wahda bl-istilel tal-EU allijista jkun hu !!! Biex ifakkrunha kemm thabtu Joseph U Michelle biex Malta ssir membru tal-EU.
Mary Abela(1 hour, 14 minutes ago)Jien jista jaghmel 1000 arma gdida…il-bandiera li ghandi ser nibqa nxejjer ghax dik tfakkarna fil-passat glorjuz taghna…Jekk il-leader ma toghgbux ihares in-naha l-ohra !!
Bhal ma jien ikolli noqghod nara l-bandiera tal-Ewropa il-kwartieri !!!
Ahjar minflok dan il-purcinellati iggildilna ghal Kazin tas-Siggiewi !
R spiteri(2 hours, 4 minutes ago)m’hemmx arma li tinkludi l-iljuni tal-bidla? jew xi arma li tinkludi “partnership l-ahjar ghazla”? jew xi arma “futur ahjar, l-ewwel int”? jew xi arma “new labour” “stagun gdid” “bidu gdid”
I agree Joey is a peasant and will always be one. I do not think though that his behaviour is as crass as you make it out to be.
Deputy leaders are not a feature of socialist regimes. Typically they have a number of them purposely to dilute their power and importance. This discourages attempts at overthrowing the great leader. The deputy leaders are, very often, permanently at war with each other and jockeying for position which suits the big man fine.
No. Michelle is being groomed to be the premiere dame (read effective Deputy Leader) in the grand tradition of Mirjana Markovic and Elena Petrescu.
This is a very good assessment of the situation at present. However there is also another theory when applied to deputy leaders.
Certain deputy dogs are best retained inside your tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in. Perhaps this is the case with the ex-police officer and his history.
The two deputy leaders – Tweedledumb and tweedledumber.
Is she trying to imitate Evita Peron ……?
[Daphne – Le, hija: Hilary Clinton. Best not give Joseph a box of cigars for Christmas.]
I’d say Michelle Obama.
I wonder who the Lewinsky is going to be then!
Carla Bruni – ZATAT!!
Someone in Brussels?
What sticks out in the video on timesofmalta.com is the worried and bewildered looks on the faces of the visitors dragging themselves through the exhibition, while evidently ignoring Michelle audibly prattling away at the captive audience of visibly bored party officials.
A ‘once in a life time event’ Michelle called it, while no doubt the upstaged party officials silently responded “Amen and thank God for that”.
The Romans had their ‘bread and circuses’; the PL supporters have just the circuses, though this time round they are complete with clowns.
The ‘Great PL Logo Design Exhibition’ is yet another PL non-event following up on the ‘Great recovery of VAT on vehicle registration’, the inept ‘inwaqqaw il-gvern’ water and electricity bills saga, and the other pointless side-shows giving the impression of dynamic and constant action to their supporters who are evidently blessed with a very short retentive memory.
A competent party leadership would have engaged the services of a professional body well versed in branding and logo design. By taking what appeared to be an easy way out, i.e. ‘consulting’ its members and so rendering more facile the eventual brushing off of responsibility by the party leadership should the logo selection process blow up in their faces, the end result is that there is going to be just one happy person at the cost of irrevocably offending the other 95 who submitted designs – and the extended families and all local PL club groupies of the unsuccessful 95.
In other words one more typical PL cock-up on all fronts, in what looks to be an unending chain.
Once a twerp, always a twerp. Definition of a twerp–jerk, twit, idiot, nerd, ass, fool, nitwit, asshole, ignoranamous, bird brain, twonk, cretin, annoying dolt, chump, dork, loser, dimmwit, faggot, dope–seems to fit. Advice? Can’t spell it.
Michelle Obama …oh sorry.. I meant Michelle Muscat
I like the one at 00:57; the minimalist one. Any thoughts, people?
Norman Lowell picked that one, too
They don’t look like logos for a political party. In its zeal to be slick, hip and cool, the Labour Party has driven its artist-boffins to produce a line of what looks like letterheads for a major corporation. These designs look so made-up. Like something drawn up by a machine, not by sentient human beings, and especially not by a people with a political conscience.
Look at our own glorious UMP logo. Simple, yet rich in meaning. A white oak tree, steadfast, firmly rooted but always growing, on a blue and red background.
Even though I agree with your views I believe there are much more serious and important matters happening in the country right now which are worth writing about!
It’s a real shame that with such an obnoxious and void opposition party like this one, the PN keeps shooting itself in the foot.
The PN will probably never recover from the Sliema local council fiasco. Gonzi should realize that at one point he must confront the MP who is pulling all the strings in Sliema.
This may be a wild guess but could it be that they think they are appealing to modern women of the type Marisa was employed to attract?
[Daphne – If I’m a modern woman, then the answer is no.]
Oh I never said it was a good plan – how many good plans did Labour ever come up with?
Yeah right – any modern woman would spend an evening at an exhibition of the new PL’s emblem! Right after she leaves the nail technician after getting a full set of nails with flowers and fire designs on them…
Daphne……call it damage control….Anglu Farrugia and Toni Abela are the PN’s biggest assets!
Most probably there is an emblem incorporating the sun and a star in an environment “sostenibbli” judging by on how she went on and on about being a mother and thus having concerns for her oddly-monikered sprogs…
Her performance was cringeworthy and so delightful.
Ahh so I had understood correctly. It sounded so ridiculous that I thought I had misunderstood the commentator at Guido de Marco’s funeral when he said that the Labour Party was represented by Michelle Muscat.
I just cannot believe the bad manners and breach of all sort of political protocol! Yeah – Hilary Clinton – Evita Peron, what a comparison.
“The new party emblem will include a torch, a progressive symbol of light and intellect.”
You couldn’t write a script this funny if you tried.
In fact nowadays I associate a torch more with the adventures of Boiler No. 7 than anything else.
The new party emblem will include a torch to remind us of the arson at the Times of Malta building.
The torch is the typical Right Wing symbol.
Please refer to La Destra in Italy:
http://www.partitoladestra.com/
On second thoughts the torch is really a good choice. It usually generates more smoke than light.
At least she didn’t take their children (this time), so let’s thank the gods for small mercies.
Michelle Muscat’s speech must have been written by Joseph himself as it displays his two Bs: bombastic and bigheaded. She says, among other things, that the statute of the Pl was changed to reflect “Joseph’s vision” (with “and of many others” added as an afterthought). Apart from the fact that only vision Joseph has is that of becoming Emperor of Malta, the idea that the party exists to satisfy his ambition (a better word than vision) says a lot about the man.
@ Antoine Vella
If you allow me to correct you…. (all smiles) He doesn’t have a vision…Martin Luther King jr. had a vision….Joseph Muscat’s so called vision is in fact a fantasy….
Joseph may have thought, who else better than Michelle to (re)present PL’s ‘cosmetic’ options? The PL ‘experts’ in wigs and gels have been displaced to their backgrounds. Probably never gave ‘Marisa Who?’ a thought on this.
Oh, the magic of words and symbols.
At least Joseph’s predecessor could coin or invent a catchy word or phrase at the drop of a hat; but Joey is still drawing pictures, after dropping one word from the party name and switching from ‘colonial’ English to the more familiar (sometimes exclusive) Maltese.
As earth-shaking as these changes may be, I wonder what we should expect for an eventual government flying by the seat of its pants: also polling the public before introducing bills in parliament; electronic billboards to keep clear track of voting; perhaps, redecorating Castille.
Did anybody mention clear policies and political positions? Heaven forbid!
U ajma – kemm qedin sew.
Nothing to do with this post – your article in The Malta Independent about marriage and relationships is, in my view, excellent. My thoughts exactly!
Personally, I think she did quite well. Clear voice, good tempo and a decent amount of eye contact with her audience. Not bad at all, especially since she does not hold any official position in the party.
But that is the point really. She is not the deputy or the leader. So what was she doing there?
Was that some sort of attempt at reaching out to the public? Show Muscat’s human side by letting the public hear his wife’s voice? Fair enough, but not at such an event. It’s almost as bad as the crying.
If it isn’t bad enough that such an important aspect of a political party is turned into a competition for the public, the leader himself didn’t show his own face at the presentation of the submissions. It just goes to show how clueless he can be towards the things that actually matter.
I can see it now. Some young enthusiastic designer excitedly waiting for the showing of his work, eyes darting about the room looking for Dr Muscat who is going to open the event. He’s told all his friends about it and that Dr Muscat himself was going to open the event and that he was going to get to meet him.
Then Michelle stands up and gives a speech- not Dr Muscat. What a let down.
Dr Joseph Muscat may have a vision, but he clearly does not care about it. At least not enough to make an appearance at this event. Once again, a lovely demonstration of a total lack of leadership skills. Crazy!
“First he dispenses with the party’s secretary-general”
I never quite understood the function of that office within the Labour Party. Don’t they have a deputy leader in charge of party affairs? I always thought that their functions overlapped. What did they need a secretary-general for?
[Daphne – You mean: why did they need a deputy leader for party affairs, and NOT why did they need a secretary-general. Political parties have one leader, one deputy leader and one secretary-general. The Labour Party had this set up, then created a second deputy leadership position when two people fought over the single one available. This deputy leader was given the responsibility for party affairs. But the deputy leadership is not a role with specific responsibilities; it is what it says: the deputy leadership. In other words, when the leader is absent or unavailable, the deputy deputises for him. The Labour Party, and apparently you too, has confused the role of a deputy with that of an assistant. Then, when the party found itself constrained, rightly, to remove Jason Micallef and found that it couldn’t do so, it removed the entire role instead: throwing the baby out with the bathwater. And that’s why Labour doesn’t have a secretary-general and has two deputy leaders with specific roles like assistant leaders instead.]
I always found it mildly puzzling; now that you put the events in chronological order I see that my question was wrong. Thanks for clearing that up. My insomniac days are over.
Totally unrelated but I am sure you’ll like this link
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1308570/Coronation-Street-124-deaths-including-16-murders–86-marriages-52-barmaids–ey-oop-50-years-Corrie.html
However, Daphne, if you watch on Youtube the 1987 Eve of the Election Debate between Eddie Fenech Adami and Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, you’ll hear that the first say that the Labour manifesto included a very ambiguous promise on civil rights, which Fenech Adami understood as a reference to abortion.
Unfortunately, it seems that the last part of the debate (presumably in which Mifsud Bonnici replies to Fenech Adami) was not uploaded.
Still, already in 1987 Labour was very much on the left. So, was it really a right-wing party, as you claim and have almost convinced me?
Or did it move to the right under DAS (Doctoralfredsant)?
[Daphne – The Labour Party under Mifsud Bonnici was by that stage totalitarian. When a party is totalitarian, it is academic whether it is right or left, vide the ‘difference’ between Josef Stalin and Adolf Hitler. And incidentally, Karmenu MIfsud Bonnici would never have given his consent to an abortion clause.]
So what do you think was meant by that promise in the Labour 1987 manifesto, quoted by Fenech Adami, which spoke about “rights which exist in other, normal countries”?
[Daphne – Oh, divorce, obviously. Labour was in favour back then, when it wasn’t a right wing party but only a totalitarian one.]
Kemm ghad tridu taraw iktar wiccha fuq il-mezzi tax-xandir jekk J Muscat ikun Priministru. Lucky, lucky me that I live abroad.