From Ms L. Vassallo

I refer to a letter by Joe Azzopardi published on 8 December, as well as to an article by Dr Austin Sammut in The Times of Malta. These mentioned my participation in a discussion programme on Net TV that spoke about Alfred Sant’s knowledge of the French language as an effective means of achieving support within the European Union.

I will not talk about Mr Azzopardi’s sheepish comments. However, I feel motivated to talk about Dr Sammut’s comments after the interview carried out with the British High Commissioner in the Maltese language on last Friday’s Xarabank.

In a vain attempt to belittle the Leader of the Opposition’s natural advantage because he can speak perfect French, Dr Sammut said: “As for French, surely it is useful, but not necessary, since there are many languages and full interpretation facilities.”

I beg your pardon, Dr Sammut, and invite you to reiterate what you said to the British High Commissioner.

According to Dr Sammut’s reasoning, the Maltese would be just as grateful had Nick Archer got an interpreter or audio translator with him and replied in English. In fact, he could have even replied in English, considering that practically everybody understands English here!

I guess that through Nick Archer’s performance, however, we had the opportunity to experience how respected one feels when one hears foreigners speaking in one’s own language.

I cannot but compliment the highly respected High Commissioner. His extensive knowledge of our language shows that he is indeed an intelligent man. More so... only through this... his diplomatic success here is guaranteed. Apart from the good impression he instantly gives, he is capable of understanding everyone and everything at all times, whatever the circumstances. In the same way, apart from the good impression a Sant would have on top EU politicians, no French speaking political expert could get away from Sant’s understanding in situations where the more you understand the better.

Dr Sammut should be rather more sincere and say that some of the blue-eyed boys sent to Brussels went through whole sessions of the EP in French before they actually learnt they could use a translator stuck to their seat. Neither should he ignore the fact that one of the translators sent by the Maltese government was using her electronic translator so much that she wrote down “igsma tal-pariri” as the Maltese version for “advisory bodies”! A Sant wouldn’t have committed any of these linguistic fiascos.

Lorna Vassallo