“Arrogance on the part of the meritorious is even more offensive than the arrogance of those without merit: for merit itself is offensive.”

Friedrich Nietzsche

“You have three-quarters-of-an-hour, because at five o’clock I will issue a press release. You have either to resign or I shall dismiss you.”

My goodness, could anyone be more arrogant? And this coming from the mouth of the one and only, the unelected, private-jet loving, Portuguese eurocrat, now top boss of the European Union, already eyeing a third term in his office. It seems that he does not see himself as arrogant but actually as really, really great – the undisputed and indispensable leader of the gang.

The way Dalli was treated by the President is shocking. This was the most odious, shameful and undemocratic way that EU Commission President Jose Barroso chose to force Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner John Dalli to resign his post.

If this is the kind of utmost arrogant abuse that we all, especially we Maltese, will be tolerating and accepting, then it’s no surprise that we will be regarded as the submissive and obedient flock of EU tyranny!

And who is this Barroso? He forces Dalli to resign and then promptly approves the appointment of his replacement, Tonio Borg, with hardly enough time to confirm his credentials. Here, it is such a refreshing change to counteract all your barefaced and boastful declarations by just one angry statement addressed to you – Barroso, Von Rompuy and all the other eurocrats – by British MEP Nigel Farage: “Who the hell do you think you are? You are very, very dangerous people indeed!” And he continued to aptly warn: “If you rob people of their identity, you rob them of their democracy, then all they are left with is nationalism and violence.” This is probably the only sane assessment coming out of this place!

So Mr Barroso sends over to Malta director-general of OLAF, the EU’s anti-fraud office, Giovanni Kessler and Commission spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen to face the music and give a press briefing of this farce from which nothing tangible could be learnt, except that Mr Kessler made us laugh. What a tangled web and a pitiful state of affairs!

Without going into the merits of the case, and from what has been divulged, it is evident that Mr. Dalli did not resign of his own free will but that he was forced out. Hence the relevance of the question: “Did he fall or was he pushed?” Was he the sacrificial lamb? Only time will tell!

I was even more disgusted by the local media for taking up the issue from a most sensational point of view. The only immediate question that they, in their poor and pitiful outlook, could find had nothing to do with the seriousness of the case. “Who is the Maltese entrepreneur?”, they all enquired. Are we not really small? It’s true that you can hardly find us on the world map, but don’t you think we pretend to think big? It was even more pitiful to note that hardly a voice in proud Malta – by political party, Church authorities or any serious NGO – was raised in protest at this undignified, unjust and high-handed treatment. Being Maltese is not enough reason to feel proud – but I hate to be trampled upon because I’m small!

The chairman of the Supervisory Committee of OLAF, Christiaan Timmermans, has resigned. In the light of his resignation, the EPP Group Coordinator on the Budgetary Control Committee of the European Parliament, Inge Grable MEP, has demanded full transparency on the reason for the resignation of Mr Timmermans, in the wake of the resignation of European Commissioner John Dalli.

“The OLAF Supervisory Committee has to disclose the real reason for the resignation of its chairman in the immediate aftermath of the resignation of Commissioner Dalli” said Mrs Grable. All honest and bona-fide members of the European Parliament are demanding more transparent and responsible information from Barroso.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that the Committee for Verification of the OLAF report on Mr Dalli includes Rita Schembri, director-general of the Internal Audit and Investigation Department at the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta. Now Ms Schembri has withdrawn from her role on the OLAF Supervisory Committee. Very surprising, isn’t it?

Could it be that the pawns of President Barroso are falling?

Even European Parliament president Martin Schultz has withdrawn from the whole matter. He refused to comment when asked if he agreed with the way Mr Dalli was forced to resign. “The matter is between President Barroso and Mr Dalli”, he said. He should have continued and advised that you never really learn much from hearing only yourself speak.

“I myself have expressed serious concerns about the sudden departure of Health Commissioner Dalli from his position,” said Nessa Childers, the Irish Socialist MEP who spearheaded the letter calling for the release of the new tobacco legislation. Well, we’ll have to wait and see! However, isn’t this a clear indication that even MEPs have been kept in the dark about Barroso’s dealings?

The seriousness, integrity and backbone of all MEPs will only be revealed if they desist from approving any other Maltese Commissioner presented to them before all the cards relating to the ousting of John Dalli are on the table and they are fully satisfied that there were no ulterior motives in this sordid affair. Otherwise, rescinding this rightful option, they would be confirming their indirect involvement in this arrogant ballgame with Barroso as the sole referee.

And why all this hurry?

Christian Timmermans was chairman of the OLAF Supervisory Committee until he resigned on 22 October, when Johan Denolf was, promptly and hastily, elected the new chairman.

On the other hand, Maltese Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was very quick to accept these accusations at face value and take immediate action to appoint a replacement (a very doubtful contender) for Mr. Dalli. Doesn’t this case of jumping the gun sound fishy? Would not PM Gonzi, as well as Barroso, have to resign if Dalli is found to be innocent?

And now to put the cherry on the cake! The Maltese opposition MEPs, supposedly socialists, have confirmed their support for Dalli’s substitute, Tonio Borg, as alternative Commissioner. Could it be that they know much more than we do and have already delivered their judgement? Who knows?  

And finally again to Mr Barroso. In all probability, if I had acted in the same way as you are charging Mr Dalli with behaving, and proceeded to try to gain financially by telling one and all that I am an intimate friend of Mr Barroso (which you darn well know I’m not), I would not have made a lousy cent!

But take heart: Rome did not rule the world forever!

“Arrogance is a creature. It does not have senses. It has only a sharp tongue and the pointing finger.”

Toba Beta

Joseph M. Cachia

VITTORIOSA