I should have long rested my case, but of all people, Emanuel Cuschieri supports it. One hymn book for spokespeople of the PN and spokespeople of the PL, crafted by Great Leader HQ.

Apparatchik Number 3 – after Hermann Schiavone and Robert Musumeci – David Agius continues to develop the official PN interpretation of the impending disaster it will face when what has been expected for two years is officially recorded by the Electoral Commission. David Agius takes the prompt from Robert Musumeci: yesterday’s vote is not a [...]

After Apparatchik Number 1 in the Adrian Delia universe – Hermann Schiavone – was wheeled out on TVM to declare that the devastating performance of the PN he and everyone expects today should not reflect on the PN’s leader Adrian Delia, Apparatchik Number 2 is now reinforcing that message. It’s Robert Musumeci, Adrian Delia’s henchman [...]

From my article in The Sunday Times today: "Muscat and Delia are gripped in a state of mutually assured survival. Like Victor Frankenstein and his Creature, they despise each other and yet one can’t be who they are without the other. "Fear of the grotesque staying power of Muscat makes Delia’s job too unenviable for [...]

Herman Schiavone, officially an Independent MP under suspension from the Nationalist Party, in practice most loyal apparatchik in Adrian Delia's universe, was first on TVM this morning spelling out the -- altogether predictable -- brief of the PN following from the expected election results from yesterday's vote. The TVM interview came minutes after this post [...]

Read this The Guardian story about a Russian oligarch black-listed from entering the EU who managed to travel freely and repeatedly throughout Europe using a St Kitts and Nevis passport he allegedly purchased. The gentleman concerned, Andrei Pavlov, denies this, as he would. As does the Nevisian premier whose law firm received Pavlov’s inquiry for [...]

Money laundering is a bitch to prove. That's why law enforcement agencies have legal tools that allow them this crime that can be perpetrated on mobile phones and laptops. What's clearly maddening here is that months and years after we realise someone has probably been up to no good, the authorities look like they won't [...]

More reasons to look at that photo again. The guy who first posted it, in what was have been a moment of braggadocious impunity, is living the best of times. He had a lot to expect from 2019 that gave him reasons to raise a glass or two last Christmas. He is CEO of the [...]

Posted on Facebook's Is-Salott this morning.

Joseph Muscat’s henchmen are getting ready for a battle in Strasbourg over the findings of an inquiry required by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in the aftermath of the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia. The battle has been ongoing for some time and since Strasbourg is not foremost on people’s mind people [...]

This feature on German TV ZDF covered this month's vigil marking 19 months since the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta. It is part of a series covering "Europe's borders" ahead of this weekend's EP elections. The feature is obviously in German but if you don't speak the language it's still worth taking a [...]

(Political) Realism often revolves around power and security, not only in respects of international relations but up to an extent also in domestic environs. Realism, expounded up by Thucydides, Machiavelli and later Hobbes and Rousseau, is a general theory on how politics usually work. Focussing on a domestic enclave it theorises on human behaviour that [...]

Every Maltese election is defined, at least in part, by fear. Fear that the wrong party will gain a majority, and with that majority and increased power will come repression and punishment, for daring to resist and for daring to be different. In this climate of fear, we often end up voting not for the [...]

Rule of law: the #ECJ will deliver its judgment relating to the lowering of the retirement age for Supreme Court judges in #Poland on the 24th of June (C-619/18) — EU Court of Justice (@EUCourtPress) May 23, 2019 A month from today the European Court of Justice will decide on the important case the European [...]

Joe Sammut gets you a Fiat Panda. But if you're ambitions are more contained, Owen Bonnici will get you baked beans. Make sure you dress up for that one as well.

Justin-Borg Barthet is a Senior Lecturer in European Law at Aberdeen University. He published today this blog post on specialist Constitutional Law web-site "Verfassungsblog" (Verfassungs is German for 'constitutional') commenting on yesterday's Court decision to continue to hear Repubblika's arguments claiming Malta's method of judicial appointments is in breach of EU law. On the question [...]

Look at this post by Norman Vella. It explains how for 6 years he’s been in court waiting for the government that he has sued to produce one witness or one shred of evidence why in their view he was lawfully dismissed. Six years, and today he got told the case won’t continue before October. [...]

What does Joe Sammut think about climate change, sustainable economy, social inclusion, infrastructural priorities, the two state solution for Israel and Palestine? Who cares? He got me a car! They look mighty pleased.

Candidates often find flattering the furious attention from the opposite side of politics. At least they say they're flattered. Cyrus Engerer might say that I think even the hardest core, mindless zombie Labourite should not vote for him because I somehow think he's some form of political inconvenience. When of course the reason I think [...]

Joseph Muscat was delivering a party speech this evening. I watched a man of power lie through his teeth like a child with his face smeared in chocolate. It’s not the first time. But it’s sad and mad and bad every time. Entirely bereft of token blacks on the benches that surround him now that [...]