I HAD A DREAM – a very bad dream – a nightmare!

There is nothing worse than having a good night’s sleep rudely disturbed by a terrible dream that leaves you shivering in a cold sweat of anxiety and renders it difficult to return to one’s slumber. In fact a nightmare of consequences beyond one’s wildest imagination.

I had such an experience last night. Now I must explain that frequently my dreams are often an extension of the stuff that drifts through my mind during the day, a whole pot pourri of minestrone of facts, figures, curiosities and outstanding events that shock me into taking a greater interest.

The news item that left me totally speechless, numb even, was the news item that German MEP Manfred Weber announced he intends to lead the PEP into next’s year’s Euro Parliament elections on the hope that he will then succeed Jean-Claude Juncker as EU Commissioner as Juncker is presumably on the point of retirement.

Now if there is an organisation that is nothing more than shambolic, a total mess where countries grab what they can, try to undermine other countries but then make pleasant cooing sounds about cooperation, understanding, agreeing etc – mainly all lies and rubbish – it is the European Union.

A couple of days before Weber’s announcement I had recalled a poignant moment from my archives when in March of 2017, this Weber had boldly announced that Simon Busuttil should be Malta’s next Prime Minister.

Now that is good sane judgement for you! It is tantamount to announcing that your local garbage collector should be next in line to be awarded the Albert Einstein Prize for Academic Brilliance.

Still, in Busuttil’s case there was some veracity to it but in the opposite manner because from aspiring to become Prime Minister he fell into the garbage can of history!

And last night, by Jingo, this is what I dreamt about!

I dreamt that Manfred Weber was pronounced the new EU Commissioner to replace Juncker and as his Deputy Commissioner he had selected none other than David Casa on the strength that Casa’s EU experience is restricted to harming and damaging his own country and therefore he is equipped with very limited brain power and this will serve as a good asset in that he will do exactly as he is told and because his only actions will be limited to continuing to damage his own country and his own people.

Another asset is Casa’s ability to keep Maria Efimova away from Malta and thus avoid the possibility of her actually being in Malta and spilling beans about the whole Egrant affair. Such skill is much admired in the EU because it prevents the truth emerging.

Sadly, the endless dream went on. Simon Busuttil had been appointed as the President of the Council of Europe on the strength of his having been previously appointed as a “European expert” and therefore a European know-all. In addition, having spent years in Brussels wining and dining he is very familiar with the way that Brussels works and the importance of ensuring gastronomic entertainment 24/7.

Even worse was to come. Ana Gomes was appointed Deputy President of the EU Parliament, to work hand-in-hand with Antonio Tajani. Gomes has proved her worth in organising Malta holidays for MEPs by inventing ongoing various ploys so that truck-loads of MEPs visit Malta to “investigate” justice, the Rule of Law, the time the sun rises, the time the sun sets, whether Malta intends to send a man to the Moon etc.

She is seen as the ideal person to keep the entertainment side of the EU Parliament in full swing.

As if all this was not shattering enough, Jason Azzopardi was appointed as Commissioner for EU Lands Transactions and Tonio Fenech was brought out of retirement to become Commissioner for EU Funds!

At this point, thankfully, I awoke with a start, trembling and bathed in cold sweat.

Any further sleep was out of the question and I had to get out of bed, make a cup of tea and inhale strongly on a couple of cigarettes.

ALBERT JEROME FENECH