Galliano, zu Guttenberg: New Take On EU Job Losses …

• March 2nd, 2011
• Posted by 7thmin

Embarrassment over two sackings: a fashion designer John Galliano (see designs – images) dismissed by his company in France, for something he is said to have said; and a senior German politician, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (picture), accused of not saying, on his own account, something he said that he said, in his doctorate.

OH DIOR! BAR-ROOM STOUSH HIGHLIGHTS FASHION WEEK

The Dior company has moved to dismiss its lead designer, John Galliano (1.3.11), saying he was involved in “odious behaviour” in  a late night scene at a Paris bar last week (25.2.11).

Police were called to the place as hand-held cameras blinked, and the British fashion star, 50, angrily addressed a Jewish woman and an Asian man with her.

He is alleged to have made anti-semitic utterances, saying he favoured Hitler.

He is reported to be preparing to contest the dismissal; and both  designer and company were keeping mum for the moment, over whether they would be unveiling his work, at Fashion Week events – this week – in Paris.

“CUT AND PASTE” BARON OUT AS GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, has resigned as Germany’s Defence Minister after being stripped of his doctorate by Bayreuth University, on a charge of plagiarisation in his doctoral thesis.

Zu Guttenberg, 39, a Baron married to a Countess television  presenter, with a castle in Bavaria, was a handsome rising star of the rightist CSU party, in the governing coalition.

For the last fortnight he battled the accusations, saying his lifting of content in the thesis was inadvertent, due to being  preoccupied with a career and family life as well.

The incident put a fresh focus on principles: what probity standards have to be observed by high elected officials, particularly in  a portfolio like defence where the safety and security of all citizens is at issue?

Likewise, if it was an issue of competence, not to say arrogance, in the neglect or mismanagement of a higher research undertaking.

The German government is not well placed to carry the ridicule being heaped on the former Minister over his alleged cutting-and-pasting; getting dubbed this week  as “Baron zu Googleberg”.

With a still-sluggish economic recovery the government has been facing into an adverse phase in the political cycle, doing badly in recent State elections, resulting in a weakening of its numbers in the upper house of federal parliament.
Further losses may follow in three state lepolls sthis month.

Reference

BBC News, London, “Dior needs ‘big name’ replacement for John Galliano”, 2.3.11.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12613544, (2.3.11).

Christina Passariello, “Dior Starts Dismissal of Galliano”, The Guardian, Manchester, 1.3.11. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/mar/01/john-galliano-christian-dior-next, (2.3.11).

Erik Kirschbaum, Reuters, London, “German defense minister quits in plagiarism row”, 1.3.11. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/01/us-germany-guttenberg-idUSTRE7201WI20110301, (2.3.11).

Helen Pidd, “German defence minister resigns in PhD plagiarism row”, The Guardian, Manchester, 1.3.11. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/01/german-defence-minister-resigns-plagiarism, (2.3.11).

Pictures

zu Guttenberg, Wikipedia; designs by Galliano – retrospective: glenek, eternalcapriccio, vam.ac.uk

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