Happy holiday Friday! It’s no rest for the wicked as this week we’re playing Top Trump Tweets!
Thousands of people took to the streets to express their opinion about The Donald… and lit up social media with the hashtag: Trump not welcome.
Protesters of all shapes and sizes arriving in Brussels for #TrumpNotWelcome demo pic.twitter.com/7QUyoIt5Jr
— Piers Scholfield (@inglesi) May 24, 2017
"Hey hey, ho ho, Donald #Trump has got to go!" Tens of thousands welcoming @realDonaldTrump in #Brussels. #TrumpNotWelcome #trumpbrussels pic.twitter.com/JQWpuwtOxM
— ??Martin Mycielski (@mycielski) May 24, 2017
Trump lookalikes, however, seemed to do OK.
.@realDonaldTrump is in Belgium, amid rumours he's been chased by trumpeters at the European Parliament?! #TrumpetHealth #TrumpNotWelcome pic.twitter.com/jtVQ4EUVXb
— DSW – International (@dsw_intl) May 25, 2017
The other Donald, President of the European Council Donald Tusk, told Trump he should put principles and values ahead of interests, in what appeared to be a tense meeting.
My message to @POTUS: Values, principles first! Greatest task today is to consolidate free world around Western values, not just interests pic.twitter.com/qLZtfNv1Ge
— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) May 25, 2017
And let’s not forget Tusk tweeted last year that one Donald was more than enough!
My wife's latest comment: one Donald is more than enough!
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) November 5, 2016
And, of course, Craig Winneker and others hadn’t forgotten that Trump famously described Brussels as a hellhole!
Brussels, @realDonaldTrump is in you right now.
Here's how to welcome him to the 'hellhole' https://t.co/cPHR2EwrLV
— Craig Winneker (@CraigWinneker) May 24, 2017
New French President Emmanuel Macron was also in town and got to grips with the POTUS, with a vice-like handshake.
Trump meets his handshake match in Macron https://t.co/Ys3S4wChX1 pic.twitter.com/OApBZEWB5X
— Bloomberg (@business) May 25, 2017
But Danny Kemp revealed what we were all wondering: Would Juncker lean in for a kiss? Spoiler alert! He didn’t.
Breaking – EU's Trump arrives at EU HQ, welcomed by Tusk. Waiting to see if Juncker goes for kiss
— Danny Kemp (@dannyctkemp) May 25, 2017
The European Business Summit also generated interest in the Bubble last week.
Nick Chrysoloras reported that German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble is getting fed up with discussing Greece.
`I'm a little bit tired of discussing about Greece, after two days,'' Schaeuble says at #EBS2017
— Nikos Chrysoloras (@nchrysoloras) May 23, 2017
Dervla Gleeson spotted this sign and drew the comedy conclusion that Europe is no longer imploding!
Good news at #EBS2017: Europe no longer imploding! 🙂 pic.twitter.com/ogVHmRyocC
— Dervla (@Dervla_Gleeson) May 23, 2017
But many people, including Ryan Heath – doyenne of the EU Twitterati – reported that there was a “serious gender problem” at the “Mansplaining” conference. Better luck next year EBS!
1. The European Business Summit had some good #EU discussions and a serious gender problem. Here's the numbers … #ebs2017
— Ryan Heath (@PoliticoRyan) May 23, 2017
And finally, the rest of the world stood with #Manchester following the horrific attack on a pop concert that left dozens dead or injured.
Messages of condolence from EU and world leaders flooded social media and flags across Brussels were flown at half-mast.
At the request of @JunckerEU, flags at half-mast in @EU_Commission in solidarity with the British people #Manchester pic.twitter.com/AJrlgsZVKy
— Margaritis Schinas (@MargSchinas) May 23, 2017
The flag over #CanadaHouse has been lowered to half mast out of respect to those killed or injured in #Manchester. Canada stands with UK. pic.twitter.com/fwr1YPmIzG
— CanadianUK (@CanadianUK) May 23, 2017
NATO Secretary General condemns #Manchester attack, all flags at HQ at half-mast https://t.co/w2i85ilGzD pic.twitter.com/R6FOVJu4Nf
— NATO (@NATO) May 23, 2017
And for once Brexit didn’t seem to matter quite as much as chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier also expressed his solidarity.
This week’s round-up is supported by EURELECTRIC. Join them in Estoril on 19-20 of June for their annual summit.
Curious about the future of customers in a digital & electrified society? Join us 19-20 June in Estoril https://t.co/WiQrMXxNdw
— EURELECTRIC (@EURELECTRIC) May 24, 2017
And join me again next week for more snarks and larks using the hashtag #EUtweets!