Tweets of the Week: Babiš, Kurz, Plain Language Day

Babiš in trouble for buying a chateau, Austrian PM Kurz gets the heave-ho, Hahn hashtag use is a no-go

I know this is called Tweets of the “Week” but I think we can stretch the “week” part a bit with so much happening on the weekend. 

So, let’s start in the country that – fun fact – has the most castles and chateaux in Europe. And a prime minister that still decided to buy one in France. 

Which might have cost Andrej Babis his job, as he narrowly lost the election.

Ilya Lozovsky called it “Another strike against cynicism.” after 8% of the population had switched their vote as a result of the #PandoraPapers story about his chateau. 

And Green MEP Daniel Freund couldn’t resist gloating: 

Looks like Czech voters managed to resolve Babis’ conflict of interests after all.

This Czech legislative election has everything. The Pandora Papers implicating our PM, the president in the hospital, a coalition beating out the favored incumbents. Babiš accepting defeat like Trump accepted defeat, said Ana Motronic.

And the very reliable news source Le Chou reported that Defeated Czech PM @AndrejBabis Has Locked Himself In His Office And Refuses To Come Out And Concede

But that’s not all. 

 

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz resigned over the weekend after prosecutors had launched a corruption inquiry after chats surfaced as a result of the Ibiza scandal investigation.  

 

Phillip Grüll said the situation in Austria shows the democratic importance of chats & balances. 

Nice.

 

Babis losing Czech elections, Kurz resigning as Austrian chancellor all in one hour. Anything else in store for today, Central Europe? Asked Viktória Serdült. 

And Gerardo Fortuna, always the philosopher said: 

One day it’s all about Polexit and building anti-migrant walls in Europe. The very next day the European Council loses both Babiš and Kurz in one go.

Interesting times we live in.

MEP Assistants added:

F in chat for the EPP. #Kurz

But it’s not just the EPP losing it’s leaders, as the Visegrad look thinly spread. 

At the end it’s revealed that Viktor Orban is actually Keyser Söze, quipped Daniel Tilles. 

Moving on to another Austrian, Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn reminded us all of some basic clear writing tips on the occasion of #internat. #PlainLanguageDay! 

I’d read the list but it would take too many takes to get through it with a straight face. 

 

This tweet might break the #Internat joked Craig Winneker. 

But yes, having a Commissioner say to avoid abbreviations and not use jargon tempted more than one account to ask: 

Is this a parody account? 

Gareth Harding called them “great tips. But frankly, getting advice on clear writing from the Commission is like getting advice on vegan cooking from a butcher.

But, as Sean Carroll pointed, it comes but once a year! And it seems it’s over in Brussels before you know it…

And for the rest of the year? Well, Joop Hazenberg can’t wait for the Impact Assessment and the Interservice Consultation of the Plain Language Directive.