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Tweets of the Week: Commissioner Title Changes, Tusks Speech, Boris’ Mop

By Jennifer Baker, Malte Ketelsen and Marlene Stocker | EURACTIV.com

15-11-2019

VdL’s new titles are a bit of a flop, Tusk Brexit  speech is a major mic-drop, and Boris Johnson it appears can’t use a mop.

This week we are sponsored by European Sunlight Association, find out more about them at the end.

Although Ursula von der Leyen’s Commissioner list still isn’t complete – we’re looking at you Great Britain! – four of her future Commissioners were annointed with shiny new titles this week. 

Top of the bill: the controversial “Protecting our European Way of Life” became “Promoting the European Way of Life”

Which DG Meme says sounds more like a tourist brochure than a migration portfolio.

The general reception was lukewarm – at best. Big concessions here, commented Euractiv’s Sam Morgan sarcastically.

 

“Slow handclap to the author of this Commission press release which

  1. a) presents changes to commission portfolio names without context or explanation 
  2. b) is unreadable 
  3. c) gets the new portfolio names wrong, is immediately corrected”

tweeted Martini Seltzermayer

 

It’s amazing Margaritis Schinas spends 3 hours of his life defending his job title in front of 90 MEPs. They all take it very seriously. And now, it’s simply gone because of a few votes. Looks more erratic than geopolitical to me said Diego Velazquez.

But as MEP assistant added: Hearings are a blood sport

 

In the end said Andrew Gray tweeted, “protecting our European way of life,” not quite as important as protecting the future European Commission.

From incoming Eurocrats to an outgoing one.

On Wednesday evening departing Council President Donald Tusk, gave a speech looking back at two terms in office. His leitmotif? 

“It’s the unity, stupid.”

His blunt speech received some credit online, with David Herszenhorn giving him the title of “Donald the liberated lame duck”

Tusk himself admitted: I wouldn’t have dared to say this a few months ago, as I could be fired for being too frank.”

Before going on to compare Brexit to a game of football telling Remainers: “Don’t give up. We are already in extra time, but perhaps it will go to penalties.”

Though twitter user Ken Gray was quick to point out: 

“He’s obviously not seen England’s record in penalty shootouts over the years…”

 

Finally in more sombre news, Venice is suffering some of the worst floods in its history.

And the mayor has called on Italy to declare a State of Emergency.

Alexander Verbeek pointed out that this was predicted by climate scientists. 

Floodings in Venice are increasingly more frequent and more extreme. 

Although not everyone was downhearted:

This man decided swimming – shirtless – across St Mark’s Square was the appropriate response!

There were some equally hardy souls in Northern England which was also hit by flooding as the River Don burst its banks.

 

The European Commission announced that it had activated the Copernicus satellite imaging system to produce emergency maps of the flooded region.

An account called Bacardi Oakheart joked: “Not saying it’s raining hard in Sheffield but I’ve just seen Greta Thunberg go past my house in a yacht holding a sign reading: I TOLD YOU SO.”

 

Unfortunately for Boris Johnson when he eventually showed up to offer support, most of the focus was on his apparent inability to use a mop!

 

This week’s episode is supported by the European Sunlight Association. Find out  more about the potential health benefits of sunlight and sunbeds by following them online @eurosunlight

 

And that’s it for another week. Join me again next Friday for more battling and prattling in the Brussels Bubble Twittersphere.

 

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