Tweets of the Week: Daft Punk, EUCO, Barnier Farewell

Music masterminds duo is ended, Europe’s vaccine policy needs to be mended and Farewell Mr Barnier, you were totally splendid.

This week we are supported by Ceemet, the European employers’ organisation representing metal, engineering and technology-based industries. More about them later on.

Is there anything that falls into the category of “technically French but really, in essence, German” as much as Daft Punk? Asked Ishaan Tharoor.

To which Dimitar Bechev retorted: The European Union

Fair point Dimitar.

Lewis Crofts was reeling that there was been no EU Commission press release on the break-up of Daft Punk.

But Craig Winneker reckoned the spokesperson’s service was planning a Daft Punk tribute at the Midday Briefing

Cue Le Chou: Daft Punk Quit Music Biz, Hired As Commission Spokesbots

Well they are a bit more human, after all, snarked American EU Dude

Asked about the flailing vaccine rollout strategy, the spokesperson vowed to try harder, better, faster, stronger quipped Martini Seltzermayr.

And speaking of…

A year ago, EU leaders met for the first time to negotiate the budget and only around 100 COVID19 cases had been confirmed in Europe. Countries were fighting over a few million euros. Five months and thousands of cases later, they ended up topping it up with a €750bn recovery fund.

Ahead of this week’s Council Belgian PM Alexander de Croo delivered a letter to  Council President, Charles Michel, with the clear message that vaccine production in the EU needs to get boosted. With no time to waste.

The letter signals the growing risk of COVID19 becoming endemic & how to bolster our defence mechanism. EU officials say it will be “key” our ability to adapt to the mutations of the virus. That’s why EU leaders are holding videoconferences every month.

C’mon Europe, shift yer arse, said a frustrated Bruno Waterfield.

Same message, fewer words!

 

We’re still on track for a scenario where German media pundits absolutely lose it because Romania, Poland and Lithuania wrap up their vaccination programmes before Germany does, mused Alexander Clarkson.

I am running out of words to describe what is happening. There are three groups of countries. Those wealthy enough to vaccinate citizens, those who cannot afford it – and the European Union – said Bruno Macaes

This week we are supported by Ceemet, the European employers’ organisation representing metal, engineering and technology-based industries. Read more about  minimum wages and collective bargaining systems online. 

Finally this week…just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water … Brexit!

 

Or more correctly Michel Barnier who seemed pleased to be at his very last COREPER meeting on #Brexit and EU-UK relations.

Barnier will leave his Brexit job at the end of the month.

And will leave a hole in the heart of BBC correspondent Adam Fleming that will be hard to fill.

My favourite Brexit Coreper was when we waited outside for 7 hours while the cabinet deliberated in London, then his team had to leave with loads of cardboard boxes and pretend they weren’t filled with copies of the Withdrawal Agreement, he reminisced.

Ewan Macphee preferred that time Barnier went out looking for a level playing field.

 

“You bow to no one Mr Barnier,” said MEP Assistant.

Indeed!