Tweets of the Week: Mario Draghi, Article 16, EU Cancer Plan

Italy turns to former financier, Article 16 is not the answer and EU steps up plans to fight cancer.

 

This episode is supported by GSMA Europe representing the EU’s mobile industry. More about their report later on.

 

This week amid political turmoil, Italy’s president, Sergio Mattarella, turned to the one man he believes can save the country! Enter, Mario Draghi.

Draghi’s “Whatever it takes,” approach saved the euro from possible collapse, but can he marshall a new coalition government in Rome?

 

Mehreen Khan took the opportunity to share this classic clip as Twitter went crazy.

“Super Mario” was even memorialised in street art.

Michiel Van Hulten’s son is pleased that his dad is finally displaying an interest in Super Mario.

Alberto Alemanno had a more sombre take: A Draghi’s government might well save Italy, but it’s a tsunami for its political system as it limits, possibly suspends, the underlying democratic process.”

I was going to say “not another unelected technocrat”, but I guess Conte is an unelected technocrat, said Todd Cheek.

The European Commission is still reeling from its Article 16 blunder last week.

 

Commission blame game has cast a long shadow over its president, said Nikolaj Nielsen as the UK continued to up the rhetoric over U-turn on imposing restrictions on vaccines crossing the Northern Ireland border.

 

Those around President von der Leyen are on the defensive, reported Katya Adler. After dragging the Brexit Deal on Ireland into the fray, Von der Leyen spokesperson said “Only the Pope is infallible.”

Famously, the best way to calm tensions in Northern Ireland is by invoking the Pope, pointed out Tom Nuttall sarcastically.

Indeed, it was all such a fiasco that “Invoking Article16 was part of a tiktok challenge” suggested DG Meme.

Stewart Wood pointed out that however huge the mistake to threaten Article 16, it only lasted about 6 hours. The UK threat to repudiate international law, lasted over 3 months. 

 

EPP Group head Manfred Weber said “We don’t want a #vaccine war” but added that “An EU vaccine export ban is not unimaginable.”

Ben Stanley felt this tweet “treads a very swift path from “We don’t want a vaccine war” to threatening a vaccine war.”

This week we are supported by GSMA Europe. It’s latest report presents the mobile industry’s vision for 2021 and beyond with key policy recommendations for  telecom infrastructure, digital economy and society. Check it out online.

 

Beating cancer is certainly a great aim, but there was some skepticism this week on Twitter that the European Commission’s #EUCancerPlan with 4 key action areas, 10 flagship initiatives and €4 billion would succeed.

One possible learning from recent weeks could have been to become a tad more careful about overpromising in areas with limited Union competence. But sure, let’s beat cancer, said Lucas Guttenberg.

More videos please. They’re so good, begged Diego Velaquez snarkily.

What I like the most about Ursula Von der Leyen videos is that it’s always sunny at the Berlaymont, said Esther Herrera. It’s like a parallel world where there is sun, good spirit and good news, but we all know how Brussels actually is.

This one made me root for cancer, tweeted the Telegraph’s James Crisp.

 

Ouch! Too much James, too much.

 

Some more optimistic people including Pernille Weiss said in the midst of the war with Covid, we must not forget other diseases such as cancer.

Indeed.

 

Join me again next week for more deals, steals and feels in the Brussels Bubble Twittersphere!