Welcome to Euractiv’s EU Tweets of the Week.
VDL and The Rock will share a stage, Rutte and Macron are on the same page, and Berlaymont banner bags are now all the rage.
We truly do live in strange times.
This Saturday, a unique evening’s entertainment will be organised by the European Commission and Global Citizen, and hosted by Dwayne The Rock Johnson and Commision President Ursula Von der Leyen.
This Saturday, tune in for this unique event organised by the @EU_Commission & @GlblCtzn, hosted by @TheRock & President @vonderleyen, among others.
Check out the exciting line-up below!
🤩 https://t.co/M1MGf1L5Iq pic.twitter.com/JcEw004we7— Raphael-Antonis Stylianou (@Stylianou_EU) June 22, 2020
Lucie McAnea described VDL and the Rock as “the duo I didn’t know I needed,” but she’s still not convinced 2020 isn’t a fever dream!
Whilst @vonderleyen and @TheRock are the duo I didn’t know I needed, I’m still not convinced 2020 isn’t a fever dream https://t.co/HJHHtnGQVJ
— Lucie (@luciemcanea) June 22, 2020
DG Meme thinks this #FaceApp filter is insane!
This #FaceApp filter is insane!@TheRock and @vonderleyen will force us to work in the weekend too. https://t.co/v9EfDHxeSN pic.twitter.com/LtJUVqaRxP
— DG MEME 🇪🇺 (@meme_ec) June 23, 2020
But Richard Gowan absolutely nailed it: “If @TheRock does not kick off this event by asking “Can EU smell what the Rock is cooking?” humanity has failed.
If @TheRock does not kick off this event by asking "Can EU smell what the Rock is cooking?" humanity has failed. https://t.co/Sk7h5hnywB
— Richard Gowan (@RichardGowan1) June 22, 2020
Mr Johnson, you have been warned.
Mehreen Khan is more interested in the synergy between VDL and Justin Bieber!
Bieber and Von der Leyen – my world's collide pic.twitter.com/R1KRrbbu9Q
— mehreenkhn (@MehreenKhn) June 22, 2020
Now we know why his house looks like the European Parliament, said Diego Velazquez.
Now we know why his house looks like the European Parliament. https://t.co/YHqT3TzoQ0
— diego velazquez (@diego_bxl) June 22, 2020
Wait! His house looks like the European Parliament!?
Google it.
We did.
Another pairing sparking much discussion this week was French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch PM Mark Rutte as they met for a tête-à-tête over dinner.
Heureux d’avoir reçu @EmmanuelMacron à La Haye pour un tête-à-tête et un dîner de travail. Nous avons parlé notamment du plan de relance en réaction au COVID-19 proposé par la @EU_Commission et du budget pluriannuel de l’Union européenne. pic.twitter.com/PoaCfiFfa5
— Mark Rutte (@MinPres) June 23, 2020
Sadly they were not able to “cuddle”, reported the Dutch media.
#persconferentie Rutte: ‘ natuurlijk baal ik van die 1,5mtr maatregel … Gisteren kwam Macron op bezoek, normaal liggen we gelijk te knuffelen..’ pic.twitter.com/nICv4fC1JH
— Hans van der Burg (@HansvanderBurg) June 24, 2020
Get a room, guys…
Get a room, guys… https://t.co/yZxi4J143l
— DG MEME 🇪🇺 (@meme_ec) June 24, 2020
Aleksandar Brezar urged people to name the duo. Wrong answers only.
Name this duo. Wrong answers only. pic.twitter.com/dPUEV5lFjA
— Aleksandar Brezar (@brezaleksandar) June 23, 2020
And a surprising number of people suggested Bert and Ernie, but also
Stadler and Waldorf
— Maarten vd Elshout (@MaartenvandenE) June 24, 2020
Beavis and Butthead
— Mimika (@MDobroshi) June 24, 2020
And Cheech and Chong
Cheech & Chong pic.twitter.com/t4xfFIyJt4
— R.Malteser (@RMalteser) June 24, 2020
Can’t see it myself!
The pair discussed a EU coronavirus recovery fund and Macron said talks were “advancing”.
French President Emmanuel Macron said talks on a EU coronavirus recovery fund were “advancing” as he met Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, a key holdout against the plan.https://t.co/7XjsDTNY76
— EURACTIV Economy (@eaEconomy) June 24, 2020
Finally this week: Unexpected item in the bagging area!
A tweet from American EU Dude sparked a fashion frenzy in the bubble, when he revealed what happens to the Berlaymont banners after they are taken down.
The old ones are getting chopped up and upcycled into bags.
Looks like he got part of the R in #TeamJuncker? #TotesAdorb – A dude can dream.
You’ll never look at a Berlaymont banner the same way again.
The old ones are getting chopped up — sorry, upcycled — into these bags. I just got one and it is #TotesAdorb
Looks like I got part of the R in #TeamJuncker? A dude can dream#EUStrivesForMore pic.twitter.com/wzvkL2rAuC
— American EU Dude (@AmericanEUDude) June 22, 2020
Sam Morgan got quite excited about the “bag for life’s” circular economy synergies.
Bag for life pic.twitter.com/dIcQW0qG8x
— Sam Morgan (@SamJamesMorgan) June 23, 2020
MEP Assistant is prepared to fork out cold hard cash
https://t.co/Zkz5ne84Jv pic.twitter.com/04XM3nRug5
— mepassistant (@mepassistants) June 22, 2020
And Neil Munro thought it would be the perfect gift for a Brexiteer – but only tell them what its history is after they’ve been carrying it around proudly for a year!
Perfect Christmas present for a Brexiteer (but only tell them what its history is after they’ve been carrying it around proudly for a year)
— Neil Munro 🇪🇺🇫🇷🇬🇧 (@neilmunro49) June 22, 2020
That’s it for this week’s silliness, join me again next Friday for more bagging, bragging and tongue wagging in the Brussels bubble twittersphere.