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Tweets of the Week: Brexit assessment, EMA appeal, Monkeygate, and Brussels Binder

By Evan Lamos, Jennifer Baker, Malte Ketelsen and Tess Vrbin | EURACTIV.com

02-02-2018

This week, Britain is set to come up short, Italy appeals to EU court, Volkswagen just can’t seem to do what it ought, and Brussels Binders gets loads of support.

An internal government analysis leaked to the press said the UK will be economically worse off in every possible scenario after it leaves the EU next year.

Brexiteers have a choice between being eight, five or two per cent worse off over the next 15 years.

As the Liberal Democrats tweeted, tell us something we didn’t know!

David Allen Green noted that Brexiteers’ belief in economic forecasts has changed quite a bit.

Grant White said the Labour Party must consider if the ship really has sailed on EU membership.

Hugh Devlin, however, said the leaked document was scaremongering and needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

But Shebab Khan said future support of Brexit is “electoral suicide,” because “intentionally harming your economy is not a good look.” 

Speaking of Brexit, last Thursday Donald Trump told Piers Morgan in a so-called “hard hitting” interview, that he would have taken a tougher attitude toward Brexit negotiations.

Presumably it would have been “huge” or “unbelieveable” or “the best!”

Also related to Brexit: The European Medicines Agency headquarters will have to move out of London next year. The EU Court of Justice chose Amsterdam over Milan for its new home in a coin toss after a vote by member states ended in a tie.

That was in November. But this week Italy appealed the decision.

If choosing winners by drawing lots from a fishbowl can be considered a ‘decision,’ as Jonathan Busnelli pointed out.

Italy argues that the Amsterdam HQ won’t be finished in time, but Milan has a building ready for EMA now.

Italian Parliament member Lia Quartapelle asked Twitter to spot the difference.

But EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said the move to Amsterdam is a done deal.

Alessandro Margiotta called the commissioner’s response “very bureaucratic.”

And M’s World warned Italy and its prime minister that they look like bad losers.

Elsewhere, Volkswagen’s reputation took yet another hit thanks to yet another emissions scandal.

The EU says it’s ‘shocked’ by the German automaker running tests in which 10 monkeys were locked into airtight chambers and made to breathe diesel exhausts from a VW beetle.

At least they were watching cartoons.

“VW was making a concentrated lobbying effort in Brussels to try and win hearts and minds after Dieselgate. Fair to say that has gone down the tubes…” said James Crisp.

Selwyn Jones reported that only one Volkswagen lobbyist was suspended after ‘Monkeygate’.

But Victoria Hurth said PR wasn’t the point! So they just “sack the person who didn’t cover it up well enough?” 

Assaad Razzouk said once again, oil trumps lives.

Craig Reucassel thought VW’s latest scandal was one of those “hold my beer” moments.

And Berlaymonster wrote a fantasy headline: VW “shocked” at finding EU shuts journalists in an airtight chamber and fills room with noxious briefings.

Finally, hundreds of people showed up on Wednesday night to launch the Brussels Binder, a database of female experts that aims to give women a voice on panels and policy debates.

Maria Mundt said it is only through leading by example that Brussels can claim to be capital of Europe.

Hannelore Goeman said expertise abounds at the launch, airplay unfortunately much less.

And David Leavitt liked the name – yes it is reference to that time US Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney claimed he had “binders of women”.

That’s all for this week. Join me again next week for more of highs and lows, blunders and blows in the Brussels Bubble Twittersphere and send in your suggestions using the hashtag #EUTweets.

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