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Tweets of the Week: Brexiteer hell, EU Industry days, and Siemens Alstom merger

By Amanda Lee, Jennifer Baker and Malte Ketelsen | EURACTIV.com

08-02-2019

Tusk says Brexiteers are in for a world of pain, it’s EU Industry Days again and Margrethe Vestager is not on the train. This week we are supported by EUROBAT.

This week’s Brexit nonsense is brought to you by, surprisingly not Theresa May in yet another embarrassing debacle, but by European Council President Donald Tusk. In THE tweet of the week he said, “I’ve been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted Brexit, without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely.”

Cue Brussels Bubble and Westminster meltdown. “Will it be inside or outside the infernal market?”, asked Cliff Taylor.

Guy Verhofstadt doubts even Lucifer would welcome them, as they’d probably manage to divide hell.

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warned Tusk the British press would give him “terrible trouble” for that.

He wasn’t wrong. But Trumpton account reckons British newspapers complaining about ‘incendiary language’ is pretty funny.

Gareth Harding meanwhile has been waiting 25 years for an EU leader to say something quotable. It was worth the wait.

Martini Seltzermayr, spoof account, noted that none of the prominent brexiteers have denied this description applies to them.

And Berlaymonster asked what we were all thinking. Why do they get to have a ‘special’ place?

British exceptionalism, quipped James Crisp:

And as dozens tried to imagine what this particular hell looks like.

Jean Claude Juncker had a better answer. His job. It is a Hell.

Alan Ferrier summed it up:

Elsewhere this week the European Commission celebrated EU Industry Day.

Sounds boring, but where else would you find acoustic interior panels, foldable high heels, bags made of ecological leather, modular clothing and fish clutch bags all in one place?

Jyrki Katainen, Commission Vice President for Jobs Growth and Investment launched the Circular Plastics Alliance at the conference.

And even Juncker took time out of his hellish schedule to attend saying, “There is no lack of talent in #Europe, no lack of ideas. And Europe’s industry drives our economy.”

Finally this week, Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager blocked the Siemens Alstom merger.

Martini Seltzermayr‏ was quick to warn If you’re thinking of doing a bad train metaphor joke, don’t.

Too late! “They siemens rollin’, she hatin’”, said Sam Morgan.

Nick Gutteridge had even more mixed metaphors. Choppy waters for the EU. This row will take the wind out of their sails.

And Alberto Alemanno quoted Austrian commissioner Johannes Hahn, saying if Siemens do trains the way they do lobbying he won’t be taking one any time soon.

We need signalling systems to keep us safe & very high speed trains for climate friendly transport. Siemens and Alstom are champions in rail industry, but without remedies the merger would have resulted in higher prices, less choice & innovation, explained Vestager.

Berlaymonster reckoned she was ruling herself out of that Commission president role.

And Spitzenkandidat Manfred Weber was also critical of the decision, calling it “a mistake.”

But Thomas Philippon said three cheers for Vestager and the Commission, adding the merger would have raised prices and hurt EU consumers.

This week we are supported by EUROBAT, the association of European Automotive and Industrial Battery Manufacturers. They will be holding an Election Manifesto Event on 19 February on the future role of EU batteries and required policy framework for growth, jobs and innovation in Europe.

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