Hello and welcome to EURACTIV's EU Tweets of the Week.
In Ankara VDL is denied a chair,
Northern Ireland violence is hard to bear
and Eurostar's failing and the Brits don’t care.
This episode is supported by the European Cancer Patient Coalition,
more about them later on.
On Tuesday European Council President Charles Michel tweeted to the world:
In Ankara, ready with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
to start discussions with Turkish President Erdogan
on the future of EU-Turkey relations.
Sustained de-escalation is needed
to build a more constructive agenda.
So, ermmm,
that’s aged well!
You couldn’t really make up what happened next.
As Le Chou reported: 2 Seats, 3 Presidents:
Michel, Von Der Leyen and Erdogan In Tense Stand-Off In Ankara.
Mr Chou!
Aren’t you supposed to be doing satirical news??
Don’t throw us off with this sort of accurate reporting.
Efi Koutsokosta pointed out
that Turkey’s President showing disrespect
for a female leader for political gains is no surprise.
But EU leadership getting embarrassingly outplayed
by an autocrat regime,
that’s why Michel’s non-reaction is much more annoying.
Diplomatic seating arrangements are not chance
or ‘an accident’, they’re an exertion of power.
Failure to provide an equal seat
to von der Leyen is a synonym
for Erdogan’s game towards Brussels
and state of women’s rights in Turkey,
pointed out Alexandra Brzozowski.
EU to convene a Conference on the Furniture of Europe
snarked American EU Dude.
It is not that 'Charles Michel
should have offered his chair to VDL'.
Come on.
It's not about stale chivalry.
It is politics and image. And diplomacy.
Stay there standing up until another chair is in the room.
Make THEM feel uncomfortable in front of the cameras
urged Pablo Perez.
Henceforth to avoid confusion between EU institutional presidents,
Charles Michel will be known as 'Chairman.' quipped Berlaymonster.
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In more worrying news,
violence in Northern Ireland has been escalating in recent weeks.
Darren McCaffrey shared these images
of another bus set on fire on the Shankill Road in Belfast.
A shocked Jennifer Cassidy, tweeted,
these are pictures from TODAY in Northern Ireland.
Not 1971.
Not 1981.
Not 1991.
But 2021.
Where is the front page coverage in mainland UK? She asked.
Because it seems the media have taken the view that
what happens in Northern Ireland, stays in Northern Ireland.
British PM Boris Johnson
did eventually say that he was deeply concerned
by the scenes of violence in Northern Ireland.
I wish there had been some sort of clue
that introducing a border in the Irish Sea
could destabilise the peace process, said Marc Davenant.
David Schneider went further:
It’s not the Protocol that’s to blame
for the disturbances and tension.
It’s Brexit.
Simon Ubsdell said,
“England voted for this.
It was warned.
It didn't care.
It still does not.
It never will.”
Matthias Eberl reminded us
that in the 5 years since the EU referendum,
nobody has ever come up
with a workable plan on how to 'take back control'
of the UK's borders and leave single market and customs union
while respecting the Good Friday Agreement
and ensuring frictionless trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
I could say “told you so”,
but that honestly makes no one feel any better about this.
And finally this week
another sad fallout from Brexit:
The Eurostar.
Mujtaba Rahman described it as a big symbolic casualty
- and metaphor - for Brexit.
Holger Hestermeyer explained the problem.
Eurostar is a UK company with HQ in London,
but 55% owned by SNCF.
Once this mix was a sign of trust and friendship.
Now it means that the UK won’t assist
a French majority-owned company
while France won’t assist a UK company.
Or, as Leave EU put it:
Absolutely right!
Any minister that proposes British taxpayers
bailing out a company majority owned by the French state
before Macron sticks his hand in his own pocket
should be sacked on the spot!
How very Leave EU.
Jon Worth wondered if a name change
might be what it takes to save Eurostar...
But there is some good train news this week.
A new night train start-up promises
its first route will be Brussels-Amsterdam-Berlin-Prague,
starting in mid 2022.
Hurrah!
Who needs London!?
Join me again next week for more news that’s snarky
and the usual malarky.