Brussels Brief | Sixth Edition
17–23 February 2017
Welcome to the sixth edition of Brussels Brief, the EU’s weekly digest delivered to the comfort of your inbox. Brussels Brief is an executive summary so that Eurocrats, policy wonks, trainees, and students alike can stay in the loop with the ins and outs of the international media regarding the EU
Best wishes for the week(s) ahead and a relaxing weekend.
The Editor
FRONT PAGE — Top News this Week
Trumppence. After a month of mutual allegations, accusations, and attributions, leaders of EU institutions finally met with a member of US President Donald Trump’s team, none other than his running mate and Vice-President Mike Pence. The unenviable privilege was reserved for President Juncker, President Tusk, High Representative Mogherini and the Secretary General of NATO who received Pence in separated occasions and the usual handshakes, niceties and circumstance as protestors did the opposite outside (video). Pence, however, came with a message of “cooperation and partnership” with the EU and a commitment and support to NATO, and whose courtesy was returned with an erroneous US flag with 51 stars. Still, despite the assurances there are many in Europe that are concerned with the uncertainty and mixed messages of the new US administration. Reports of EU sceptic messages from White House chief strategist Steve Bannon before the meetings serve to further the Europeans’ worries which have been validated by Republican Senator John McCain. (Washington Post, Deutsche Welle, New York Times, Associated Press, Al-Jazeera, Reuters, Politico)
Elections and fake news. Election season across Europe is upon us and the EU is firmly on the line. Despite the wave of populism and backlash across the world and the particular saliency in Europe, for every Le Pen and Wilders there is the emergence of a Macron and Schulz. It is these and other centrist candidates, according to Guy Verhofstadt, that will ultimately beat out the populists who are boosted by Russian propaganda and fake news. Regarding the latter, the EU has set up a task force, called East Stratum, to combat false stories being propagated online. The initiative is one of several throughout EU countries as fears of cyber attacks and intervention in national elections, especially from Russia, were echoed by representatives of a recent victim of Russian interference, the US. (BBC News, Project Syndicate, New York Times, The Guardian)
Trainees of the world unite! Monday saw trainees from all over Brussels gather outside the EEAS European External Action Service building to protest the phenomenon of unpaid internships (video). Planned to coincide with the world day for Social Justice, the Global Intern Coalition organised a similar protest outside the UN building in New York and inspired others around the world to speak up. The protests come just as the European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, recommended that the EEAS pay all of its interns in its various delegations around the world. The announcement could have collateral effects on the hundreds of ‘atypique’ internships offered by the European Commission and combats the ‘traditional’ attitude of not paying interns in international organisations. (The Bulletin, Euronews, Business Insider, Brussels Times, Politico Europe)
IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID — Top Economic, Trade & Innovation News
Return of the original ‘exit’. Grexit is a word you haven’t heard in a while but has become increasingly ‘en vogue’ in the past weeks. New negotiations to break the impasse on the next instalment of the 86 billion EUR bailout of 2015, ended in more budget cuts for Greece to appease the main creditors; the European Commission, the European Central Bank, the European Stability Mechanism and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) following a deadlock between the EU institutions and the IMF in the amount of debt relief that Greece needed. However, according to some, the melodramatic allusions to Greek tragedy are surplus to requirements at the moment, as the withholding of funds from creditors and Greek resistance to cuts will continue as long as the current bailout package is rolled out. (Forbes, EU Observer, BBC News, Politico Europe)
Mo’ Euros Mo’ Problems. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has recognised what a trade advisor to Donald Trump denounced and her Finance minister has acknowledged; the value of the euro is too low for Germany. Much like her finance minister, and in contrast to the US President’s staff, she denied that she had any power to redress that. Meanwhile, data from a Eurobarometer poll suggests that Germans are alone in having a favourable view of the Euro as the currency faces a brutal bashing by populist movements across Europe, none less that France’s Marine Le Pen who threatened to leave the Euro if elected. Increase in Germany’s purchase of gold reserves and external doomsday predictions are only serving to fuel the speculation. (Reuters, Bloomberg View, Business Insider, Daily Reckoning, Pound Sterling Live)
iTax: Apple, taxes, and human rights. Faced with a €13 billion bill to pay, the US technology company is fighting for its ‘human rights’. The order to pay the enormous amount in back taxes was the result of of the European Commission’s investigation last year which ruled that Apple benefitted from a tax system in Ireland that amounted to illegal state aid for over a decade. Apple is attacking the European Commission for making “fundamental errors” in its case against them and comes after Ireland’s Finance Minister accused the Commission of being politically motivated in pursuing the case against the company. The argument is one of 14 legal pleas made to the court (for the lawyers out there). (The Times, Business Insider, Irish Independent, Official Journal of the European Union)
STATE OF THE (DIS)UNION — Brexit Stories
Brexit ‘Third Way’ gets roadblocked. Blast from the past and Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has gone public with a speech designed to create a movement of people opposed to Brexit as it is being handled and suggested that it should be resisted. Blair minced no words in accusing the current government’s pursuance of “Brexit at any cost” and characterised Prime Minister Theresa May’s willingness to leave the EU as an “obsession”. With a tarnished reputation due to his legacy of supporting the Iraq War and unpopularity in his own Labour party many wonder whether this will help or hinder the “Remain” camp’s last gasps at influencing the Brexit process. One thing is for sure, however, the “bus has gone” according to a senior EU diplomat signalling the growing appetite in Brussels for a tough yet final solution amidst the in-fighting emanating from the UK. (Politico, New York Times, Reuters)
Universite d’Oxford? The effect of the Brexit vote has hit one of its most EU friendly sectors and one of its biggest exports — higher education with some universities even considered the possibility of opening EU campuses in the wake of Brexit. The speculation hit fever point this week when, it was reported that the pinnacle of British education, Oxford University, had been considering opening a satellite campus in none other than France, amid a charm offensive from the country to court British industry. The claims were quickly refuted by the 700 year old institution but questions remain on the future of British universities as they currently receive more than 1.2 billion pounds from the EU in research funding. The EU Baroque Orchestra, on the other hand, have firmly made up their mind to jump to the other side of the channel. (The Guardian, Quartz, CNBC)
A game of two halves. The build up to the Brexit negotiations between the UK and the EU has been much like the summer transfer window in football, rumours and signings of star players abound. Now that the teams are (almost) formed, the anticipation of the March 15 kickoff is palpable. Get to know the ‘Managers’ ‘defenders’ and ‘strikers’ of each team and their respective skills in a showdown not even El Clasico is worthy of, Messi vs Ronaldo meets Davis vs Barnier. (The Guardian)
BRUXELLES MA BELLE — News about the city
Deadly derailment. A train bound for Brussels from nearby Leuven suffered a gruelling accident on Saturday, when a carriage carrying up to 50 people derailed and flipped on its side down a slope. More than 20 passengers suffered minor injuries but the one fatality was not a passenger, likely caught near the track at the time of the derailment. (The Independent, Washington Post)
Wash it down with some water. The first Scuba restaurant in the world has opened in Brussels. ‘The Pearl’ is located at the bottom of a pool in the NEMO33 diving centre and consists of one watertight capsule that seats four. You can dine on foie gras, lobster salads and champagne served by waiters in scuba gear for a mere €99. Too crazy to grasp? Watch this video to dispel any doubts. (Lonely Planet, CNBC)
From cigarette factory to city hall. A trio of Belgian architects have spectacularly repurposed (also known as adaptive reuse) a former cigarette factory into a minimalist design space designed for civic and public use. The light filled structure will serve as the council house for Molenbeek Sint Jan municipality upon completion and will no doubt add to the emerging Brussels avant-garde architectural scene. (Dezeen, Architectural Digest)
EXTRA — From the Cutting Room Floor
What it means to be European. Part 2. Is European culture a “high culture”, “a desire for understanding and exchange”, “supranational realm of humanism.”, “Christendom” or all at once? Travel through the eyes of Europe’s intellectuals’ perceptions of Europe and the essence of being European. Whether it is comparative, causative or innate, one thing is for sure, that ‘Europe’ has been and still is a very new idea. (Quartz)
A Security Conference Drinking Game! Are you a foreign policy wonk in need of a drink? Despite the dire prospects, the Munich Security Conference gave a lot of things to be cheerful about from the customary debate on the future of the EU to a cooperation agreement between the EU and Afghanistan. However, Foreign Policy magazine prepared a very appropriate drinking game for those watching the security conference (or any other security conference for that matter) that will get you through the uncertain foreign policy landscape in years to come. (Politico Europe, Carnegie Europe, Deutsche Welle, Foreign Policy)
OPINION — Top minds muse on the European project
Captain Europe to the rescue. To those that heard the heard the infamous ‘America first’ cry in Trump’s inauguration speech, most envisaged a jingoistic reshuffling of the world order. In a defiant tone, former EU High Representative Javier Solana thinks we should try pursuing the mantra of ‘EU first’ on for size. He argues that there is now a greater need than ever for the EU’s role and values to face the economic, environmental and strategic challenges that a new world order could bring. For a lowdown on the economic consequences of the EU’s relationship with the “diminishing giant” check out this report. (Project Syndicate, Bruegel)
Digitisation will be the key. Stefan Schaible, Deputy CEO of Roland Berger, suggests in a succinct article for Europe to confront US protectionism times by embracing digitisation of the economy and at the same time protect from the era of post-truth by using digitisation towards the ends of factual truth. (Roland Berger)
‘One man’s populism is another’s democracy, and vice versa’. Estonian academic Rein Mullerson offers a stinging yet hopeful critique entered on the two fundamental pillars of the European project, liberalism and democracy, and of its insistence in keeping them together. Despite the incompatibility of the two notions in recent years as evidenced by increasing inequality and today’s sharp political divides in Europe. As a way forward the ‘muddling through’ or business as usual strategy will be ineffective in keeping the EU from dismantling from within. (Valdai Club)
PRESS PLAY — Media Corner
Podcast of the Week. European integration golden boy, former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, sits down with ECFR to discuss two speeds, flexible integration and Brexit. (ECFR)
Video(s) of the Week. Talking about golden boys, Justin Trudeau’s passage through the EU parliament left everyone enamoured with his slick quebecois accent. This has prompted the people at Eurarnet Plus to make a hilarious narrative on reaching peak evolution with the Canadian Prime Minister amidst the devolutionary powers out there. (Euranet Plus)
Cartoon(s) of the Week: Trudeau Hugs, Merkel’s Woes (Cagle.com, Schrankcartoons.com)
GIF of the Week
