DG MEME
Let’s face it, despite an army of officials, consultants and green screens, the EU Communication rarely hits the target: most citizens are unaware of what the EU is or does, they don’t follow or interact with the official channels (unless they are Catalan independentists), and our information rarely reaches them, unless it has been, often negatively, chewed by journalists first.
With Europe Day approaching and no way to celebrate it in person, we decided to binge-watch the TV series Parlement, a political comedy set in the European Parliament and available for free in France (but geoblocked, ironically) and for money in Belgium (believe it or not). We had some EU-talk with one of its authors, Maxime Calligaro, who also has experience in working for the EU Institutions.
Parlament is a very entertaining TV series set in the European Parliament (we interviewed one of his creator a few days ago). Ingeborg’s monologue, played by Christiane Paul, deserves a special mention for the very concise way in which it sums up the contradictions of working for the Union we love so much, no matter what (the scene is an homage to Spike Lee’s 25th hour).
Colonel Charles Michel lives an isolated life in the deserted ruins of Brussels, unsure if any other COVID19 uninfected humans are left.
Michel’s daily routine includes short walks to the European Parliament, searching for food and toilet paper, and waiting each day for any humans who might respond to his radio broadcasts. He instructs possible survivors to meet him at the Schuman Roundabout for the European Commission’s Midday.
In the background, thanks to reduced air pollution, one can see the Eiffel Tower.
We’re here today with Dr. COVID19 Corona, one of the global celebrities of this century. How do you feel today, Dr. Corona?
A bit weak, many people respected social distancing and this is causing me troubles sleeping at night. But overall I’m still strong
There is a nice group of friends that regularly meet for dinner in the European capital. Today Leo couldn’t attend because of a bad flu that made him lose weight, but the others are having a great time:
Commissioners-designate, i. e. the Commissioners proposed by the President-elect of the European Commission, must be approved by the European Parliament. That’s why they appear in front of the respective parliamentary committees. Once the team is approved, the European Parliament will confirm the new Commission as a whole during a plenary session.
Margaritis Schinas, the Commissioner-designate for “Protecting our European Way of Life”, is not in charge yet but he is already swamped with emails, calls, tweets and owls from citizens, national governments and members of the wizarding community, all trying to help him defining what the European Way of Life is.
Fun facts
#1 All candidates have short hair (no, Violeta Tomic doesn’t count. You didn’t even know she was running anyways)
#2 Commission candidates speak better English than Parliament candidates (sorry, guys, it’s the truth)
#3 None of these candidates will become President of the European Commission
The police filmed a violent settling of accounts between two rival gangs in the small town of Röszke. The conflict arose to determine who had precedence in using anti-migrants feelings to distract public opinion from the failures and illicit behaviors of the gangs’ administration.
Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino announced a new movie inspired by these events, with the working title Reservoir Jackals