Selmayr, Macron, Syria, and Facebook (Tweets of the Week, Ep. 43)

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• published: 20 Apr 2018
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Hello and welcome to EU Tweets of the Week. This week it’s all about Parliament, in the end Selmayr’s not told to take a hike, Macron’s speech causes excitement spike, MEPs debate Syria strike, and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg can’t even get a like. It’s Strasbourg week, so we’re looking at all things plenary. Top of the agenda was the latest in #SelmayrGate as MEPs called for the Commission to reassess Martin Selmayr’s appointment as secretary general. https://twitter.com/EP_BudgControl/status/985944018126295040 MEPs backed a resolution describing Selmayr’s appointment as coup-like, but failed to call for his head, said James Crisp. Embarrassing for Juncker, but Selmayr stays in his post. https://twitter.com/JamesCrisp6/status/986556318227095552 The FT’s Mehreen Khan said the whole affair had ended with a whimper and some trolling as the Commission responded with a "round-table" discussion to look at how Parliament carries out its internal job moves! https://twitter.com/MehreenKhn/status/986561131316641792 Human Resources Commissioner Gunther Oettinger said, "We stand ready to reassess how the application of the current rules and procedures can be improved in the future." Translation: Martin Selmayr is there to stay. https://twitter.com/emanuelebonini/status/986562437972447232 Spoof account Martini Seltzermayr “explained”: we will learn the lessons of SelmayrGate by ensuring no one can unceremoniously boot me out the way I did to Alexander Italianer. https://twitter.com/mseltzermayr/status/986146443470802944 Lewis Crofts noted that in the SelmayrGate announcements: how rarely they refer to him by name. A hint of the Voldemort non-utterance perhaps? https://twitter.com/lewis_crofts/status/986550712472662016 And now that it’s all over alter-ego Martini Seltzermayr wants to get on with the business of giving him absolute power over everything! https://twitter.com/mseltzermayr/status/986578609203752962 If Selmayr was persona non grata, then French President Emmanuel Macron was toast of the day as he shared his vision for the Future Of Europe with the Parliament on Tuesday. https://twitter.com/Europarl_EN/status/985906508922867713 “I don’t want to be part of a generation of sleepwalkers, that is unaware of its own history,” he said. “I want to be part of a generation that will defend European sovereignty.” https://twitter.com/SebDance/status/986164827537231874 Adding that “Nationalism will lead Europe into the abyss.” https://twitter.com/DaveKeating/status/986160037948248064 Macron knew he’d done well. Just check out that wink.... https://twitter.com/PabloPerezA/status/986181160798752768 And AmericanEUDude presented the live shot from the Parliament. https://twitter.com/AmericanEUDude/status/986163673227059201 Christian Rocca imagined Macron’s to do list. https://twitter.com/christianrocca/status/986902984893313024 One thing that is on his list is the situation in Syria. Guy Verhofstadt meanwhile wants a 3-fold strategy on Syria: engage all constructive forces in the region; start a roadmap to establish a new, democratic Syria; and launch new sanctions against those who violate agreed ceasefires. https://twitter.com/guyverhofstadt/status/985899535627988992 Some, including The Telegraph, highlighted his call for a “European Union Army.” https://twitter.com/WyeLea/status/986250677126123520 But Damon Wake said even if such a thing existed, the mind boggles at the debates and horse-trading it would take for all 28 member states to reach a decision. https://twitter.com/damonwake/status/986177859445313537 The Russian military accused Britain of staging and directing an alleged chemical attack in Syria. https://twitter.com/AP/status/984807120406286336 As if! said Berlaymonster. The British government couldn't even stage and direct a nativity play, let alone an elaborate false flag campaign. https://twitter.com/Berlaymonster/status/984824745081364480 Finally, the Parliament also turned its attention to the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal, again calling on Mark Zuckerberg to come to a hearing and face the music. https://twitter.com/GreensEP/status/986541384818675712 Antonio Tajani isn’t giving up. “Facebook is registered in Dublin, so it is subject to EU law,” he said. “It must cooperate and be accountable to the European Parliament, its regulator.” https://twitter.com/EP_President/status/986623681391661057 The Parliament’s Mr Privacy, Jan Albrecht, said there is a missing brick in this wall, and it’s the ePrivacy regulation. https://twitter.com/LauKaya/status/986601686356709376 But we can’t help thinking a hearing might look a lot like this: https://twitter.com/OriginalJLP/status/984244245686050816 This week we are supported by FoodDrinkEurope. Check out their Single Market Manifesto on their website. https://twitter.com/FoodDrinkEU/status/986512517320073216