The EU Spin machine

I have gone on about this time and time again, but it bears repeating, as Justin Stares has done effectuively in Public Service Europe today.

The EU is beefing up its propaganda spending at a worrying rate. Here is Justin,

Austerity might be on the menu in most capitals of the European Union, but in Brussels the institutions are still hiring. Ever conscious of the need to battle Euro-scepticism and sharpen up its image, the EU has started recruiting around 65 spin doctors or "communications specialists".

Those boasting the appropriate language skills, a background as a journalist, press officer or communications consultant and a willingness to persevere with a tiresome battery of verbal, numeric and abstract reasoning tests - can look forward to a starting salary of €4,267 a month plus perks. Competition is expected to be fierce.

He highlights the information inbalance in Brussels. Between those who sell the message, and those who are supposed to question it.

Around 920 officials work for the commission's Directorate-General for Communication alone - handling the press, writing brochures and updating websites. Another 700, including support staff, are employed by the equivalent department in the parliament - while the council, the most secretive EU institution, gets by with just 200.


By comparison, there were around 1,000 accredited journalists in Brussels at the last count. EU spin-doctors may be multiplying like mushrooms, but hacks are beating a retreat. The UK permanent representation to the EU used to deal with what the press office called a "hard core" of around 60 Brussels-based British journalists. Today there are about 12.

It is amazing really when you think about it that any negative copy about Brussles exists at all. I guess the truth will out no matter how many millions you spend trying to divert attention.

God knows what the unwashed will do, but we shall eat cake

The Unions of the EU institutions are revolting. They are having a day of action tomorrow and are threatening strikes. But in a piece of fraternal love amongst these normally fractious spartists are uniting to fight against internal austerity in the institutions.

And to celebrate this,

Comme annoncé, Solidarité PE et Union Bruxelles vous invitent à venir échanger vos craintes et vos idées sur la prochaine réforme du statut lors de notre


Cake-Coffee-Break

Is Michalis Chrisochoides' job title the most Panglossian in history?

The poor chap was police Minister until recently, but now he glories under the title of,

Minister for Growth

in Greece

Euro Ligging redux (b)

And with this one, who knows it might be more fun than mere drinks

Euro Ligging redux

The latest in an ongoing series of ways that European Parliamentarians can get pissed for free. Today it is on Bulgarian wine and nibbles.



For this free drink you might have to listen to some people special pleading for funding to Bulgria's Stara planina.

Of course the answer is more Europe

Joseph Daul the Frenchman who heads up the EPP group in the European Parliament has spoken. And his words just reinforce the bubble in which the Euro Elite live,

"markets penalising the lack of Europe".

He seems to be atalking about a third bailout,

"It is only in these conditions that funds can be released. If these funds are used wisely, more funds could follow, if necessary."

But all in all his speech is virtually meaning free and incomprehensible. Go and read.

Meanwhile Guy Verhofstadt was on fine bullish form. He spoke very well, which may have distracted from the stark staring lunacy of what he had to say. He demanded that al power over teh econnomy be stripped from the nation states and be handed to the ECB and the European Commission. His reason being that you cannot trust the Nations to discipline themselves. His answer is not that the markets are free to apply corrections in a real world sense, but that their democracies be overthrown and power handed to the unelected Commisars of of Brussels.

Richard Howitt: Is this a misuse of public funds?

I only ask because of this tweet

It seems that Howitt, the oleaginous Labour MEP for the Eastern Counties has overstepped himself. Either he is overstating his role:

It is possible that he was invited by the Club Kingswood in Basildon to be there when they recived cash from the EU (no doubt to plant a windmill on their roof or something like that) . So he did not give them the money, he just happened to be there when it was recieved.

Or he did hand over the cheque in which case it is an outrageous misuse of taxpayer's money? For the EU to entrust the handing over of their largesse at our expense to a partisan pro-European politician cannot be right in any way.

Howitt should explain either his delusions of granduer and step down from his grand claim, or justify the way that teh EU has allowed him to propagandise with public money.