EU Affairs
Shooting down Russian jets ‘on the table,’ von der Leyen says
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The Commission president’s comment follows an assertion by U.S. President Donald Trump that NATO countries should shoot down Russian jets that violate their airspace.
AI generated Text-to-speech
EU Affairs
Von der Leyen’s messages auto-delete to save space on her phone, Commission says
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The use of disappearing messages is recommended in Commission guidance called “Checklist to Make Your Signal Safer,” from 2022.
“On the one hand, it reduces the risk of leaks and security breaches, which is of course an important factor,” Commission spokesperson Balazs Ujvari said. “And also, it’s a question of space on the phone — so, effective use of a mobile device.”
“The president has been complying with these internal guidelines and is using the disappearing message feature, which explains why we could not retrieve any such SMSs.”
He added: “SMSs may have to be registered under certain circumstances — for example, if there is a need to follow up, if there’s an administrative or legal impact.”
In the case of Macron’s message, the Commission concluded that it didn’t meet that threshold. That decision was made by von der Leyen’s powerful head of cabinet, Bjoern Seibert.
“He was one of the actors taking part in this discussion,” Ujvari said. “The President assessed the SMS with her Head of Cabinet and relevant services within the Commission.”
This isn’t the first time von der Leyen’s phone habits have raised eyebrows. Her text exchanges with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla over Covid vaccine contracts were never archived — prompting an ongoing Ombudsman investigation dubbed “Pfizergate.”
EU Affairs
Jailed mayor urges EU to halt Bulgaria’s slide toward authoritarianism
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The European Commission president’s trip comes on the heels of an announcement by Germany’s Rheinmetall that it plans two new factories in Bulgaria, making the country Europe’s largest gunpowder manufacturer.
Aug 31
3 mins read
EU Affairs
Les Européens à la fois contents et méfiants du revirement de Trump sur l’Ukraine
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Le chef de cabinet de la présidente de la Commission européenne est l’homme à appeler pour faire avancer les choses à Bruxelles. Mais il a trop de pouvoir, estiment ses détracteurs, de plus en plus nombreux.
Jul 9
17 mins read
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