The knives are out for VDL

[Suff]

As she stumbles from crisis to crisis, making poor decisions and hiding behind layers upon layers of bureaucracy to hide the mess and justify the actions.

So much so that the uber pro EU Independent was spurred to write that VDL is one of a class of politicians:

as precisely the kind of knackered, second-rate, has-been politician that notoriously gets packed off to be a European commissioner when they’ve outlived their usefulness at home.

It is nice to know that the Independent does actually know that the beating heart and controlling force of the EU is staffed with such excellent stock.

It is like saying that the PM and Government of the UK is filled with useless knackered incompetents no matter which government you get because the party in power doesn't care if it wins the next election or not.

It is nice to see some truth will out when backs are to the wall.

This whole crisis of ability in the EU is not over. It is, however, interesting that it only really hits the UK when the President of the commission tries to put her own failings over on the UK. At which point even EU loyal UK press stick the knife in.

I'm sure the whole "toe the line and reap the benefits of safety and security" would have been much more palatable if tens of thousands were not dying whilst tens of millions of Brits receive a vaccine that the EU took three months to order and longer to certify. After all you can call out Russia and China as authoritative states which take unreasonable risks, but the BMA is not considered in that class. Witness the commonwealth countries which were quietly waiting for UK certification before following suit.

Nobody outside the EEA was waiting for the EU to certify any vaccine.

Oh well, back to normal in a few months.

[cromwell]

I don't dispute that VDL is not much cop. Her time as German defence minister was marked by unseawothy submarines, non-airworthy airbuses and soldiers carrying broomsticks instead of rifles.
But the EU is a bureaucracy; committees, resolutions, rules, treaties. Everything moves slowly and for years there has been little problem with that. But the pandemic has meant the EU has had to move fast and getting 26 countries to agree on anything has got to be a longer process than just the one; especially when some countries are arguing that it should be their vaccine that should be prioritised (like France).
It is a question of a large unwieldy body defending it's turf imo, like PHE in our country. The EU has to have the last word; their had to be a common vaccine policy because the EU couldn't have every country doing their own thing because if they did, what's the point of having the EU at all?

So when the perfect storm comes along there's VDL standing there to cop all the blame when really it is probably more of a structural problem than a personal one.
But she will make an excellent scapegoat, especially after the blame game and threats backfired on her.
Easier for the EU to dump on her than admit to wider failings!

[Workingman]

I do not care about the EU anymore - we are out. The UK can no more influence how it works internally than it can Brazil, Russia, the United States, China, India, Japan, and many many more.

Time to get over it and move on.

[medsec222]

I am all for moving on and for the UK to be doing its own thing. However, it will be interesting to watch over the next few months to see if the EU feels the same way or whether it will obstruct, block, or undermine the UK in order to discourage any of the other members from attempting a break out.

[Workingman]

It will purely be academic as there is sod all we can do about it any more than we can deal with Tibet breaking from China or Hawaii wanting to secede from the US in order to join the CPTPP independently.

It is known as being on the outside looking in - get used to it.

[medsec222]

Or alternatively Frank, and this is my preference, on the inside looking out

[Suff]

It is known as being on the outside looking in - get used to it.

Some people think that looking into the goldfish bowl is soothing. Others think it is fascinating. For others it is boring.

The UK is a large powerful state in the world. Don't try and sell me on the whole "little Britain" thing, it won't wash. Next door is another large powerful state which has serious vaccine envy because they are, fundamentally, a near incompetent hidebound bureaucracy which can't react rapidly.

The problem is that with the withdrawal agreement that powerful state has the ability to interfere inside the UK. Wise or not to sign it, it is a fact. Ignoring that fact will not make it go away. Therefore being aware of what they are saying and doing is important until such time as this situation matures.

The commission is under fire, they are trying to redirect that fire to the UK. Better to know there is incoming than go for head in the sand. You can still get your ass shot off.

[Workingman]

Yeah. Whatever.

Being aware, important though that is, changes nothing. Pretending that all the bitching and moaning will change things is only to fool oneself and is also pointless, but if that's what floats your boat feel free.

Mine is beached in the sunny uplands after being punctured by an angry unicorn. At the time I was chatting to the mermaids on an idyllic inlet when Mr Unicorn took exception and dived in for the attack. The mermaids helped me to the shore where we pulled up the boat. It was only a cheap kiddy one bought on holiday in France so no great loss.

The fact is that we are out and I for one, as a remainer, have accepted it and will move on.

[Suff]

Nice to know what floats your boat....

Yes we are out. However current affairs are current affairs and it is of some interest. As is the fact that Macron is on total self destruct here where the very few of those who trusted him on the vaccine rollout are still behind him. The German government is looking rocky and the Italian government has gone down the tubes, again with the ex ECB president being asked to step up up and try to form a government.

Covid is starting to take it's fateful toll of politicians as the situation continues to roll on. Those politicians are floundering and lashing out. Always useful to know why someone is sticking the knife in your back.

[Kaz]

I do not care about the EU anymore - we are out. The UK can no more influence how it works internally than it can Brazil, Russia, the United States, China, India, Japan, and many many more.

Time to get over it and move on.

Absolutely. There's no time for schadenfreude, we need to concentrate on our own future!