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In this edition, we are joined by Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, the Irish politician, barrister, and former broadcaster who represents the Ireland South constituency in the European Parliament since July 2024, Yves Bertoncini, the French political scientist and consultant specialising in European affairs and Bruno Waterfield a seasoned British journalist based in Brussels, currently serving as the Brussels correspondent for The Times.
Reset Summit or Surrender Summit?
The panel reflect on the EU/UK summit that took place last Monday in London. Called the ‘Reset Summit’ by some and the ‘Surrender Summit’ by others, a potential deal was clinched on a range of issues from defence to fishing to the movement of young people between the UK and the EU.
Cynthia Ní Mhurchú said the summit was a ‘great start’.
But, Bruno Waterfield warned that the document was very general.
But Yves Bertoncini insisted that the summit was not about Brexit and bad feelings about divorcing, but about a ‘fresh start’.
“It is a new phase to go forward in a different political context”, he said.
Pfizergate – A victory for transparency?
The panel also discussed the so-called ‘Pfizergate’ that describes the transparency and accountability scandal involving the European Commission President President Ursula von der Leyen, and the CEO of the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer. The controversy centres on the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic and the lack of transparency shown to the press regarding text messages between Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer.
Bruno Waterfield called it a ‘slap in the wrist’ for the European Commission but argued that almost every decision in Brussels takes place ‘shrouded in secrecy’.
But Yves Bertoncini recalled that the Commission was improvising to respond to the Covid 19 crisis in an urgent way.
Eurovision – A political headache?
Finally, the panel debated the politics around the Eurovision song contest.
Bruno Waterfield called the contest an ‘appalling sort of night of bad taste and bad music” and slammed the “cultural boycott of Israel”.
But Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, who actually presented the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1994, insisted the contest was and remains ‘wonderful’.
“I thought Basel did a fantastic show”, she said adding that artists should not be singeld out for the mistakes of political leaders.
Watch “Brussels, my love?” in the player above.
