It’s another big table as Scholz has to slum it, #RuleofLaw discourse continues to plummet, and leaders are in town for EU Africa Summit.
On Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz headed to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the ongoing crisis at the Russian-Ukrainian border.
Scholz refused a Russian PCR test so he got the long table treatment from Putin reported Uliana Pavlova.
Olaf Scholz refused Russian PCR test so he gets the long table treatment from Putin pic.twitter.com/qanxUOgRO3
— Uliana Pavlova (@pavlovauliana) February 15, 2022
“SPEAK UP VLADIMIR VLADIMIROVICH, I CAN’T HEAR A WORD YOU’RE SAYING,” joked Jeremy Nicholl.
“SPEAK UP VLADIMIR VLADIMIROVICH, I CAN’T HEAR A WORD YOU’RE SAYING.” #Putin #Russia #Ukraine #tablegate pic.twitter.com/VJvXlehi2P
— Jeremy Nicholl (@Russian_Photos) February 14, 2022
But Steve Rosenberg pointed out that noting the furniture and distance to Putin has become an integral part of Kremlin-watching. Macron and Scholz almost needed binoculars to see him!
Noting the furniture & distance to Putin has become an integral part of Kremlin-watching. Macron, Scholz (& Lavrov) almost needed binoculars to see him. Today Brazil’s president got a handshake & the 2-chair treatment (he reportedly did a PCR test first). pic.twitter.com/2XSg1ZLGm7
— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) February 16, 2022
And dozens of tweeters couldn’t resist filling the space with everything from sushi…
A Putin le gustan las mesas grandes, eso es así pic.twitter.com/OWa6OrQA3q
— ????? ??ℎ??????? (@mrsahuquillo) February 14, 2022
… to luggage…
Had to be done… pic.twitter.com/ivZ1BCqYQR
— Tarquin (@Tarquin_Helmet) February 14, 2022
…to tanks!
#Putin #Scholz #UkraineCrisis #UkraineConflict #Ukrain #ukrainerussia Scholz meets Putin pic.twitter.com/yDfgmlYdhe
— luc descheemaeker (@osekoer) February 15, 2022
We get it! It’s a big table.
Pablo Pérez spotted that Renato from Italy and Vicente from Spain were both claiming they made the table.
Renato from Italy and Vicente from Spain – both claiming they made the Putin big table.
The world is going nowhere
"I made it" ?? version https://t.co/UjAo1dZEmP
"I made it" ?? version https://t.co/kkWB1aBAta pic.twitter.com/RRxKIFIorD
— Pablo Pérez (@PabloPerezA) February 15, 2022
But Deniz had other ideas.
#Putin #Scholz #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/KTQBItDwGO
— Deniz (@Dnz3457) February 17, 2022
Good news for Bolsonaro: he took a Russian PCR test and gets to sit at the Little Table with Putin.
Bad news: Russia now has his DNA and can (apparently) make a poison that will kill only him, quipped Max Seddon.
Good news for Bolsonaro: he took a Russian-administered PCR test and gets to sit at the Little Table with Putin
Bad news: Russia now has his DNA and can (apparently) make a poison that will kill only him, like in No Time To Die pic.twitter.com/izXcMuqSsk
— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 16, 2022
Opps!
On Wednesday, the EU’s top court dismissed a legal challenge from Budapest and Warsaw to a EU law linking bloc funds to rule of law standards.
The EU’s top court dismissed a legal challenge from Budapest & Warsaw to a recent EU law linking disbursement of bloc funds to rule of law standards.
By @VMakszimov. https://t.co/5OGLJ4gDVi
— EURACTIV (@EURACTIV) February 16, 2022
Tom Fillis said it was “excellent news”, but just the start of a longer battle against the threat to the Rule Of Law in the EU.
Excellent news. But this is just the start of a longer battle against the threat to the #RuleOfLaw in the EU. https://t.co/kYKzeRKhn7
— Tom Fillis (@tomfillis) February 16, 2022
BREAKING: ECJ, Polish Supreme Court agree to settle it by pistols at dawn, snarked Martini Seltzermayr.
BREAKING: ECJ, Polish Supreme Court agree to settle it by pistols at dawn
— Martini Seltzermayr (@mseltzermayr) February 16, 2022
But not everyone was joking!
Bulgarian MEP Angel Dzhambazki described the ruling as “an abomination,” saying it was “a whip against the nation states you despise.”
Today's ruling of the #ECJ is an abomination. There is no sane person who thinks that #HU?? or #PL?? have no functioning #RuleofLaw. Instead you use it as a whip against the nation states you despise. Long live the nation states of #Europe! pic.twitter.com/eE8ShN5Rwh
— Джамбазки (@djambazki) February 16, 2022
He then left the Hemicycle in the Parliament like this:
Parce qu'il a défendu l'état de droit en ??, @sandrogozi s'est fait insulter par l'eurodéputé @djambazki, qui a quitté l'hémicycle en faisant un scandaleux salut nazi.
Tu as tout notre soutien Sandro.
Nous demandons à Mme Metsola, @EP_President, d'agir. pic.twitter.com/rIXrbB5wO1
— Renaissance (@Renaissance_UE) February 16, 2022
No your eyes don’t deceive you. That was an actual Nazi salute in the European Parliament!
Chris Powerssaid Djambazki is many things. An “Angel” is not one of them.
.@djambazki is many things, clearly ‘Angel’ is not one of them. https://t.co/RtSg03Q29f
— Chris Powers ?? (@Chris2Powers) February 17, 2022
Dave Keating reported that European Parliament President, Roberta Metsolais preparing a censure against the Bulgarian MEP. While he claims that he was only “humbly waving to the chair.”
The reaction from the European Parliament President.
She is reportedly preparing a censure against the Bulgarian MEP. He claimed in an email to MEPs that he was only "humbly waving to the chair".https://t.co/f217cymDHM
— Dave Keating (@DaveKeating) February 17, 2022
Yeah, right!
Finally this week, EU leaders are meeting in Brussels for the EU Africa summit. But it was somewhat overshadowed by a pre-summit meeting on Russia to discuss sanctions.
EU leaders are meeting in Brussels for the #EUAfrica summit; and a pre-summit meeting on #Russia where sanctions will be discussed.
Follow all the action on @POLITICOEurope's live-blog: https://t.co/tQvggqnXYD#EUAUsummit #EUCO
— Suzanne Lynch (@suzannelynch1) February 17, 2022
Martini Seltzermayr imagined Ursula von der Leyen’s preparation: “So those countries you suspended from the African Union… exactly how annoying were they being? Asking for a friend”
“so those countries you suspended from the African Union… how annoying exactly were they being? Asking for a friend” pic.twitter.com/ZHKplR4QaD
— Martini Seltzermayr (@mseltzermayr) February 16, 2022
Emmanuel Macron CANCELS EU-Africa Summit After Failing Today’s Wordle, Needs Time To Sulk, yelled Le Chou.
Emmanuel Macron CANCELS EU-Africa Summit After Failing Today’s Wordle, Needs Time To Sulk pic.twitter.com/93OaCdv8eF
— Le Chou (@LeChouNews) February 17, 2022
In reality the leaders were welcomed by a rare bit of sun for the summit.
An extraordinary (pale) sun welcome African and EU leader gathered in Brussels today and tomorrow to relaunch the #EUAfrica partnership at the #EUAfricasummit pic.twitter.com/NAN78LfQAT
— Gerardo Fortuna (@gerardofortuna) February 17, 2022
But Jack Parrock noticed that African leaders are entering through a different door of a different building to European leaders. Apparently due to Covid restrictions, but it’s really bad optics…
Wow. For today's #AUEUSummit in Brussels, African leaders are entering through a different door of a different building to European leaders.
The reason given by the @EUCouncil is COVID and preventing reporters being packed together, but this is really bad optics…#EUAUSummit
— Jack Parrock (@jackeparrock) February 17, 2022
Traffic chaos in Brussels Schuman, police motorcycle outriders screeching for EU-Africa summit. Just like old times, reported Aoife White
Traffic chaos in Brussels Schuman, police motorcycle outriders screeching for EU-Africa summit. Just like old times.
— Aoife White (@aoifewhite101) February 17, 2022
Source: euractiv.com
