Get the copy editor's name...
Le Monde today carried a half-page article about Pierre de Boissieu, who is Secretary General of the Council of the European Union. I know, I know; it’s getting crowded out there, what with the Council of Europe, the Council of the European Union and the European Council. And I know journalists don’t choose their headlines; it’s the copy editors and the editors who do that. Still and all, I would expect better of Le Monde. So here’s the headline in question, as it appeared in the printed version of today’s newspaper: ‘Pierre de Boissieu, secrétaire général du Conseil européen, est l’homme de l’ombre du sommet extraordinaire sur la Grèce, à Bruxelles, jeudi 25 mars.‘ A special mention goes to the reader who correctly spots all of the mistakes in those two lines.
Well, Pierre de Boissieu is “sécretaire du Conseil de l’Union européenne”, the European Council meeting was not extraordinary but regular, it took place on 25-26 march, and it was not about Greece, at least not officially (Greece doesn’t figure in the conclusions), but officially mostly about “Europe 2020”.
Greece was covered by the heads of state and government of the Eurozone who issued a separate statement on 25 March.
It’s at least true that de Boissieu can be the man in the shadows because according to Article 235(4) the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union assists the European Council.
Did I cover everything? 🙂
You are a star, Julien!!!!! Send me your snail mail address somehow (martin.westlake@eesc.europa.eu) and I will send you your prize – which you deserve anyway, as one of the faithful! Well done. Go to the top of the class! Martin