War of microphones
Published on
Brussels - by Stella Willborn
Big cars with obscured windows and a large crowd of people waving cameras, mobile phones and microphones in the air are unmistakable signs that the EU summit has begun. We are in the middle of where the news is produced and directly spread by some hundreds of journalists all over the world. Brussels is buzzing.
Tension fills the air while one car is arriving after another. Mostly men in dark suits exit the cars and each time the crowed starts to scream: "Prime Minister, Prime Minister or Monsieur le President, Monsieur le President". Seeing that one can understand why some politicians start taking themselves too serious.
In particular for the smaller and newer Member States I kept asking myself: "Who is the Prime Minister and who is a bodyguard?"
Some of course where easy to figure out: President Nicolas Sarkozy for example having a French flag at his car and little blue lights running like those of Night Rider on the outside mirror. Or Tony Blair going straight forward to the camera man shouting "BBC London, BBC London". National media counts.
The next days - there are rumours going on that the Council might take until Saturday - will be a huge footrace to circulate news.