It’s going to be a long, occasionally gray, at times not-so-hot, summer in Brussels for European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen.<\/p>\n
It may also get quite lonely: During parts of August she could well be the only one of the Commission’s 33,000 employees actually working. But, of course, von der Leyen was born in Brussels, as she reminded reporters at a news conference right after her narrow confirmation. She has got cloudy weather, slow, inattentive waiters, and European-minded public service encoded into her DNA.<\/p>\n
Still, even if they’re a bit solitary, her days at the Berlaymont will not be the least bit boring. The president-elect’s email inbox is already filling up, in some cases with five-alarm messages \u2014\u00a0🔥\u00a0\u00a0🔥\u00a0\u00a0🔥\u00a0\u00a0🔥\u00a0\u00a0🔥\u00a0\u2014 about urgent political and policy headaches that will hit her even before she takes office on November 1. These include Brexit, climate change policy, trade relations with the United States, migration and asylum issues, and rule-of-law concerns.<\/p>\n
POLITICO has a sneak peak at what will be waiting in von der Leyen’s new inbox (which of course, in the name of transparency, operates on an unclassified network, using Huawei equipment, with the only evident security being persistent pop-messages about cookies and a terms-and-conditions box about a little-known exception to the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation that forwards all messages to a private account maintained on a server in Panama by outgoing Secretary-General Martin Selmayr).<\/p>\n
from: Johnson, Alexander Boris de Pfeffel <bojo@bojo.co.uk>\nreply-to: Mr. Prime Minister <pm@no10.gov.uk>\n\nto: Ursula.VONDERLEYEN@ec.europa.eu <Ursula.VONDERLEYEN@ec.europa.eu>\n\nsubject: No backstop or no deal! \u00a0\n\u00a0\nmailed-by: no10.gov.uk\nsigned-by: no10.gov.uk\nsecurity: Standard encryption (TLS)\u00a0Learn more\n\nSehr geehrte Frau Doktor gew\u00e4hlter Pr\u00e4sident von der Leyen, <\/del>\n\nDearest Ursula! \n\nCongratulations on your confirmation as Eurocrat-in-chief. Well done, girl. \n\nI still need a couple of days to wrap things up here on my end, but by the end of next week it'll be official. \nYou of all people understand the crazy stuff we say to get these jobs, so I just wanted to touch base\nand make clear that I am serious about this no-deal stuff. Sure, I might change my mind. The idea of leaving \nNigel there to torture you a bit longer is tempting. And, like you, I love Brussels. Went to school there \nas a kid. But as they say, when you gotta go, you gotta go. \n\nThe U.K. is passionately pro-European, but we do not seek continued membership of the EU institutions \nand we want to leave. We want to devise a new partnership based on friendship and intensified bilateral \nrelations with Germany, with France. That should be easier now that Berlin and Paris are retaking control \nin the EU. I'm not going to waste my time talking to old Jean-Claude. Come over to London sometime \nand let's grab a pint \u2014 of fizzy water of course. You should think about replacing Michel Barnier. His team \nhas mostly broken up anyway. As for your offer of an extension after Oct. 31, that's bloody out of the question. \nIt's no backstop, or no deal.\n\nOh, and great work sacking Selmayr. Just remember, he was also your main contingency planner. He's gone. And so's\nthe EU if you force me to jump off the cliff. Tell Nigel and the gang I said hey-o. \n\nBugger, bugger! \n\nYours, BoJo \n\n<\/pre>\nfrom: Trump, Donald J. EOP\/WHO\u00a0\u00a0<real_donald_trump@who.eop.gov>\nreply-to: Team MAGA\u00a0<potus@who.eop.gov>\n\nto: Ursula.VONDERLEYEN@ec.europa.eu <Ursula.VONDERLEYEN@ec.europa.eu> \nsubject: CONGRADULATIONS! TRADE WAR!!!!\u00a0\n\u00a0\nmailed-by: who.eop.gov\nsigned-by: who.eop.gov\nsecurity: Standard encryption (TLS)\u00a0Learn more\n\nDearUrsula<\/del> Fussy Uschie!\n\nCongradulations on your great victory! Not as big as mine, but who's is? And wow, seven kids. What a woman! \nThe real Mutti! But I'm telling you: For your age, you look great. And seven kids! Terrific hair, too. \nMuch better than Angela. What's up with her? Wound a bit tight, eh? \n\nAnyway, I know you haven't started yet but just wanted to let you know that old Jean-Claude, he's a real killer. \nBut that deal we cut with his cute little move deleting the word agreeculture? That goes when he goes. \nAnd the auto tariffs are coming. I'm thinking first week of November. As an office-warming gift just for you. \n\nEuropean car imports are a threat to U.S. national security \u2014\u00a0totally unfair! So either you agree \nto include farm stuff or get ready to pay up. Your friends back in Germany will really love it \nwhen they hear you wrecked our trade truce. America has won every war against Germany we ever fought. \nAnd we're going to win this trade war. \n\nWhen's the inauguration? I'll pop over. Too bad you don't have any tanks for a parade. \nThat reminds me. We also gotta talk about that EU army. Bad idea!! \n\n-Tariff Man (Real DJT) \n\nP.S. MAGA!\n\n\nfrom:\u00a0B\u00fctikofer,\u00a0Reinhard <reinhard.buetikofer@europeangreens.eu>\nreply-to: Reinhard\u00a0B\u00fctikofer <reinhard.buetikofer@europeangreens.eu><\/pre>\nto: Ursula.VONDERLEYEN@ec.europa.eu <Ursula.VONDERLEYEN@ec.europa.eu>\n\nsubject: Green Marshall Plan\n\u00a0\nmailed-by: europeangreens.eu\nsigned-by: europeangreens.eu\nsecurity: Standard encryption (TLS)\u00a0Learn more\n\n[Translated from German]\u00a0\n\nDear Ursula,\u00a0\n\nLook, we don't like each other. No need to pretend. We might work in Brussels but we're German, so let's get to the point.\n\nI respect what Merkel has done for you. It's very impressive. Almost like coming to Brussels herself. But not. \n\nAnd I hope you respect what we Greens accomplished: We voted against you and we got more policy promises \nthan all the other groups combined. Danke for that. Manfred practically\u00a0ignored climate concerns in \nhis campaign and, as you know, the EPP paid the price. Well, not quite in full. We expect to keep collecting \nthroughout the next five years.\n\nWe're going to hold you to your promises \u2014 even if you have every intention of letting your friends on\nthe European Council try to block them. Raising the target for cutting emissions by up to 55 percent by 2030, \nfrom 40 percent, and climate neutrality by 2050. We won't accept anything less. \n\nI know this is probably going to cause a headache for you with some of your EPP pals in Parliament.\u00a0\nI heard Peter Liese on Wednesday said that going beyond a 50 percent cut would be \u201cvery painful.\u201d \nBut you know what will be more painful? When Greta leads a march in Brussels calling you a liar.\u00a0\n\nNone of us want that to happen, right? \n\nAnd make sure your friends in Eastern Europe get on board. It's simple: Climate policy and the EU budget\nare connected. \n\nBest of luck in your new position.\u00a0\n\nRespectfully,\u00a0\n\nReinhard\u00a0\n\nfrom: Salvini, Matteo <matteo.salvini@interno.gov.it>\nreply-to: Matteo Salvini <matteo.salvini@interno.gov.it>\nto: Ursula.VONDERLEYEN@ec.europa.eu <Ursula.VONDERLEYEN@ec.europa.eu><\/pre>\nsubject: Migration\/Asylum\/Dublin Regulation reform \n\u00a0\nCara Presidente-eletta, \n\nI was interested to hear the promise in your speech to pursue a \"new pact on migration and asylum.\" \n\nI look forward to working with you to find additional flexibility in the EU's budget rules to avoid \nany excessive deficit procedure against Italy. \n\nBaci, \nMatteo \n\n<\/pre>\nfrom:\u00a0Orb\u00e1n,\u00a0Viktor <PM@mk.gov.hu>\nreply-to: Orb\u00e1n Viktor <illiberalchristians.mk.gov.hu>\nto: Ursula.VONDERLEYEN@ec.europa.eu <Ursula.VONDERLEYEN@ec.europa.eu> \n\nsubject: Migration\/Asylum\/Dublin Regulation reform \n\u00a0\nmailed-by: mk.gov.hu\nsigned-by: mk.gov.hu<\/pre>\nDear Madam von der Leyen,\n\nCongratulations on your victory and on your seven children. I am so pleased to see family values return to\nBrussels. Perhaps there is hope for the EU after all.\n\nAs regards a \"New Pact on Migration and Asylum\" I am confident I speak for several of my colleagues \non the European Council and our answer is: No. \n\nGod bless you,<\/pre>\nViktor\n\nfrom: Angela.Merkel@bundeskanzlerin.de <Angela.Merkel@bundeskanzlerin.de> \nreply-to: Angela.Merkel@bundeskanzlerin.de <Angela.Merkel@bundeskanzlerin.de> \nto: Ursula.VONDERLEYEN@ec.europa.eu <Ursula.VONDERLEYEN@ec.europa.eu> \n\u00a0\nsubject: FWD: our mutual understanding \n\nfyi\n-Mutti<\/pre>\n
\nfrom: Kaczy\u0144ski, Jaros\u0142aw <jaroslaw.kaczynski@pis.org.pl>\nto: Angela.Merkel@bundeskanzlerin.de <Angela.Merkel@bundeskanzlerin.de> \nsubject: our mutual understanding \n\nmailed-by: pis.org.pl\nsigned-by: pis.org.pl\n\u00a0\nDear Chancellor,\n\nThanks for your call yesterday. \nWe delivered the votes as requested. \n\nSo as promised we now expect Mrs. von der Leyen to find a solution based on dialogue, not like Timmermans \nwho invoked it many times but never made any step toward us.\n\nIn von der Leyen's letter Monday to the Socialist group there is an interesting passage \nthat when it comes to rule of law: No EU member state is perfect. \n\nThat is exactly what we have been saying for quite some time. Bravo.\n\nAlso, the fact that Mrs. von der Leyen actively pursued our support and in the end it proved us to be crucial \nfor her confirmation has tightened the relations very much.\n\nIt will be much easier for her to cooperate with Poland now and vice versa after what happened yesterday.\n\nThank you for your constructive role in this matter. I hope you are feeling well. \n\nWarmest regards, \nJK\n<\/pre><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It’s going to be a long, occasionally gray, at times not-so-hot, summer in Brussels for European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen. It may also get quite lonely: During parts of August she could well be the only one of the Commission’s 33,000 employees actually working. But, of course, von der Leyen was born in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3916","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3916","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3916"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3916\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3916"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}