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Gerardo Fortuna

@gerardofortuna.bsky.social
2.4K followers 454 following 582 posts

CIAO THERE. Brussels-based polémiste. Brussels Playbook Author at @politico.eu

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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Tip if it’s your first plenary: there’s only one true Strasbourg. Don’t get off the bus at the wrong one
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Back in Strasbourg for SOTEU and just saw an ad targeting millennials the way we used to make fun of boomers. It’s happened, my friends, we’ve been boomerized
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
You think you know what's going to be in Ursula von der Leyen's State of the Union? Prove it with FantaSOTEU. Yes, I'm launching a very unofficial State of the European Union Fantasy League ahead of Wednesday's speech in Strasbourg. 8 predictions. 32 points. Highest score wins.
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
It’s clearly renovation, but part of me hopes they just stole the Commission logo from the Berlaymont entrance and a modern-day Hercule Poirot shows up to question me as one of the main suspects
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
SCOOP: Ukraine and Poland are weighing a joint bid to host the men’s FIFA World Cup in the 2040s. Don’t be put off by the timing, this means: a huge reconstruction opportunity for the EU + an expectation the war will be over before the real work begins www.politico.eu/article/ukra...
politico.eu
Ukraine, Poland explore joint FIFA World Cup bid
Kyiv hopes to repeat its successful Euro 2012 partnership with Warsaw, according to the country’s sports minister.
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Playbook’s on tour! @maxgriera.bsky.social holds the pen this week, bringing you to 5 European capitals for a deep dive on how national debates shape policy in the EU. First stop: Riga, with more on how Latvia wants Brussels to help foot the bill for living on Russia’s doorstep
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
It’s the 10th Brexit anniversary and one thing stands out: Most of the commentary in media, as well as much of the convos on social media, are still coming from Brits. Europeans seem to have accepted it as a fait accompli, the lingering trauma appears to be largely one-sided
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
With a peak of 31°C at 4:50pm, this is officially the hottest EU summit day in Brussels in nearly a decade. The last hotter EUCO was on 22 June 2017, when temperatures reached almost 33°C at 2:20pm. (Yes, I went through the data of all past summits until I found the record)
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
All good things come in threes (except, apparently, European Commission presidencies). On today's Brussels Playbook, we take you inside the private dinner where von der Leyen's chief of staff repeated three times that she won't run for a third mandate
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Every Italian knows you're in trouble when an Italian mother is waiting for you at the table in that stance. I got childhood-trauma goosebumps just writing this.
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Comeback of Hungary's PM Péter Magyar to Brussels is "possibly next week but there's no confirmed date yet" per a Commission spox. The meeting is expected to seal a reset deal with Brussels that could unlock over currently-frozen €10.4 bn EU funds which Budapest is entitled
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Reposted by Gerardo Fortuna
PubAffairs EU Debates, News & Opinions 🇪🇺 @pubaffairsbruxelles.eu · 14/05/2026
#EUPolitics and #EUBudget : #EU Commission eyes regional dept. overhaul in spending reset, by @gerardofortuna.bsky.social | Politico www.politico.eu/article/euro...
politico.eu
EU Commission eyes regional dept. overhaul in spending reset
The EU’s regional funding department faces restructure as the bloc seeks to centralize its spending.
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
UPDATE: Got my hands on an internal email sent by head of DG REGIO herself, titled: “Addressing this morning’s media article.” “I understand the article will be unsettling to read,” the note says, while reassuring staff that their expertise remains “very much valued and needed”
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
On today’s Brussels Playbook, some of the things that matter most in life: love, cars and cohesion funds
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
How funny's that the OLAF stand at Europe Day has beanbag chairs that look like bags full of cash?
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Unmissable opportunity if you’re visiting the Berlaymont for Europe Day to check out the Commission press room. Unconfirmed rumour: there was supposed to be an AI spox ready to answer every question with “we don’t comment on comments” but apparently didn’t pass the AI Omnibus test
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Two major trilogues running late into the night (EU–US deal and AI Omnibus) is the Brussels version of the final World Cup group-stage phase: two games happening simultaneously, and everyone constantly switching screens
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Young Severus Snape and Lily Potter if Hogwarts were the EPC
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
On today's Brussels Playbook: There’s a clear winner in the first major reshuffle of the Commission’s top administrative jobs since Ursula von der Leyen took office — and it’s the boss herself. Read more about the Commission musical chairs finally underway: www.politico.eu/newsletter/b...
politico.eu
Magyar starts his Brussels honeymoon
Presented by Altana By GERARDO FORTUNA PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Follow us @gerardofortuna @NicholasVinocur @GabrielGavin | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser On today’s Brussels…
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
So much great reporting in today's astonishing Playbook from my US colleagues on last night’s events, but this passage really resonated with me. And oh, this quote from @meganmesserly.bsky.social: genuine, human, and a reminder that journos don’t just get great quotes… they give them too
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Pedantic note: Ukraine’s €90B hasn’t been “approved” yet, nor even “provisionally approved:” EU ambassadors have only agreed to start the approval process. It may sound similar, but it isn’t: however unlikely, the process can still fall apart, with one condition still pending
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Deadline set 🚨 Written procedure for 90B Ukraine's loan ends tomorrow afternoon, per Cypriot presidency spox. This is the first key development ahead of this week's EUCO. More in today’s Brussels Playbook:
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
ChatGPT seems to be down and two-thirds of Brussels bubble stares blankly at their monitors not knowing how to do its jobs now
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Can't wait to see what the new name of the European Commission will be. Any thoughts?
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Perhaps this strong politicization (and overt anti-Trump tone) helps explain why António Costa, who was expected to attend the event, canceled at the last minute, reportedly due to personal reasons… 👀
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Still @neeratanden.bsky.social: “I want you to know that one day soon, you will have friends again in the U.S. government and the executive branch” hoping for an America that helps solve the world’s problems, not create them
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
It’s pretty clear that this Global Progressive Mobilisation has a strong anti-Trump edge, a reference obvious in @pes.eu president Stefan Löfven's words: “Democracy is not for supposedly strongmen or a platform for domination.” @neeratanden.bsky.social was more explicit: “Trump is failing”
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
A global rally of social-democratic parties that somehow feels like Eurovision… Here in Barcelona for the Global Progressive Mobilization, an initiative clearly framed as an international counter to Trump-era politics, with Spain’s Pedro Sánchez positioned as the new face of this pushback
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Reposted by Gerardo Fortuna
POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 30/03/2026
Hungary’s Viktor Orbán is set to lose next month’s election, according to polls. Still, the EU is preparing for a world in which he wins. We spoke to 10 diplomats about five ways the bloc could cope with the Hungarian leader if he stays in power 👇 🔗 www.politico.eu/article/5-wa...
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
“The gloves will come off” if Orbán wins the election, said one senior EU diplomat, granted anonymity to speak freely along with 9 others in this article where @jacopobarigazzi.bsky.social i and I explore contingency options already making the round in Brussels www.politico.eu/article/5-wa...
politico.eu
5 ways the EU could cope with Hungary if Orbán wins again
From less unanimous decision-making to informal sidelining, EU countries are already weighing how to move ahead without Hungary if Viktor Orbán wins reelection.
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Burger, sausage, and nuggets are fine for plant-based products, but drumstick isn’t—even though the word originally had nothing to do with food. So are drummers supposed to play with chicken legs now? www.politico.eu/article/vegg...
politico.eu
‘Veggie burgers’ are here to stay. Lab-grown ‘steaks’ never will be.
A compromise that cleared the path for plant-based burgers, but banned other meaty terms, resolved a bitter food fight that pit traditional diets against food innovation.
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
If Erdoğan’s opposition took power, Turkey would move quickly toward EU membership, says Istanbul’s acting mayor Nuri Aslan: “Within one or two years talks would accelerate, and maybe within three years we could join the EU” www.politico.eu/article/ista...
politico.eu
Istanbul’s acting mayor: EU soft on Turkey because it needs Ankara
Europe’s security needs have dissuaded it from confronting Turkey on rule-of-law issues, Nuri Aslan claims.
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
After Berlaymonster, BerlayGod? In today’s Playbook: von der Leyen’s powerful chief of staff Björn Seibert—not Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos—was summoned to defend the Commission’s idea of 'reverse accession'. One diplomat said they “don’t want to waste time” and “need to talk directly to God”
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Kallas and von der Leyen didn’t speak to each other directly this weekend. This is the story of how the war in the Middle East further exposed uncertainties in the EU’s foreign policy chain of command
politico.eu
Von der Leyen, Kallas and a growing EU foreign policy turf war
The EU’s top leadership is responding in parallel rather than tandem — as the bloc scrambles to find a united front amid war in the Middle East.
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Here we go: A meeting of EU-27 ambassadors has been scheduled for today at 4:30pm in restricted format (just ambassadors, no phones) to discuss EU-US trade relations following the newly announced tariffs, per a Cypriot presidency source
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
On today’s Playbook: An early ECB vacancy could collide with the broader EU re-appointment calendar... and that’s where the fun begins. Brussels may drift into deal-making mode… though whether leaders really want to reopen that Pandora’s box is another matter
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
Potential institutional conflict in sight with António Costa being downgraded to President of the EU Council in the Commissioners' calendar 😱
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
The stock of free condoms (10,000) for fewer than 3,000 athletes ran out in just three days. (I wonder how long the same supply would last in the EU bubble) www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/f...
theguardian.com
Love in a cold climate: Winter Olympic village runs out of condoms after three days
Free condoms for competitors at the Winter Olympics have run out within a record-breaking three days
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
You’ve got to give it to Costa: This might've been the nerdiest post-summit presser ever, an orgy of EU jargon. The peak was probably von der Leyen arguing the EU needs fewer directives, more regulations, and far fewer delegated acts—while also floating "enhanced cooperation"
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Brutal moment for EU jargon nerds: Nobody knows what "MFF" is, European Council president António Costa let it slip at the press conference following the EU leaders' retreat in Alden Biesen (and after momentarily forgetting the correct acronym himself)
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
"I'm freezing..." Italy's PM Giorgia Meloni discovers new parts of Belgium at the informal EU leaders' retreat in Alden-Biesen
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Alden Biesen is not the easiest location logistically for an informal EU summit but it fits a pattern: when facing existential moments (from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to Brexit and 9/11), EU leaders seem drawn to castles to ponder the continent's fate www.politico.eu/article/info...
politico.eu
Fortress Europe? EU leaders (once again) head to a castle for high-stakes talks.
From Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to Brexit to 9/11, EU leaders have often used tough moments as a reason to head into the countryside.
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Imagine how complicated American football must be when even after a full political rant about a singer using Spanish, Trump still couldn’t resist complaining about how stupid one rule is. Like… sorry, I just can’t unsee it
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Men’s ski jumping hits crunch time (shall I say crotch time?) and I can’t stop thinking about the poetry of this 'penis injection' thing which is not doping, just pure aerodynamics: 3 cm here become 5 to 6 extra meters down there by landing. Nothing lost, everything transformed
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
An extraordinary 'power play' (yes, that’s the actual name of the move) by Italy’s Stefania Constantini has been crucial to seal a 7–6 win over the U.S. in mixed doubles curling. Even more extraordinary given minister Salvini was in the stands—famously a walking jinx for Italian athletes
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Don't feed 'el loco' new ideas, Benito
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
It's the same all over the world: Indian farmers' leaders called India-U.S. trade deal a “total surrender” to American agricultural multinational corporations, demanding Trade Minister’s immediate resignation www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...
thehindu.com
Samyukt Kisan Morcha demands Goyal’s resignation, asks Modi to refrain from signing deal with U.S.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha demands Piyush Goyal's resignation and protests against the U.S.-India trade deal's impact on farmers.
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
“Injecting hyaluronic acid in your dong” deserves to be an EPSO AD5 test option for male candidates under the question: How far would you go to become a lifelong eurocrat?
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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
It’s always kind of sad when the cruelty of having drawn the shortest straw is so plainly on display
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