iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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

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

Questions? Ask. I'm a boomer with these things too. Deadline: Tues, Sept 15, 23:59. No amendments. Not even for MEPs. Open to everyone — including von der Leyen herself. Madam President, do send me your 8 picks. Especially the Wild Card... May the best Brussels bubble oracle win

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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Example Team name: COREPER Hotspur Announcements: initiative on affordable housing; programme to boost fertilizers production Topics: wildfires; generational renewal in farming Person/Country: Trump; Macron Number: €100bn for Erasmus Wild Card: new EU-level intelligence body

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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

To make things easy, here’s a blank ticket you can copy and use to file your entry: Team name: Major Announcements: Topics: Person/Country: Number: Wild Card:

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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

How to play: reply with your 8 picks AND a team name. Bonus respect for terrible EU puns: Draghi Me to Victory, Macron and Cheese, Kallas of Duty, Art 7 Nation Army... Or DM your entry. Half of Brussels has my number anyway. Then wait for VALID. Until you get it, you're not in.

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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

⚠️No double dipping. If something on migration is one of your Major Announcements, you can't also pick migration as a Topic or a migration initiative as your Wild Card. ⚠️Announcements/Wild Cards must be specific enough that I can unambiguously decide whether they happened.

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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

No prize, because otherwise I suspect this starts looking suspiciously like gambling. The winner gets something much more valuable: eternal glory — and potentially evidence that they understand the Berlaymont better than the rest of us. Now, the rules:

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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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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

A few hours before, Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto confirmed in a press briefing that a rethink of DG REGIO is underway, without ruling out the possibility that it could ultimately disappear altogether

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Gerardo Fortuna @gerardofortuna.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

The note adds that the department’s top brass is “aware of the speculation circulating,” but stresses that “no decision has been made" about the DG's future. “You deserve to hear any significant news about your work and your futures from our institution—not from a news article”

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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

There’s a political agreement and now Hungary can only object (and will if oil flows aren’t restored). Everything now points to oil arriving tomorrow, but if it doesn’t, nothing is being “disapproved”; it simply means approval never happened in the first place

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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 · 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

(In case you don’t know what all that means and you still want to work in the EU bubble, you’re not quite there yet)

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