Gerardo Fortuna
@gerardofortuna.bsky.social
CIAO THERE. Brussels-based polémiste. Brussels Playbook Author at @politico.eu
Pinned
ICYMI: It’s now official. As of today, I’ve started as Brussels Playbook author at @politico.eu, bringing you scoops, whispers, and sharp analysis from the Brussels bubble to Europe (and beyond) every Wednesday and Thursday
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
February 9, 2026 at 4:33 PM
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
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
February 9, 2026 at 4:07 PM
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
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
Even more extraordinary given minister Salvini was in the stands—famously a walking jinx for Italian athletes
February 9, 2026 at 12:08 PM
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
Even more extraordinary given minister Salvini was in the stands—famously a walking jinx for Italian athletes
Don't feed 'el loco' new ideas, Benito
God Bless America. Chile, Argentina, Uruguay,Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador,Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba,Republica Dominicana, Jamaica, Haiti,Antilles, United States,Canada,& my motherland,mi patria, Puerto Rico.
February 9, 2026 at 8:20 AM
Don't feed 'el loco' new ideas, Benito
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...
www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...
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.
www.thehindu.com
February 8, 2026 at 3:08 PM
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...
www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...
“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?
February 6, 2026 at 11:47 AM
“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?
It’s always kind of sad when the cruelty of having drawn the shortest straw is so plainly on display
February 4, 2026 at 5:35 PM
It’s always kind of sad when the cruelty of having drawn the shortest straw is so plainly on display
Greenland effect on Eurobarometer? Asked if they would feel more worried if their country were not an EU member, Danes tops the list (76%). Views of the US are bleak too: 91% of Danish respondents say things are going wrong there, versus just 4% who think they’re going right
February 4, 2026 at 4:51 PM
Greenland effect on Eurobarometer? Asked if they would feel more worried if their country were not an EU member, Danes tops the list (76%). Views of the US are bleak too: 91% of Danish respondents say things are going wrong there, versus just 4% who think they’re going right
Today’s Brussels Playbook must-read is Enrico Letta's take: the run-up to the 12 Feb EU leaders' retreat is crucial. The goal is still to make 2028 Europe’s new 1992 (a Maastricht-style ambition then) by finally completing the Single Market
February 4, 2026 at 8:45 AM
Today’s Brussels Playbook must-read is Enrico Letta's take: the run-up to the 12 Feb EU leaders' retreat is crucial. The goal is still to make 2028 Europe’s new 1992 (a Maastricht-style ambition then) by finally completing the Single Market
The EU's anti-coercion instrument for dummies
February 3, 2026 at 7:10 PM
The EU's anti-coercion instrument for dummies
Reposted by Gerardo Fortuna
#EUInstitutions - #Commission therapy session: #VonderLeyen tries to stamp out tensions in her top team, by @gerardofortuna.bsky.social | Politico
www.politico.eu/article/comm...
www.politico.eu/article/comm...
Commission therapy session: Von der Leyen tries to stamp out tensions in her top team
A series of incidents involving commissioners has led to the president calling a crunch meeting.
www.politico.eu
February 3, 2026 at 11:45 AM
#EUInstitutions - #Commission therapy session: #VonderLeyen tries to stamp out tensions in her top team, by @gerardofortuna.bsky.social | Politico
www.politico.eu/article/comm...
www.politico.eu/article/comm...
Just a meeting, or inter-institutional accusations in disguise? (Just in case, I know Commissioners’ work is often under investigation, but that’s not a very nice thing to say about OLAF)
February 3, 2026 at 10:32 AM
Just a meeting, or inter-institutional accusations in disguise? (Just in case, I know Commissioners’ work is often under investigation, but that’s not a very nice thing to say about OLAF)
Latest on EU and Epstein files: the Commission says it's not proactively checking if former or current EU officials appear in the files, nor can it exclude it. “These are millions of pages,” a spokesperson said, "we're also still discovering, as you are, what's being disclosed"
February 2, 2026 at 6:57 PM
Latest on EU and Epstein files: the Commission says it's not proactively checking if former or current EU officials appear in the files, nor can it exclude it. “These are millions of pages,” a spokesperson said, "we're also still discovering, as you are, what's being disclosed"
Still no deal on the €90bn loan to finance Ukraine, a Cypriot EU presidency spokesperson says. “Work will continue on a compromise text,” to be circulated among EU ambassadors “in the coming days.” Reminder: time is running out as Ukraine runs out of money from the end of March
February 2, 2026 at 6:37 PM
Still no deal on the €90bn loan to finance Ukraine, a Cypriot EU presidency spokesperson says. “Work will continue on a compromise text,” to be circulated among EU ambassadors “in the coming days.” Reminder: time is running out as Ukraine runs out of money from the end of March
Using the well-reputed (and so far accurate) Weyand snapshot barometer, the EU–India deal could be classified as a good one
January 28, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Using the well-reputed (and so far accurate) Weyand snapshot barometer, the EU–India deal could be classified as a good one
For India's Republic Day Parade, Von der Leyen wore a sherwani (a coat-style garment quite popular for visiting international dignitaries). Not exactly sober with rich gold floral brocade, but the final look is stylish with the 'fusion' pairing with light-colored Western trousers
January 26, 2026 at 6:05 PM
For India's Republic Day Parade, Von der Leyen wore a sherwani (a coat-style garment quite popular for visiting international dignitaries). Not exactly sober with rich gold floral brocade, but the final look is stylish with the 'fusion' pairing with light-colored Western trousers
Literally every headline quoting this man takes on a whole new flavor the moment they use that sunglasses pic
January 26, 2026 at 10:37 AM
Literally every headline quoting this man takes on a whole new flavor the moment they use that sunglasses pic
In today’s Brussels Playbook: the 'enlargement' element of the EU–U.S. $800 billion “prosperity” framework for Ukraine—that @politico.eu scooped last Friday—is raising eyebrows in some member states
🧵👇 (1/6)
🧵👇 (1/6)
January 26, 2026 at 10:18 AM
In today’s Brussels Playbook: the 'enlargement' element of the EU–U.S. $800 billion “prosperity” framework for Ukraine—that @politico.eu scooped last Friday—is raising eyebrows in some member states
🧵👇 (1/6)
🧵👇 (1/6)
The “Macron glasses effect” is real: Maison Henry Jullien says the Pacific glasses worn by the French President in Davos and at EUCO triggered such “exceptional” traffic that it had to create a temporary purchase page. State coolness, now officially a technical issue
January 22, 2026 at 11:02 PM
The “Macron glasses effect” is real: Maison Henry Jullien says the Pacific glasses worn by the French President in Davos and at EUCO triggered such “exceptional” traffic that it had to create a temporary purchase page. State coolness, now officially a technical issue
LIVE from EUCO: that's an actual Nobel Peace Prize
January 22, 2026 at 8:39 PM
LIVE from EUCO: that's an actual Nobel Peace Prize
One thing to watch at EUCO: Will anyone (ahem, Friedrich Merz) raise the EU–Mercosur deal stalemate? And if so, will von der Leyen find herself in the hot seat for underestimating a relatively minor parliamentary vote that has now complicated the process of getting the deal over the line?
January 22, 2026 at 5:58 PM
One thing to watch at EUCO: Will anyone (ahem, Friedrich Merz) raise the EU–Mercosur deal stalemate? And if so, will von der Leyen find herself in the hot seat for underestimating a relatively minor parliamentary vote that has now complicated the process of getting the deal over the line?
LIVE from EUCO: Danish PM Mette Frederiksen is open to working with the Americans, as long as it’s in the framework of the 1951 defense agreement (that allows American military bases in Greenland), @jakobweizman.bsky.social reports for @politico.eu liveblog
January 22, 2026 at 5:47 PM
LIVE from EUCO: Danish PM Mette Frederiksen is open to working with the Americans, as long as it’s in the framework of the 1951 defense agreement (that allows American military bases in Greenland), @jakobweizman.bsky.social reports for @politico.eu liveblog
LIVE from European Council: He's wearing them 😎
January 22, 2026 at 5:28 PM
LIVE from European Council: He's wearing them 😎
