POLITICO Brussels Playbook Plus: Timmermans, bridge builder — Brexit hypotheticals — Transparency award

FRANS TIMMERMANS, BRIDGE BUILDER: The Commission’s first vice president spent much of his first year in office under attack from left-wingers unhappy that he was drastically reducing the legislative output of the EU and worried that his push for “better regulation” was simply code for “less regulation.”

How times have changed. Timmermans made a long statement on May Day celebrating Socialist political achievements such as the 8-hour work day, pensions, social security, secure working conditions, fair wages, prohibition of child labor, sick leave and the right to strike.

Timmermans then suggested: “The Social Democratic bridge builders had built the bridges. But now the bridges are there, so who needs the builders anymore?” In France at least, the overwhelming majority of voters don’t think they need any bridge builders. There’s also a bigger problem about the quality of the bridges. Timmermans thinks he might have the answer.

In an increasingly gig-based, zero-hours, self-employed, pay-for-your-own-education economy, Timmermans doubts that current welfare systems can cope. He is pushing for, among other things, an EU-wide debate about whether we need a universal basic income to help citizens cope with the stresses and insecurity of globalization, and help those who must simultaneously raise children, work low-paid jobs and care for their parents.

The global economy demands flexibility, but as Timmermans noted, “our mortgages or rent are not flexible, nor are our groceries.” If you thought the Commission’s recent proposal for an EU Pillar of Social Rights marked an about-face for a Union more associated with budget austerity and bank bailouts get ready for next week’s Commission paper on globalization. Fair trade, anyone?

HYPOTHETICALS: U.K. Brexit Secretary David Davis has claimed the British government doesn’t have to pay anything to the EU after Brexit if no trade deal is reached. If that is true, does it also mean the EU can simply walk away from its €500 million, 25-year lease on the European Medicines Agency’s swanky building in London — even though the lease has no break clause? Speaking of Davis, Playbook hears that the EU’s Brexit negotiators have such a low opinion of him they secretly hope he gets sacked. They don’t want him forced out after the June 8 election in order to gain a negotiating advantage, they simply think he doesn’t know enough to make it a useful, fair negotiation. Ouch.

MEPS VOTE AGAINST PUBLISHING RECEIPTS: Every month MEPs get around €4,000 as a “personal allowance” which they are meant to use on things like constituency offices and stationary. There’s no way of knowing what they spend it on, however, because they aren’t obliged to publish their receipts, and they rejected a proposal forcing them to do so in a vote last week. “Frankly, the complete lack of transparency and accountability of the [personal allowance] is appalling and it’s a scandal waiting to happen,” said Nick Aiossa, a researcher at Transparency International.

WONK OF THE WEEK: Richard Youngs is studying clampdowns against global civil society for Carnegie Europe, and has concluded that “the increasingly brutal crackdown against civic activists now represents a serious problem in well over a hundred countries in every region of the world.” The key EU figures he wants reading the reports: EU High Representative Federica Mogherini; Stavros Lambrinidis, the EU special representative for human rights; and the French and German foreign ministers and their teams.

BY THE NUMBERS

6 — The weight in kilograms of documents on Croatian EU accession and the EU-Canada trade deal that Jean-Claude Juncker dropped onto the dinner table when he met Theresa May last week.

1500 — Number of border guards at the EU’s external borders.

100,000 — Number of national border guards.

FEUD OF THE WEEK

Theresa May vs. journalists. What better way to celebrate Press Freedom Day this week than to lock reporters in a room! While tracking Theresa May, the U.K. prime minister, on the election campaign trail in the county of Cornwall, local journalists were banned from filming and put in a room which was then locked, prompting outrage. When they were finally allowed out to ask questions about a £264 million deficit in the county’s social care services, May responded: “That is about strong and stable leadership.” Alas, she didn’t add, “Now back in the room with you.”

GAFFES AND LAUGHS

Transparency award: Whoever leaked an extraordinarily detailed account of the Brexit dinner at which Jean-Claude Juncker, Michel Barnier, Martin Selmayr, Theresa May and David Davis were guests.

Getting ahead of oneself: Vicky Ford is the luckiest of the U.K. MEPs hoping to get elected in the June general election. She’s been selected as Conservative candidate for the safe seat of Chelmsford (the Conservatives won it by 18,000 votes in 2015). That didn’t stop Ford tempting fate at Wednesday’s meeting of the Parliament’s single market committee. Ford said goodbye to colleagues and invited everyone to drop in for tea next time they’re in London.

EPC’s new way to make ends meet: We know life is tough for think tanks these days, but the EPC is taking money-making to new levels. It sent out an email blast offering to rent 25 square meter corners of its Brussels office near Trone metro station.

Calling all Radiohead lovers: Do you love “OK Computer?” There will be a special “immersive listening session” on May 21 in Brussels. The event will take place at Le Cercle des Voyageurs.

Mixed message of the week: The #StopSharing campaign, a social media drive against governments using patient information to track down illegal immigrants, urged supporters to  “Please also share our posts about the campaign on social media.” Erm…

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

European parliamentary assistant Emilio Puccio and the singer Mika.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Nothing to be paid” — U.K. Brexit Secretary David Davis’ view on what exactly the U.K. should fork out to Brussels if no Brexit deal is reached.

WHO’S UP

Theresa May: The U.K. prime minister turned a potentially dynamite account of her dinner with Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker into a tool with which to bash Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Matteo Renzi: Italy’s former prime minister held onto the reins of the Democratic Party.

WHO’S DOWN

Zoran Zaev: The leader of Macedonia’s left-wing opposition was beaten up in parliament last week amid fears the country is collapsing into political chaos.

JP Morgan bankers: Many will be forced to swap London for Luxembourg after the bank clarified its short-term Brexit plans.

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