No, the EU’s Subservience to Washington Is Not a Joke

You would certainly be accused of telling a bad joke, if you were to claim that the European Commission had just named as chief economist of the EU’s Directorate General for Competition… a citizen of the United States. But it’s true. The nominee is American economist Fiona Scott Morton, a professor at Yale University who has worked as a regular consultant for Big Tech in U.S. firms. In her new role in Brussels, she is in charge of ensuring fair competition throughout the EU and advising the Commission on the new Digital Markets Act, which is supposed to curb the power of the tech giants.

Scott Morton’s nomination has drawn protests from several French ministers and from members of the European Parliament, who are astonished that Ursula von der Leyen could not find any European competent enough for the position.

But speaking of jokes, Vladimir Putin told one which is worth quoting, because it reflects what many in the non-Western world think of Europe. In an interview with Rossiya-1 TV July 16, the Russian President quipped: “You know, sometimes it looks like they [European politicians] are doing whatever they are told to from overseas. If they are told tomorrow: ‘We have decided to hang you all!’ they will ask only one question, with their eye down in surprise from their boldness: ‘Can we do this with the help of domestically-made ropes?’” However, he added, “the Americans are highly unlikely to give up such a large contract for their textile industry.”