More than two decades since mobile phones have made texting ubiquitous, the European Union institutions struggle to square their transparency obligations with leader’s wishes to keep their direct exchanges confidential.
The conundrum became evident earlier this year in closed-door negotiations between policy-makers in the European Commission, the Council of member states, the European Parliament and other EU institutions over a common framework on how to deal with text messages.
Nothing says “democracy” more than making decisions behind closed doors without any accountability.
Didn’t she get in trouble as the German defence minister for dodgy texts?
Bundestag to probe defense minister [von der Leyen] over contracts [2018]
The investigative committee will examine irregularities in a contract awarded to McKinsey and a €390 million ($442 million) IT contract given to another company that failed to pass through the company’s supervisory board as required.
It will also investigate whether von der Leyen committed nepotism by hiring Katrin Suder, a former McKinsey consultant, as her deputy to oversee the ministry’s arms procurement section.
Defense Ministry ‘illegally’ wiped von der Leyen’s phone [2019]
German parliamentarians are accusing the Defense Ministry of torpedoing an investigation into alleged wrongdoing in its consultant contracts. The ex-defense chief’s phone was wiped after it was declared evidence.
I still don’t get how she got the job as president, the process is sus.
The word you are looking for is “hochgefeuert”.
Is that like the British term of failing upwards?
Yes. The literal translation would be “getting fired upwards”.
We are kind of notorious for pawning off our “best and brightest” (/s) to Brussels.
Not for texts, for being obviously corrupt and wasting money, the fact that she isn’t in prison is already a declaration of bankruptcy.
Privacy for me, client side scanning for thee.
If the EC mandates archiving of text messages and the people in question don’t want their conversation to be recorded, they’re just gonna use a voice call.
I’d say either outright mandate that all official interactions be recorded or just let officials text privately. Restrictions on texting alone don’t stop the problem and do create overhead for officials.
Agreed. Either it’s archive text messages, and also tape-record all verbal communication as well, or just let people talk to each other without all this admin.
Nothing new for Zensursula. But here’s some chat control legislation for the commoners.
First rule of the Commission. You don’t talk about the Commission.
