Drunk with power

This week’s Economist unveils a whole new side to EU commission president Barroso.

Like ‘vice’ president Reding, Barroso, it seems, is something of a lush.

Apparently he seeks inspiration for political metaphor in the bottom of a glass.

The latest edition of the mag (‘The Bible of the Unbeliever’ said Bozo predecessor Romano Prodi once) cites the commish prez as comparing his institution to a cocktail.

The ‘Charlemagne’ column quotes him as warning against trying to split the politicos and the bureaucrats.

“We need both the gin and the tonic,” he told ’em. “We need the blend of political judgment and technocratic expertise.”

A tad insensitive to be saying so in Belgium, where gin (‘Genever’) is the nation’s second tipple – and is drunk on its own.

It does, however, open a new world of analogy.

Whither will the metaphor meander? It can only deteriorate, surely?

“Herman van Rompuy is like Blue Curacao – no-one’s first choice, but if it’s all there is, you’ll fuggin’ have it.”

“A pretty intern is like a bottle of Napoleon brandy – you should always have one in your cabinet! He he. PREFERABLY WITH THE TOP OFF ha ha ha, I said, ‘preferably with the top off’ aha.”

“The parliament is like a Snowball. Not very powerful, and too much of it can make you feel sick. Ahahahaaaa BLEURGH … oops.”

BM