The Doorstep Challenge

For one British hack* at the EU summit this week, the challenge from his editor was to get an EU leader – any of them – to comment on David Cameron’s wish to repatriate certain powers from Brussels.

As each one passed the entrance to the summit building, the journo yelled out variations on the theme of “Is David Cameron going to get any powers back?”

Few, if any, nibbled at the bait.

So it was perhaps not the most diplomatic for EU commission pomme-de-terre Barroso to respond with a chuckle.

But then who, just who is it who mutters an audible “no” as Barroso’s chief of staff and former head of comms Johannes Laitenberger steams past the outstretched mic? Surely not ye’highness himself?

Judge for yourself below. (Headphones advised)

BM *update: *hat-tip* to Adam Fleming, off of that-there BBC, for it is he.