The Brief – Who tapped von der Leyen’s spin doctor?
Never mind that the global economy might be about to implode amid the war in the Middle East or that surging oil prices have handed Russia an unexpected windfall as Vladimir Putin pursues his crusade in Ukraine.
The story that has captured the attention of everyone within a square kilometre of the Schuman roundabout this week (read: us hacks) involves the surreptitious recording of a phone call between Ursula von der Leyen’s chief spinmeister, Alexandra Henman, and Politico reporter Gerardo Fortuna.
The call, which took place in early March, was posted on YouTube last week and then circulated in Hungarian and Slovak media.
Like all Brussels scandals (save this one), the details are less sexy than advertised. While the call itself offers a revealing – and at times entertaining – peek at how Politico’s Playbook franchise operates these days, the dialogue is a far cry from the Watergate tapes.
The real mystery is who recorded it and why.
Both Politico and the…
