Short criticism or self-irony: debate on Juncker-Sager



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A statement by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the joint press conference with Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) in Vienna on Friday sparked a stir. Some media and social media users believe that Juncker has strongly criticized Kurz. In fact, the statements of the President of the European Commission are ambiguous and could be interpreted as self-irony.

With regard to refugees and migration policy, Juncker said that the Commission had done its job in the Dublin reform. And more literally: "If I were President of the Council, I would not be so arrogant here because I know how difficult the compromise between Member States is."

No reaction to the press conference itself

It is surmised that Juncker Chancellor Kurz could have described him as arrogant. Conversely, the statement can also be considered an ironic self-criticism, in the sense of: It can act as the president of the Commission "arrogant" because it does not have to answer the difficult compromise.

At the press conference, the statement was apparently understood, because it did not provoke much excitement. Even Kurz himself did not seem to have been criticized. Some journalists have described the singer as "typical juncker humor". Juncker's thought, however, was clear: "But if you can not compromise, you should simply agree with the Commission's proposals."

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