[fpp]

I believe it is more incompetence, lack of technology understanding and / or complete ignorance. You can't explain otherwise how a person like Oettinger can be put in charge of such an important part of the economy.

I'm still waiting when they suggest that airline pilots can be replaced with bus drivers to stop them going on strike / industrial action - it's called an Airbus so there shouldn't be much difference, after all it has bus in the name.

[merb]

He is a shame for his country. Never heard a man speaking english so badly when thats his job.

And he never said anything good. He was one of the worst minister of the state i'm living in. Clearly only one guy after him was worse.

He is totally stupid and he and his successor managed it that people started to vote other parties on state votes, after over 50 years the CDU dropped out of the state cabinet.

And now here is the fun fact. Most german politicians inside the EU are politicians nobody wanted in the foreign country. The problem is even if they do completely bad things these politics never needed to fear about any judges against them.

[Fiahil]

> And now here is the fun fact. Most german politicians inside the EU are politicians nobody wanted in the foreign country.

That's funny, it's exactly the same, here, in France!

[disgruntledphd2]

In Ireland, too. It's essentially where you send either a complete idiot, or someone who threatens you politically, to retire.

They get lots of money, and you get rid of them. Sure, the Council pretty much agree with all commission proposed laws anyway, so the only risk is a media one.

[sonthonax]

Ireland's pretty bad, recently as MEPs we've had legalize-weed-druid, Ireland's Michelle Bachman, and far to many Sinn Feiners lately.

[spopejoy]

The Danish political drama 'Borgen' had this too, basically EU as political exile ... so possibly Denmark too

[_0ffh]

I smell intent. Stupid guy with no expertise whatsoever will be much easier to manipulate into stupid bullshit like this over lobsters and a glass of wine. He might even fool himself into thinking he's doing good! And will probably not get why we can't decide if we want to get upset, or laugh him out of the room...

[SixSigma]

When I worked in air transport we called passenger planes "pressurised buses"