Putting the accent on Celts and Britons

Recent changes in the Commission's spokesman's service have left it with a discernible Celtic accent. Budget Commissioner Dalia Grybauskaité's new spokeswoman Christina Arigho is half Irish. The telegenic Development Commissioner Louis Michel's new microphone is John Clancy, formerly chief editor of Europe by Satellite, also half Irish. Jan Figel', the Slovak commissioner for education and culture, has recruited John McDonald, a Scot, to replace Frédéric Vincent, who has moved to Figel's private office. There are already three Irish nationals in the spokesmen's service, Peter Mandelson's Peter Power, Margot Wallström's Joe Hennon and Meglena Kuneva's Helen Kearns. The nine Britons in the service are the largest contingent from one member state. No doubt all this will be taken as further evidence of the triumph of English over French.