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Product Description
Product Description
For more than seven years, Derk-Jan Eppink worked as a senior official behind the scenes in the European Commission. The Commission is not well-known to the general public, but makes decisions which affect the daily lives of almost half a billion Europeans. Now that he has left the Commission to take up a new job in New York, Eppink looks back on his time in Europe. Eppink's book gives the reader a rare and ironic glimpse of life in Europe's corridors of power. In his inimitable style, he sketches a portrait of the 'European Mandarins', the European Commission's senior administrators, of whom a German Euro-Commissioner recently said 'they have too much power and are too little controlled'.
About the Author
Derk-Jan Eppink was a member of the cabinet staff of the European Commissioner Frits Bolkestein. He later worked for the Estonian Commissioner, Siim Kallas. For many years he was a political journalist, writing first for the Dutch 'NRC Handelsblad' and then for the Belgian 'De Standaard.' His first successful book 'Belgian Adventures' was also published by Lannoo.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
To an EU novice, this is a highly illuminating book, giving a fairly good sense of what the EU is (at the institutional level, at least). The book is a loose series of personal memories of his time as a (somewhat sceptical) EU Commission insider, lightly arranged to guide the reader gently into the labyrinth. This humane and story-led approach leaves the reader with a much more vivid and memorable impression of these arcane institutions than a formal description could hope to do. There's humour and a sense of fun (and perhaps a little too much whimsy) but the mixture makes for a very accessible intro to the EU.
Format:Paperback
This description of some of the lighter and surreal aspects of the College of Commissioners is right on target. Recognisable and self-aware.
Much of what is in this book are the antics and contradictions of any large organisation, but they obviously have a wider appeal because of the Commission's significance across Europe.
An amusing read.
Much of what is in this book are the antics and contradictions of any large organisation, but they obviously have a wider appeal because of the Commission's significance across Europe.
An amusing read.
Format:Paperback
Whilst the book is particularly entertaining for those who work at the European Institutions or those who want to learn more about it, I was not impressed by the style of writing; especially given the author is a journalist! The language is flowery and the chapters often lack structure. The metaphor used for the Commission ("Princess") is somewhat simplistic and patronising. Having said that, is does give an idea of the inner workings of the European Commission despite the constant stereotyping of its politicians and civil servants. It is entertaining, but by no means a masterpiece!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
how sure can one be of these stories?
This book is "light". That's not necessarily bad. It makes for some pleasant reading, for example while commuting to work. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Yannis
Entertaining and Informative Read
A very well written and ionformative account of how the EU commission functions on a day to day basis. Read more
Published on 26 Feb 2010 by Br Hawkins
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