The European Commission has told its communications staff they are not allowed to publicly use the word “Brexit” before the EU referendum on June 23.
Officials received the order from the Commission’s directorate-general for communications.
In a development which in many ways perfectly captures the absurdity of the EU, staff have been told to use the terms “British situation” or “British referendum” in official communications instead.
However, some staff still use the portmanteau word “Brexit” term in internal meetings. The ban does not cover commissioners themselves.
The order is clearly a result of officials fearing that if staff say the word too often, Brexit will come true.
This week Heat Street revealed that Roy Dickinson, an adviser to José Leandro – head of policy, strategy, coordination and communication in the European Commission Directorate General of Economic and Financial Affairs – used a twitter account to pump out hundreds of pro-EU messages, triggering questions about bias.
Dickinson frequently used the term “Brexit”.
A memo on the Commission’s “Line to Take” on the issue of what to say about Brexit was emailed to officials in the EU executive body’s various directorate generals.
It stated:
• “It is for the British people to decide if they want the U.K. to remain a member of the European Union.”
• “It is the Commission’s sincere wish that the U.K. remains in the EU. More than ever, we want Europe to remain unified.”
• “But the Commission will not take part in the U.K.’s referendum campaign.”
• “We believe that the package of reforms agreed for the U.K. at the European Council on 19 February is a fair one: it is fair for the U.K., fair for the other Member States and fair for the EU as a whole. It responds to the concerns of the U.K. and respects basic principles of our Union.”
• If asked about what will happen if the U.K. votes to leave: The Commission does not speculate on hypothetical situations. The Commission does not want to enter into the details of plan B, because we do not have a plan B, we have a plan A: Britain should stay in the European Union as a constructive and active member of the EU.
The term ‘Brexit’ was first referred to in the mainstream media by Guardian journalist Michael White on January 1, 2012.
White wrote: “Brussels has a new word: ‘Brexit’.”
This means that White, not a shy man, did not coin the catchy term himself.
The hunt for the individual who did goes on…
