Brussels diary: MANNEKEN PIS
At Nato a wave of nervousness has greeted the arrival of the new secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a man so renowned as a control freak that, during his time as Danish premier, the contents of the prime ministerial fruit bowl became a national joke. When interviewing him journalists noticed how, before eating a grape, Rasmussen would carefully select and then polish it several times on his jacket before popping it in his mouth. Rasmussen’s war on germs extends to cutlery, which he often wipes on a napkin before use—even in the smartest of restaurants. And the new Nato secretary general is said to avoid touching lavatory door handles.
Though Nato’s cleaners will be under greater pressure than ever before, anxiety is highest in the organisation’s press service. Rasmussen was the first Danish political leader to employ a spin doctor and is bringing at least one communications aide with him. He has long thought that Nato needs to sharpen its presentation and was getting involved even in the era of his Dutch predecessor Jaap De Hoop Scheffer (whose regime was so low-key that he won the nickname “De Hoop-less”). Denmark funded the Nato internet television channel natochannel.tv, which Rasmussen launched alongside De Hoop Scheffer.
It is a fair bet that natochannel.tv, which dispenses images of troops and weaponry in Afghanistan, will start transmitting more pictures of the alliance’s secretary general in commanding poses. As prime minister during his country’s presidency of the EU in 2002, Rasmussen allowed a Danish documentary-maker behind-the-scenes access to private meetings and events. Several politicians emerged from the resulting film looking less than impressive, the leading casualty being Per Stig Møller, the foreign minister, who was shown being summarily overruled by his prime minister during discussions.
Jacques Chirac, then the French president, was also furious after being surprised when the camera crew were allowed access to restricted areas at a summit. One person did, however, appear to be very much in control in the film, with never a hair out of place: Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Source: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk, 9th September 2009