#OettiGate and #OettingAir: from free flight into free fall

While Twitter is running with the tag #OettiGate (which also refers to some of his many other gaffes), the current affair has picked up its own hashtag: #OettingAir.

Being commissioner for digital matters is no guarantee for digital savvy.

Mr Oettinger prides himself in being the last person to read news in a newspaper, not on a smartphone. And he – or, more likely, his social media person – bluntly shared a German article, quoting its headline; “Allegations of racism? That’s just who he is, our Oetti”.

Rassismus-Vorwürfe:So ist er nun mal, unser Oetti https://t.co/gp7C8rfEDX

— Günther H. Oettinger (@GOettingerEU) October 31, 2016

So far, the OettingAir affair has not fared any better.

Mr Oettinger’s account was keen to retweet reports about a Hungarian government official calling the affair “petty revenge” over a nuclear power plant – but this only shows his failure to acknowledge the real issue: ethics and transparency.

Unfortunately even the Commission’s spokesperson either misinterprets the Commission’s own ethics and transparency rules (“It’s not a gift, nor a meeting”), or he pretends not to understand them. I don’t know which is worse.

The legendary @Berlaymonster (no, not Martin Selmayr) commented: This is not a meeting.

Ceci n'est pas une reunion.#oettingair pic.twitter.com/JuPDXfU36l

— Berlaymonster (@Berlaymonster) November 17, 2016

While spokesperson parody @MinionAndreva quipped:

We spokes minions are making up ethical rules as we speak. #OettiGate https://t.co/FVEEMXmbMJ

— Minion Andreva (@MinionAndreva) November 17, 2016

On a lighter note, Mr Oettinger’s reply to EUobserver about accepting a free private flight from “Mr Russia” resulted in this Twitter gem.

Hi Javor, how can I help you ? /Marie

— Brussels Airlines (@FlyingBrussels) November 16, 2016

But even though Twitter can make us smile, ethics and transparency of public institutions are a serious matter, especially in EU’s current stormy climate.

Parody @GOettinger shows how Mr Oettinger’s free flight seems to have transformed into free fall – not just of his reputation, but also of the credibility of the European Commission, and citizen’s trust in the European Union.

A “last chance” commission cannot afford a liability like Mr Oettinger.

Stop feeding ammunition to eurosceptics.

Sodele. Des isch my new ventschur. Come fly wiss me! Flights with benefits. pic.twitter.com/mxJN7bPg6h

— Günther H. Oettinger (@GOettinger) November 16, 2016