03x02 - Le background

[bunniefuu]

...

-HI!

-I'm Rose.
-And me, Samy.

-We want to motivate you to watch
the series in the original version.

Really,
it's more authentic.

-Subtitles,
it's easy to read.

-What?
-It's easy to read.

-They do what they want!
-Subtitles!

-They are the ones...
-Subtitles!

-OK!

-Subtitles,
and in original version.

-Scheize!

sh*t!

Oh!

-Martin?

Martin?

- Ilsa?
-Should I wake you up from your nap?

-Of course not!
-This is quite normal.

By rubbing shoulders with French people,
we adopt their “gentle way of life”!

-I've only been working
with Specklin for 2 years, it's going well!

-My grandfather lived
a year and a half in

Paris, and yet, years
later he still talked

about it: little Parisians,
the Eiffel

Tower, the little cafes...
He would have liked to stay.

-So what?

Did he miss his country?
-Yes.

He missed it.
And then the Allies landed.

-Hm...

-The future president would like
you to be secretary general again.

Your expertise would be a

valuable asset.
But above all he would

like to ensure your loyalty...

-Sorry. Tell Konrad that
my door is wide open for him.

-OK.

Imagine, Martin...

If our general secretary
managed business in

the French way: the carelessness, the deficits,

the endless lunches where
we attack cheese at 2:30 p.m..

-Let him come and do his inspection.
I have nothing to hide from him.

-So much the better.
This shouldn't be necessary.

Oh! Martin!

It's not prudent,
to leave your keys outside.

-Valentine Cantel
is candidate for the

post of commissioner, a sort of European minister.

The French president...

Let's just say
he... suggested his name.

It must be approved
by the members of Parliament.

European,
huh. Not French.

She will be cooked
and will have to go to meetings...

*-I see.

*Do you have an example?
-Yes, of course.

They ask about stories
of rules and norms.

But this article
would focus on the candidate.

Seen from
the inside, it's fascinating.

*-I don't think the New
York Times is interested at the moment.

*We focus on Taiwan
and the possible Chinese invasion.

*We
prefer to cover Asia.

-No one is up to
against the Taiwanese!

Moreover, the Commission has
launched an electronic chip project.

When it comes to industry, the

European Union... He decorated himself.

Why am I bothering?
There's nothing to tell.

This place is as boring
as the people who work there.

-"In one place, in one day,

"a
single fait accompli

holds until the end "the theater filled."

-What?

You were saying?

-This is what all
French classicists call

"the 3 units": to
capture the attention of

the audience, . white]playwrights must describe

white]1 action in 1 location over 1 day.
-The EU problem,

it takes place over 7
years with 5 institutions in 3

cities and in 24 languages
​​discussed between 4 walls.

-At Corneille, the action happens
as much behind the scenes as on stage.

-So if there's no drama,
are you saying I have to create one?

-No.
-OK. THANKS !

-That's
not what I said.

My God...

-I saw my future colleagues.
It's like changing high schools.

comes in.

I'll leave you, I have to prepare
my hearing with the deputies.

-Are you worried?
-Terribly.

No, frankly.

It's not a small deputy who will
oppose the President of the Republic.

There are some idiots,

but they have a survival instinct.

-As I told you,
it's background.

Please.

Thank you, ladies. Bye.

-How was I?
-As always: great.

-Damn! There
was no point in locking!

-You just have to assume
working with Valentine.

-I still work for my group,
the transition is delicate.

Besides, the remarks about
the somewhat stupid deputies are...

-Oh, it's okay!

-It was very fine!
-Oh good?

-Journalists
love secrets.

Good job, Felix.

So I thought about it.

I'm going to take advantage of the
hearing to make my announcement.

No one expects it, and bam, I am

launching my industrial project: Airbus of the sea.

I take everyone by surprise.
-It's super disruptive!

-It's
clear. It's great.

-Before, it would be wise to show
that you have mastered the legislation.

The deputies who will hear you have worked on texts...

-Exactly, they're fed up!

They want to be stimulated.
-Yeah.

-However,
regarding questions...

-Samy
got them back for me.

Huh?
-Yes, I have them.

-Can we see them?

-Yes, yes.

-Now?

-Yes.

-Come on!

-2 seconds.

It's not my fault.
It's in my folder.

I...

I'm looking.

-Here they are.

-Did you get them too?
-Useless. The deputies were

all rapporteurs on a specific
text and they will question

it, in particular the RRF regulation,
the CVD

directive, the framework agreement
on working groups... No mystery.

-Do you have that too?

-That's exactly it.

-Framework agreement?
-Yes, I have.

-RRF ?
-I have too.

-CVD?

-CBD.

-"CVD".
-CVD.

I have both, actually.

-Perfect. I take
their quiz and it's good.

Thank you.

-This should be
fixed in one hearing.

Unless you have
enemies among

your former colleagues who would like to harm you.

That would require a bit of preparation.
-I'm very appreciated here.

-Yes, extremely.

-We're going to do it!

She tried to cheat!

This is an affront to
the representatives of Europe!

Really! What
you need to do is get it dirty!

We need a scandalous
detail even outrageous,

like: she secretly plagiarized
an entire paragraph of her thesis.

That would be perfect!
-Um...

I did some research:
she didn't do a thesis.

-If she doesn't have her
doctorate, we've got her! Easy !

-In
France, it is legal.

-It seems, she

lives with a man
in sin.

Outside of any marriage!

-One could say that
she has ties to Jewish financiers.

-Let's not overdo it.

-We wouldn't put it that way.
We can just say "George Soros".

People will understand.

-[The Hungarian, you kick
him from the mailing list, OK?]

-Cite us Article 126 of the
Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.

-Member States
must avoid deficits.

The Commission must
monitor the budgetary situation.

-It seems...

Surely rubbish, but they

say that you oppose
the 3% deficit rule.

-What? Me ? No !

The...

The deficits are unjustifiable!
For most, it's a mistake...

-"Most"?
-No, I...

Budget balance,
it’s precisely a balance!

Except in certain cases,
we can only tolerate...

-"In certain cases"?
Are there many such cases?

-No!

They are very rare!
-Martin...

Do you think
that the Euro is a

political project, or an instrument of stability?

-An
instrument of stability.

-Good!

What time is it?

-12:28 p.

m. We
almost were late!

white]Let's go to lunch.
-I can't believe she said that!

-She doesn't know
us, so it was quite a risk.

-What's going on?

-Valentine Cantel told us
that the deputies have an

interest in closing it because it
was chosen by the king of France.

-At a press conference?
-No, a private meeting.

-Thanks for telling me your boss
was giving a private conference.

*-I thought we didn't talk about
work when we were together.

-OK, I see...

So, this
is the exact quote?

-Yes, but it's unusable.
It's background.

-Obviously, background.

-Hey! I told you
it was background!

-Are you serious?
Are you stealing our notes?

-No, I didn't do that!
This thing is crazy!

He takes photos by himself!
He has a serious problem!

Um...

When we say
"background", is it unofficial?

-You can publish something unofficial
without saying who the author is.

"A relative of an MEP
says he wants to be polished."

Background, this never happened:
"I will deny everything until I die."

There's nothing to gain from
it, this is gossip for the press.

-No, it
was in the trash.

-Of course not!
-We saw you take it.

...

-The


The show
is about to begin.

-Hello everyone.

Thank you for...

-In accordance with
Article 3 on the conduct of

hearings, the designated commissioners will

make a presentation of
a maximum duration of 10 minutes.

Madam Commissioner-designate,
the floor is yours.

-Ladies and
Gentlemen deputies...

-Here we go for melodrama.
Much ado about nothing.

-I see it as a tragedy

worthy of the ancients.

In the hemicycle,
political contradictions

always resolve themselves.
This staging of conflict

and the resulting catharsis are
the very essence of democracy.

It is no coincidence
that theater and

democracy were born together in Athens.

-That is why,
once invested...

-The time limit

has expired.

Now, in accordance
with Annex 6 of

the Rules of Procedure, MPs have the right

to ask up to 25 questions.
The

first question will be asked by MEP Panuto.

-Should we review the key instrument
that is the RRF with regard to

fundraising
in accordance with comitology?

-The RRF...

Was that right? Yes.

-[Tell me...

[Didn't you have
to clear the land?]

-Regulation,
introduced for the first time...

-It's still delicious!
-I have another one.

An Italian, a Portuguese and a
Greek are in a café. Who pays ?

The German.

-I really like humor.

It was in Brussels
that I got started.

It's very pleasant!

-Did you see the
inflation figures this morning?

-What is the purpose
of the Central Bank?

-I also have a joke.

-Ah?
-He is a peasant who has a horse.

He decides to
feed him less to

save money, so he reduces the rations.

The
horse ends up dying.

The peasant cries:
"What a shame! He died while

"I had just got him used to
not eating anything anymore!

-I
didn't understand.

-I
understood very well.

-In Spanish,
it's so much funnier!

Bon
appetit.

Hello!
-Ah!

Bah!

You didn't have
the roasted Camembert?

-Please!

I'll have the
roasted camembert.

You'll
put that on my bill.

Michel,

I
thought about it.

You must
remain president.

-Ah? But
it's not in the rules.

Oh?
All right.

-Um...

Ah,
I found it.

-Seventh question:
Deputy Zayer.

-Your position on the CVD directive?

-Um... Could you repeat?
-Sorry, the list is going to be long,

we won't be
able to repeat everything.

-The CVD directive?
It's the same thing

as the framework agreement, right?

Finally, "the same
thing", I don't want

to say that it's the same thing, but it's related, really.

It's...

You can find

a link there.

Um...

It's not strange...
-Please!

A new element
has reached us.

I have just received
an extract from an

article relating an exchange between Ms.

Cantel and journalists.

white]It's in the press.
I quote: "As

if a small deputy
was going to oppose

"the Pdt of the French Republic.
Some of

them are stupid, "but
they have a survival instinct."

Did you say

those words, Mrs. Cantel?

-No.

-No?
-No.

They
weren't the same words.

I didn't say "beasts".

-What
were you implying?

-It was a joke.
-And how is that funny?

I don't hear any laughter here.
-The context is unfavorable for me.

-Explain to us
how is this funny.

You like it,
to make fun of us?

Are the representatives of
the people that laughable?

-I don't know!

It was background!

-Meaning? -It's not intended

to be published, it's off! -Oh, I see!

I've heard enough.
This hearing is over.

And I don't think
a second one will be useful.

We have a pretty good idea

of the kind of
nominee you are.

In accordance with Annex


this commission will
withdraw during deliberation.

The vote will
take place tomorrow.

-With your Parliament, your debates,
you think you are in Athens.

We, at the Commission,
we live in Sparta.

Do you know
the final test of cryptography,

the initiation reserved
for future Spartan leaders?

-The m*rder of a sl*ve.

-Well done, Samy!
Terrain well cleared!

-And you, with your leaking offs? -Never play a

game without knowing the rules: off does not exist here.

-And your files there?
-You're fired.

Let us work. Cleared.

Come on!
-Valentine...

-Thank you.

You smile.
That makes you laugh ?

-No.
-No?

-I...

-If the
deputies release me,

you go back to being
the lackey of your group.

Do you still find it funny?
-No.

-Okay, what are we doing here?
-We have to wait for the verdict.

Unless you get
a make-up session.

But the president does
not seem to be willing to do so.

-It's Cornelian.

-Huh?

-It's Cornelian.
Our situation is difficult.

Except
that Corneille...

No, a difficult choice,
is when there is a choice.

So it's not difficult.
It's a tragedy.

Like at Racine.

It's r*cist.

Okay, I'll take care of
the second audition, then.

Now, yes.

Eamon?

Are you okay?

-Samy...
-Yes?

-No.

-What, right?
-I'm not going to find a trick

which would allow your boss
to have a make-up hearing.

Ms
Cantel is a

candidate for commissioner, not an MP.

It's not
my responsibility.

-I knew
you would say that.

Gesine mentioned Annex


I found
something there.

Gesine can
refuse an additional

hearing, but article 4 of appendix 6:

"The other competent committees
may request a 2nd hearing."

We must therefore find a
commission that would have a say.

I saw the budgets committee, which has a

say on everything,
since money is needed,

and the deputies jump
on the slightest opportunity.

So we have
an additional

audition tomorrow for Valentine.

It blows
your mind, huh?

Say it!
It doesn't matter !

-Your copy of the rules
dates from two years ago.

-Um... Maybe.

-Allow me to offer you a
bound copy of the latest version.

-The cow!
It feels like Harry Potter!

-Harry how?

-So that's it,
am I a real wizard?

-No, there is still a way to
go. But this should help you.

-Are you okay, Gilles?
Hey, you're working hard there!

-Are you still with your English girl?
-Why are you asking me that?

-Simple curiosity.
Among colleagues, it's normal.

-Well no! I'm not asking
you if you're... I don't know.

-Sorry.

-But it was background!
We must never publish this!

-As a
famous journalist said:

"If the rules go against
you, goes against them."

-Who said that?
-Boris Johnson.

-This is false.
-Yes, I just made that up.