Ashton in massive charm offensive

Following weeks of criticism , Baroness Catherine Ashton seemed intent in proving her detractors wrong at the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers informal meeting held in Cordoba, Spain today.

In a move that took by surprise all EU Foreign Affairs Ministers present, Ashton decided to start the meeting with a small team building exercise and pulled out to seemingly identical cards with a loud: “So, who can spot the 6 differences”.

Though no footage is available of the reactions of the Ministers present, BJ reporters have been told that after an initial moment of awe, several Ministers showed their competitive spirits by interjecting the differences they spotted, with one of them stating out loud “Cathy: next time you should bring a buzzer because it’s not fair that the Spanish one keeps on winning because he shouts so much”.

Yes, a remarkable day indeed in Cordoba!

Ashton came last out of the meeting room and spoke cheerfully to the gathered journalists at the doorstep  about the enthusiasm displayed by her colleagues. When a French reporter, Paul Cinqsaison, pointedly asked if she was not turning a very important meeting into ridicule by playing games, the High Representative loftily shrugged the comment away. But the eye contact between the two protagonists certainly confirmed to all present there was more at stake than met the eye.