EU commission chief Juncker (l) announced that his head of cabinet Selmayr becomes the executive's most senior civil servant - in what many inside the Berlaymont consider as a coup (Photo: European Commission)

EUobserved

At the court of the EU bubble kings

EU Political

by Eric Maurice, Brussels,

What did Jean-Claude Juncker expect when he came to the European Commission press room last Wednesday (21 February)?  

The surprise press conference, announced just 40 minutes beforehand, was to make public the appointment of the new secretary general, the EU executive's highest civil servant.

By the mere fact that it was conveyed in person by the institution's political boss, the news - which would have usually been is of interest to only a handful of people beyond Brussels' EU q...