New press man for Ritt

Date: 26/09/1996

Given the rate at which Environment Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard is despatching spokesmen, we had better hope they are recyclable.

John Iversen, the first one to leave, departed last year and has been successfully reassembled as a Euro MP.

Now, not very many months later, Jesper Jørgensen has announced he is returning to the services of DGXI (environment), apparently tired of the late nights in the office and even later night calls from the press corps, which, as we all know, never sleeps.

And what of the next man in?

Welcome, Peter Jørgensen, no relation, who is currently health attaché at the Danish representation and part of

Ritt's so-called 'Belgo-Danish coffee club'.

Jørgensen P. is a Social Democrat who knows Ritt from her time as social affairs minister.

He used to be her ghost writer and has been responsible for some of her most controversial articles and speeches - but not the memoirs of life so far in the Commission, which were writ by Ritt herself.

Jørgensen P. was given a rousing introduction by Jørgensen J. when the two appeared together on the platform in the Commission press room last week.

According to the outgoing Jørgensen, the incoming Jørgensen is very outgoing too, in the sense that he is a witty fellow who can be expected to have the press corps rolling in the aisles with mirth.

That's a lot to live up to, Jørgensen P., and we can hardly wait until you take over in mid-October.