Jean-Claude Juncker has complained that as president of the European Commission he does not have a “stately home” to live in or a personal aircraft like the US president’s Air Force One.
The top EU official has revealed his personal embarrassment at not having an impressive official residence to entertain European or world leaders.
“The commission president doesn’t have a residence. I have been living in a hotel apartment measuring 50 sq m for €3,250 [per month, £95 a night],” he told Germany’s Bild. “I can’t talk to official visitors sitting on my bed.”
Mr Juncker, 64, who finishes his five-year term in November, is offended that he has not had the perks enjoyed by ambassadors. “The Nato secretary-general lives in a stately home and invites us there sometimes. All the ambassadors have residences,” he said.
The former prime minister of Luxembourg said he was embarrassed at not having an EU aircraft at his personal disposal when meeting President Trump. “We had to fly on commercial flights as the commission does not have its own plane for official business,” he said. “When I was talking to Donald Trump, I was constantly looking at my watch so that I wouldn’t miss my flight home. Trump kept saying, ‘Your plane can wait!’ He didn’t realise that I didn’t have my own aeroplane.”
In 2009, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, blocked Mr Juncker from becoming president of the European Council, a job now held by Donald Tusk, because he demanded a palatial official residence and aeroplane.
Mr Juncker has been criticised over his use of chartered “air taxis”, costing up to £32,000 a time, to ferry him and his entourage to almost half of his official engagements around the world.
Mr Juncker said his successor should set up an anti-fake-news department to tackle “lies” about the EU. “We have been too hesitant about this,” he said.
