A DANE SHOULD NEVER WORK FOR A SWEDE!


February 28, 2020
A Dane should never work for a Swede!
11.693 days is a long time.  Actually, it is 32 years. I worked in the European Commission for exactly 32 years. First 15 years in Copenhagen, then 17 years in Brussels.  And all the years were full of great experiences, very nice and creative colleagues and with a feeling that it made a difference, all what we we doing together.
Still, I decided long time before that I would retire after 32 years. Today this is 15 years ago. February 28, 2005. It was a great and enjoyable day!
I also thought that it would be better to leave as long as the colleagues said:  Oh no – do not leave us now. We are in the middle of very exciting and important projects!  And not wait until they said – or at least thought – Oh, why doesn’t he just leave us alone soon!
Nobody knew about my plans. So it was quite a surprise, also for my boss and my closest collaborators, when I on November 29 2004 handed in my formal request to leave. This had to be done at the latest 3 months before leaving.  It happened to be exactly 1 week after the new Barroso Commission had started. And Swedish Margot Wallström was my new direct political boss as responsible for communication.   But the two events had nothing to do with each other.
I couldn’t, though, resist the temptation to refer to the possible link between the two events. So when Margot Wallström herself came to my office on February 28 in the afternoon to give me a very nice bouquet of flowers to say thank you and good luck, she also regretted that we were not going to work together. I replied:  My son tells me that a Dane never works for a Swede!   She had a good laugh and invited me for lunch some day soon. Actually, that day never came, so perhaps she did not find the joke that funny 😊
 
The day continued – first with a meeting with all the heads of the Commission’s Offices around Europe. They happened to be in Brussels that day.   As old head of the Copenhagen Office for many years and later director for all Offices for some years in Brussels their work and well-being were very important to me.  I gave them a few well intended suggestions for their future work.
Afterwards I had arranged a good-bye reception in Berlaymont – also with a jazz orchestra.  A few nice speeches were made, by my Portuguese director-general, and not least a very personal and moving one by my Belgian secretary, Myriam.   

 And I finalised the talking myself with warm thanks for everything to everybody. And with a question:  So, what do you think will happen for me now?  Wait a moment!   While hiding a bit I changed from the “Commission uniform” jacket and tie to a very nice leather jacket I had just received from close friends at my 60 years birthday.  On its front and its back this was written:  HARLEY DAVIDSON.   
And ever since then many people have asked me: How is it going with your Harley Davidson?  It is working out fine, I could reply each time.   See the photo of my nice machine!
PS: And for this special day I had made a very special business card, which I gave to everybody.  
Life has to be taken seriously – but it also has to be fun!
It was a great day for me.  And it ended with the best pizza in town together with my family!

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