Martin Selmayr, Juncker’s chief of staff, in what is being described as Machiavellian machinations – parachutage in French – has been dropped at speed into the top civil servant job in the European Commission. He is said to be too junior, without the normal experience for such a job and it adds another German to a top role. There are allegations of buying of commissioners’ support for the promotion by increasing the severance packages they receive at the end of their term – all hotly denied. Selmayr is known as domineering and ‘has long shown disdain and disregard for the traditional workings of the Commission, and a willingness to strong-arm colleagues and bulldoze opponents, earning him the nickname Monster of the Berlaymont.’ (Politico EU)
Born 5 December 1970 in Bonn, he is a Sagittarius like Juncker; with Venus Jupiter in Scorpio, where Juncker has Venus Saturn in Scorpio. Selmayr’s Jupiter Venus oppose Saturn in Taurus – certainly stubborn. His bullying tendencies will come from house positions which we don’t know without a birth time.
Tr Uranus will oppose his Mars late this April into May, repeating later into 2019, which is explosive and insecure, prone to reckless decisions; with similar from tr Pluto square his Mars/Uranus midpoint, now until late 2019. Though he’ll get a boost from tr Pluto sextile his Jupiter in 2019/2020.
His Pluto is exactly conjunct the EU’s Virgo Ascendant, so he will try to coerce the EU into bending to his will and will impose his idea of how it should present itself. His Sun is in the EU’s 3rd house conjunct the EU Mars and Saturn – he will provoke major irritation. His relationship chart with the EU is both slippery and chained-together. And with the UK, is at odds with a composite Saturn square Uranus – on conflicting agendas, cold, and likely to be fiery and argumentative in 2019/2020.
Juncker’s Sun is getting the tr Neptune square from this May onwards till late 2019, so low energy and morale, which might be health since he isn’t in good shape; or his plans not working out. Several countries are unhappy about the technocrats approach to Brexit for one thing, beginning to grasp the damage to their economies if the deal is too punitive for the UK.
Michael Barnier, if his birth time is sound, has tr Neptune conjunct his midheaven from May 2019 till late 2020 which doesn’t suggest constructive career progress; and high insecurity through 2019/2020 as well from tr Uranus square his Sun/Mars midpoint. Plus tr Neptune square his Jupiter/Saturn midpoint in 2020 which is often job loss or damage.
There will be ructions between France and Germany this April, and into 2019 – so Brussels won’t be boring in the time ahead.
Thank you for the article and the insight, Marjorie.