EC boosts Johnson and Raab

EC 'sources' have given their views on the Tory leadership candidates in  the Gruadina to day:

For the EU, the bookies’ favourite Boris Johnson, is a Trumpian figure whose disputed claims and bombastic rhetoric played a major role in plunging the UK into what is seen in Brussels as the Brexit nightmare...The former foreign secretary is remembered for his early 1990s stint as Brussels correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, where he made his name mocking EU regulations, promoting what the European commission calls “Euromyths”. He achieved wider prominence for his claims during the EU referendum campaign. “He lied a lot to the British people,” said in 2016 the then French foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, said in 2016 [sic]...“The idea of Boris Johnson in the European council is probably quite abhorrent to some EU leaders,” an EU source said...The EU’s most senior civil servant, Martin Selmayr, once described a Johnson premiership as a “horror scenario”, classing him with Marine Le Pen and Donald Trump.

Another favourite, Dominic Raab, is held in low-esteem in Brussels. During his four-month tenure as Brexit secretary, he lost trust of his EU counterparts. “He was seen to be working against his prime minister and making things up,” the first EU source said...The European commission recently accused Raab of making “fraudulent” claims and spreading “pure disinformation” in a campaign video about the views of its secretary-general, Selmayr, on the future of Ireland.

Candidates deemed compromise choices at Westminster have also inspired mistrust in Brussels...Lamberts warns that nothing will change for May’s successor, as the EU will refuse to reopen the withdrawal agreement, including the Irish backstop...

So how will the EC react? It seems to be aware of some possibilities, running the gamut from vengeful punishment to feigned indifference, as usual:

More governments are coming round to the tough position of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who argued against a long extension on the grounds that Brexit would become a damaging and distracting burden for the EU.... [If Macron pushes us out he will be the toast of the provinces. But there is also insouciance] Meanwhile, the Tory contest is not keeping Brussels on the edge of its seat. “We really don’t care very much [who wins]” the diplomat said. “From an EU point of view, we would rather see someone that could deliver a smooth, orderly Brexit. [EC unicorns]  Whether Johnson is going to be able to deliver it, the UK is going to have to ask itself.”

Only Raab seems to have noticed another quite probable and unintended effect of these interventions. We might call it the Obama effect after his preachy intervention to urge us all to remain backfired during the Referendum campaign:

Responding to unfavourable reports from Brussels, Raab told the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show that it “probably tells you that I was doing my job in terms of pressing them hard and making sure that Britain’s interests were resolutely defended”.