Coreper, and why no one on the outside can hear it
It is the room where the real yes-or-no happens, in a language that is 40% Latin and 60% shrug.
The Brussels Desk · Updated 17 min ago
What happened
Coreper, the committee of permanent representatives, prepares almost every decision ministers formally take. Most Council items are settled there and rubber-stamped later without discussion.
Why it matters
If you only watch ministerial meetings, you are watching the press conference, not the negotiation.
The Brussels angle
Ambassadors in Coreper have something ministers rarely have: time, continuity and a working knowledge of every file. That combination is where the real leverage sits.
What happens next
Coreper II meets weekly. The agenda is public; the interesting part is which items move from B to A.
The Brief
Brussels, decoded, once a week. No fog, no jargon, one good dry joke.