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By Marni Rose McFall
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Jokes have circulated widely online over the timing of a response meeting organized by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, following strikes by the U.S. and Israel against Iran.
"I am convening a special Security College on Monday," von der Leyen wrote in a post on X on February 28, viewed over 30 million times. This sparked a slew of viral jokes online, from people who quipped that Europeans were waiting until the beginning of the work week to respond.
"World War 3 happening live. Europeans: 'The war starts on Monday,'" Denys Kohomyn, a finance media content creator, wrote in a post on X viewed over 500,000 times, accompanied by a picture of the late chef Anthony Bourdain, drinking a coffee at an outdoor café.
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The writer Jack Raines shared that same picture in a post viewed over 4 million times, with the text: "European diplomats when war breaks out outside of standard 9-5 working hours."
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Why It Matters
Early on Saturday, the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran in a military operation dubbed "Operation Epic Fury," signaling a sharp escalation after nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran failed to achieve an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. President Donald Trump has accused Iran of seeking to build a nuclear weapon and long-range missiles that could strike the U.S., an allegation denied by Tehran.
Iran condemned the U.S. and Israeli strikes as unprovoked and illegal and has launched retaliatory strikes on Israel and U.S. allied Gulf Arab countries, with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announcing a "large-scale" attack after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Strikes have targeted Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait.
European leaders responded over the weekend, with European foreign ministers meeting on Sunday night for an emergency session on the Middle East. Most leaders have responded with caution, urging Iran to seek a negotiated solution.
In a rare joint-statement, the leaders of the U.K., France and Germany called on the Iranian state to allow its people to determine their future, and condemned Tehran’s retaliatory attacks. In a statement on Sunday night, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that the U.K. has agreed to let the U.S. access British bases to attack missile sites and silos in Iran. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchéz has been the only EU leader to condemn the strikes.
What To Know
Although she has been ridiculed for her seemingly relaxed reaction to the situation in Iran, von der Leyen has, in fact, shared multiple posts on X about conversations she has had over the weekend with leaders in both Europe and the Middle East. In one, she described the developments in Iran as "greatly concerning" and said: "We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to safeguarding regional security and stability."
Despite the public and swift response from many European leaders—including von der Leyen—to the situation in the Middle East, the memes and jokes have come thick, fast and viral in response to her post on X about the meeting on Monday.
Jacob Reynolds, Head of Policy at MCC Brussels, wrote in a post on X viewed over 300,000 times: "Monday?! It’s important not to disturb anyone’s EU-mandated weekend rest and risk an infringement of the Working Time Directive."
The account Overheard on Wall Street shared a meme from the show Mad Men, which shows the character Michael Ginsberg, played by Ben Feldman, with the text overlay "Iran Just got nuked," while Jon Hamm’s Don Draper character has the text overlay of an out of office email. The post has been viewed 1.7 million times.
Social media user @MichTweets shared an image of Paris Hilton, holding a Frappuccino and wearing large sunglasses, with the text "Europeans showing up to war on Monday at 10:43 am," in a post viewed over 40,000 times.
What People Are Saying
Matthias Schmidt, whose X bio describes him as an EU-based founder, in a post on X viewed over 750,000 times: "Isn't Monday a public holiday in Spain (Day of the Balearic Islands)? Better wait until Tuesday to not disturb mandatory rest day."
Peter Hague, a software engineer, in a post on X viewed 1.5 million times: "Nothing is quite as European as demanding that your emergency WW3 meeting must only occur during normal office hours."
Social media user FortIS_55, in a post viewed over 690,000 times: "War with Iran? Can't right now, it's the weekend. I'll get back to you on Monday."
Becket Adams, a columnist for The Hill in a post on X viewed over 490,000 times: "Trump unlocked the secret: he can do whatever he wants internationally so long he does it on a weekend. No European works after 3 pm, let alone on a Saturday or a Sunday."
What Happens Next
As the world and world leaders continue to react to the widening conflict in the Middle East, so too will the internet, proving that, irrespective of the nature of the situation, people will attempt to find some humor.
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