What's for lunch with the EU Ambassador?
Dining with the European Union's Luc Veron and his wife Nicole Weismann
Published May 21, 2023 10:56 am
Whenever possible and barring any work engagements, Ambassador Luc Veron of the European Union’s delegation (EU) to the Philippines likes to go home for lunch and eat with his wife, Mme. Nicole Weismann. They have their lunch at the lanai with a view of the garden, on a more intimate table allowing for more casual conversations.
“Here, we like to eat Filipino food so we have a Filipino chef,” Veron said. “We only use Filipino products with a European touch. Unlike some of my colleagues who represent one particular country, I don’t have to showcase a particular cuisine.” The wine, however, always comes from a country within the EU.
Veron admits to being a fan of pinakbet and chicken inasal. “He asks me to cook it at least once a week,” quipped Ilocana chef AP Canta as she served the bread, homemade ube sourdough with miso butter and Abra honey. “The ambassador likes to challenge me to come up with my own version of Filipino dishes.” The lunch would progress to us trying her version of the okoy, an elevated pinakbet, and even turon.
The couple, now on their third year of posting, has truly embraced life in the Philippines. Work definitely keeps Veron busy, with the EU maintaining its role as a staunch ally of the Philippines in supporting the rule of law, whether through voting against violence and aggression in other countries or the peaceful defense of the law of the sea.
“It’s important also to understand that we’re not doing this only to reaffirm our principles,” he shared with much candor. Veron emphasizes that freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, where 40 percent of international trade passes, is not something the EU can be indifferent to. As a major trading partner in the world, this is a strategic interest for the EU. “So, it’s a question of values, principles, if you wish, but at the same time, our core interests.”
Another core interest is peace and security in Mindanao, where the EU has actively played a role for years. Aside from helping build institutions in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), they also actively contribute to improving people’s livelihoods. “We are a major partner in this process with a 140 million euro portfolio for Mindanao, which includes projects in agriculture all around the BARMM.”
The EU is also active in promoting higher education and culture. They host education fairs and now have their own Euro Village from May 27 to 28. This one-of-a-kind, one-stop shop will highlight the best of food, products, lifestyle, tourism, culture, and languages from the EU. The event will take place at Capital Commons Park in Pasig from 4 p.m. until midnight.
Combining passions with duties
Before becoming a diplomat, Veron was first a journalist. He worked for a local newspaper and had an internship at the local TV station. “This was in the early ’80s, and it was a very heavy medium, having to process film,” he said.Veron eventually joined the European Commission and later became a diplomat for the EU. “I love writing, and as a diplomat, I have to write a lot. That part, I didn’t lose completely. I decided not to pursue journalism and became a civil servant instead because I wanted to be in the room,” he added with a smile, referring to how journalists are often outside government meetings, waiting for stories to report, a situation reporters like this writer are much too familiar with. “I like to report on things, which I continue to do for a much smaller audience.”
These days, the ambassador is able to continue his love for journalism while performing his duties through his own online talk show called EU You Talk. Veron provides a platform for young, up-and-coming talents. “I want to show that there is so much talent among young Filipinos. I want to show that to my people back home but also to Filipinos that there is so much talent and that you can make it here in the Philippines.”
Weismann, meanwhile, shares that being an ambassador’s spouse is a balancing act of responsibilities and pursuing her own interests. Most of her work focuses on running the residence, managing their social calendar, and actively participating in the Spouses of Heads of Mission (SHOM), an organization for ambassadors’ spouses posted in Manila.
On the side, she teaches yoga once a week in their home and practices her professional career as a family mediator—albeit in a voluntary capacity for an NGO. She has also been actively involved in fundraising for an orphanage. “This is why I came to the Philippines—to understand this country, to meet people, and to discover how they live,” she said. “I think it’s an interesting match [combining duties and passions]. The more you do, the more you interact, the more you understand and make sense of what you hear and learn.”
By combining their passions with their diplomatic duties, Veron and Weismann serve as a great example of how diplomacy can be impactful, innovative, and enjoyable. For Veron, one of the things he will look back on once he leaves Manila is whether he was able to “move the marker in the right direction,” something that can be achieved through three aspects of an ambassador’s role. First, by leading the hardworking team that comprises the embassy, immersing oneself in the local society wherever one is posted, and lastly, ensuring that the actions they take are understood.