Can Martin Selmayr’s denials be trusted?

Martin Selmayr, the so-called ‘monster’ of Brussels, has reacted angrily to claims that he set out to punish Britain over Brexit. Selmayr, controversially elevated last year to become secretary general of the European Commission, was said to have told a meeting in Brussels in November that ‘the power is with us’ in Brexit trade talks. The claim was repeated in a detailed article by Tory MP Greg Hands, who sets out allegations that Selmayr and Sabine Weyand, another top EU official, crafted the Brexit deal in order to inflict maximum pain on Britain. Needless to say, Selmayr isn’t happy. This morning, he shared a link to Hands’ Conservative Home piece saying:

Hands responded by saying:

Having been asked to clarify which bit of the article is ‘false’, Selmayr has since kept quiet. So who should we believe? And can the ‘monster’s’ denials be trusted? To help readers make up their minds, here is Mr S’s round-up of the times where Selmayr has called out inaccuracies: The angry row with Donald Tusk: