London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Sep 20, 2026

The revenge of Big Tobacco

The revenge of Big Tobacco

Snus is back in the news, which is a reminder of a not-so-great moment in Commission history.

In the media (including here at POLITICO Towers), we love to use the word “Big” to describe a major industry — Big Tech, Big Pharma (or, even more terrifying, Big Farmer) and, of course, Big Tobacco.

It can’t be easy for Big Tobacco these days (to minimize the deadly impact of tobacco, just picture a sad executive forced to wear a giant cigarette costume, wandering around a shopping mall trying to sell his wares and being kicked by teenagers). Anyway, as you’ll have read in Brussels Playbook, the Swedish daily Aftonbladet wrote about a leaked European Commission document that suggested those meddling Brussels Eurocrats planned to double taxes on snus, the popular-in-Scandinavia tobacco product. For those unfamiliar with snus, imagine taking some of the “juice” that has collected at the bottom of your kitchen bin and smearing it on your gums and teeth.

Many Swedes and others were furious at this potential infringement on their traditional way of life, until the Commission made clear that it had no intention of making such a move.

You can’t mention snus and the EU without reference to John Dalli, the former Maltese member of the Commission who was obliged to resign from his role overseeing health and consumer policy in the second Commission led by José Manuel Barroso (old-timers may remember Barroso II for such luminaries as charisma-vacuum Catherine Ashton, lobbying enthusiast Neelie Kroes, and Berlusconi’s bag-carrier Antonio Tajani).

Full disclosure: This publication’s predecessor published a magazine previewing Barroso II in which this author wrote that Dalli would be unlikely to “rock the boat.” He didn’t rock the boat, of course, but rather attempted to set it on fire.

Dalli did so much damage that he got the media to come up with a -gate suffix for him (Dalligate), which is no mean feat, after one of his aides allegedly tried to obtain a €60 million bribe from a Swedish tobacco company to reverse an EU ban on snus.

Dalli quit his EU post in October 2012, and claimed that Barroso forced him out after presenting him with a report from OLAF, the bloc’s anti-fraud office (and also the snowman in the film “Frozen”). Dalli also claimed bribery charges leveled against him were part of a “campaign” to smear him. “This is another fraud,” he told the Times of Malta last year.

Why Big Snus hasn’t snapped up Dalli for a senior lobbying position remains a mystery.

CAPTION COMPETITION

“Coming soon to Netflix: ‘Macron’ in which a tough city cop moves into a quiet French village.”

Can you do better? Email pdallison@politico.eu or on Twitter @pdallisonesque

Last time we gave you this photo:



Thanks for all the entries. Here’s the best from our postbag — there’s no prize except for the gift of laughter, which I think we can all agree is far more valuable than cash or booze.

“And this is the prime minister. You’ll like him. He’s also new in the job and also relies on vast inherited wealth,” by Tom Morgan.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Addison Lee Founder Loses £20 Million UK Tax Tribunal Case
BrewDog Creditors Face Losses on About £190 Million of Debt
Harrods Seeks to Recover Abuse Compensation Costs From Mohamed Al Fayed’s Estate
Ed Davey Targets Reform UK as Liberal Democrat Conference Opens
Great Britain Retail Sales Rise 0.5% in August
NHS England Approves Life-Extending Treatment for Incurable Breast Cancer
Proposals to Limit NHS ADHD Diagnoses Draw Criticism From Patient Groups
Resolution Foundation Warns of Housing Cost Crunch for Low-Income UK Families
BBC Cash Reserves Fall to Decade Low as Annual Deficit Reaches £121 Million
Millisecond Software Error Triggered Major UK Air Traffic Control Disruption
Twenty Women Underwent Unnecessary Mastectomies During NHS Cancer Care
Sensitive UK Police Data Found Vulnerable to Access by Foreign Actors
British Steel Faces Renewed Pressure for a Long-Term Financial Plan
MPs Urge Government to End Thames Water Restructuring Talks With U.S. Hedge Funds
Andy Burnham Warns of Difficult UK Budget Choices as Inflation Returns to 3.1%
England Tightens School Food Standards With Restrictions on Deep-Fried and High-Sugar Foods
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Proposed Asylum Centre
Michael Marra Elected Leader of Scottish Labour
BBC Cash Reserves Fall Sharply as Financial Pressures Mount
George Osborne Calls for UK to Rejoin EU Customs Union
UK Explores Joining Canada-Led Global Defence Bank
Thirlwall Inquiry Highlights Management Failures Surrounding Lucy Letby Crimes
Parliamentary Committee Calls for New UK Law to Address AI Risks to Human Rights
UK Considers Giving Regional Mayors Greater Oversight of Water Companies
UK Opposition Presses Burnham for Stronger Response to Russian Security Threats
Reform UK Faces Scrutiny Over £72 Million in Donations as Political Finance Rules Tighten
Millisecond Software Failure Behind UK Air-Traffic Outage That Cancelled More Than 2,000 Flights
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Energy Prices Complicate Inflation Outlook
Burnham Warns of Difficult Choices in October Budget as UK Inflation Rises to 3.1%
Addison Lee Founder Loses £20.5 Million Non-Domicile Tax Case
BrewDog Creditors Face Heavy Losses After Collapse
Thirteenth Metropolitan Police Officer Dismissed Over Charing Cross Conduct
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Asylum Accommodation Plan
NHS Approves Life-Extending Treatment for Women With Incurable Breast Cancer
Software Defect Blamed for Major UK Air Traffic Disruption
Twenty Women Underwent Unnecessary Mastectomies at County Durham NHS Trust
British Steel Costs Taxpayers £1.3 Million a Day as MPs Demand Long-Term Plan
UK Parliament Advances Sovereign Grant Reform Setting Royal Funding at £99.9 Million
King Charles Urges Human-Centred Approach to Artificial Intelligence at Scotland Summit
House of Lords Begins Scrutiny of Voting-Age and Political Finance Reforms
UK Labour Market Shows Growing Divide Between Younger and Older Workers
Nearly Seven in 10 UK Small Businesses Delay or Cancel Growth Plans as Costs Rise
Andy Burnham Reaffirms UK Net-Zero Target Amid North Sea Energy Debate
UK Parliament Demands Credible Financial and Decarbonisation Plan for British Steel
MPs Urge Government to Reject Thames Water Rescue Deal and Prepare Special Administration
Bank of England Holds Rate at 3.75% as Energy Shock Raises Inflation Risks
TUC Calls for Social Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Taxes on Bank Profits
UK Parliament Enters Conference Recess After Advancing Sovereign Grant Legislation
King Charles Hosts Artificial Intelligence Leaders at Dumfries House Summit
Nearly Seven in Ten UK Small Businesses Delay or Cancel Growth Plans as Costs Rise
×