Damian Chalmers is a professor of European Union law at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Recently, he’s been studying the effects of EU law on states that aren’t covered by EU law and the different models of regional trade arrangements around the world that may offer alternative models in the event that the U.K. decides to leave the EU. Before participating in a panel discussion on what Britain owes Europe, he visited the Zócalo green room and discussed ugly clothing, where he chose to get his beers in college, and his admiration for his wife.
If you had to lose one of your senses, which would you choose?
Hearing. I couldn’t live without sight. I once lost my sense of taste. It’s genuinely frightening.
What’s your drink of choice?
A glass of red wine.
What is your favorite Beatles song?
Can I say the White Album? I think the White Album is genius.
What is the strangest EU law that you’ve encountered in your studies?
One I like talking about is the chocolate directive. They spent 20 years discussing whether chocolate should be allowed 5 percent vegetable fat rather than cocoa butter. You wouldn’t believe how important it is. It’s the reason why we didn’t have Hershey bars over here.
What’s the last board game you played?
I haven’t played one in a long time. They’re all online now. So, chess.
You studied at the University of Oxford as an undergrad. What was your favorite pub there?
I thought the pubs were fairly useless. The one I liked was the JCR, the student bar inside the college. All my friends were there.
What social media website or app do you spend the most time on?
If you’re asking Twitter or Facebook, I don’t use them.
What’s your least favorite household chore?
Ironing. No, cleaning the oven. Cleaning the oven is truly awful.
What’s the ugliest tie you own?
I got a very cheap metallic blue one from Thailand. I bought three shirts and I got this one free.
What was the last thing that inspired you?
I can get emotional about this. The thing I found most inspiring was the way my wife handled her mother’s Alzheimer’s, the love she shows for her mother in such a circumstance—when they’re losing their identity and can’t remember you.