My Internship in the EU Parliament

The European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg creates a first impression of a friendly and close atmosphere. The buildings of the parliament are, of course, huge, but one easily navigates within them and has a feeling of human contact. During the plenary meeting in Strasbourg Dr. Milan Cabrnoch brings me along to various meetings, debates and sittings, including whip meetings and the assembly of the heads of the various EU delegations. Although our program is full, on the way we stop to say hello to an MEP from Poland. Only later do I learn that in fact I just shook hands with the former Prime Minister of Poland and former President of the EU Parliament.

When I have a bit of spare time, I go to see the voting in the parliament and then a debate about the US spying program PRISM and the protection of EU citizens on the internet. The debate is quite interesting, nevertheless even here one can find a broad spectrum of opinions about the leaked information and what the EU’s action plan should encompass.

I am also given the task of summarizing a report about tobacco and to translate a upcoming speech for the MEP from Czech into English. The speech concerns the case Mr. Mammadov and breaches of human rights in Azerbaijan. Dr. Cabrnoch gives his speech on Thursday afternoon during the debate on human rights and, although tere is only a handful of MEPs present, the resolution concerning Azerbaijan is fully-legally carried. After handing in my translation, I am told that it is likely that my translation will be printed in the newspapers of Azerbaijan, a sign of how the EU’s resolutions can have consequences far beyond its borders. Perhaps the EP should thus consider changing its protocol to prevent a small number of MEPs who stay behind on Thursday for the human rights debate from voting on and passing resolutions that the full house of 754 MEPs is responsible for.

Two weeks later I find myself on the plane to Brussels. Upon arrival, I immediately notice the lack of such a friendly atmosphere within the EU Parliament, an atmosphere that was very inviting in Strasbourg. There are much more people working for the parliament in Brussels and so one has a more anonymous feeling, unlike in Strasbourg. It might also be due to the fact that the EP complex in Brussels is several times bigger than in Strasbourg, and the same can be said about the two cities themselves. Whilst in Strasbourg I would meet familiar faces from the EP within the city, in Brussels this never happened.

In Brussels I mainly attend the meetings and votes of the employment (EMPL) and environmental (ENVI) committees. This week both committees discuss fairly high-profile propositions, including quotas for female workers and the backloading CO2 permits, and so the committees are full of TV cameras and reporters.

Finally during the first week of July I return to Strasbourg for the last plenary sitting of the EP prior to the summer holidays. The timing of this internship could not have been better, as on the 1st July Croatia entered the EU. Preparations for this memorable event were clearly well under-way in Brussels, but most interesting of all was this week in Strasbourg, where I could see the huge celebrations for the entrance of Croatia into the EU, such as their naval choir. Nevertheless, inside the EP the work ethic continued like before, with the addition of Croatian MEPs.

On Monday I attend with Mr. Cabrnoch the whip meeting for ECR, where the entrance of Croatia into the EU is felt after all as a new MEP from Croatia is welcomed into the political group ECR. The meeting otherwise continues in a similar as during the last plenary sitting, but still gives a great insight into what will be voted upon during the next couple of days and the position of ECR on each of these issues.

On Tuesday at 10 am I have the opportunity to attend a meeting with lobbyists for manufacturers of cigars. Naturally I am trying to anticipate what sort of arguments they might try to use to support their cause, and what goals they hope to accomplish. However, no extreme arguments are expressed during the meeting and the lobbyists do not denounce existing and upcoming EU legislation concerning tobacco. I am no friend of smoking, but their concerns are understandable in that they wish to distance themselves from cigarette manufacturers and prevent future EU legislation from causing the closure of small and family-sized cigar manufacturers.

What was perhaps the most enticing part of this entire experience in the EU Parliament was the fact that often in the evening I could see news reports concerning decisions made by the EP; decisions I had already seen in real-life during the day and knew their outcomes. It is in these moments that one truly realizes how close one really was to the legislative process and, more importantly, to the people involved that one often only knows from TV screens.

Lukas Vacek
EU Parliament