I am Jörg Stroisch. As a journalist, I travel a lot, always on the lookout for interesting topics. And so I travelled to Brussels: I have 8 interviews on my schedule, which is a lot!
And then on Monday the light rail system in Brussels went on strike. But that didn’t stop me.
A new episode of my podcast German Vote. Here with very subjective and atmospheric impressions from my trip to Brussels; that’s why this is also the ‘Brussels and Strasbourg Blues’ section.
New episodes are always published in the middle of the month, on the 2nd Monday of the month in German (indicated by a [de]). One week later, on the 3rd Monday of the month, there is the same episode in English (indicated by the [en] in the title). It is not exactly identical to the de-episode, but almost.
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<<<Quotes from the committee meeting >>>
This was a committee meeting of the European Parliament, specifically the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. I listened to it via livestream from my hotel.
The reason: the city railway was on strike on the day I arrived. And that ‘somewhat’ ruined my plans for the first day. I had actually wanted to attend the committee directly.
Because this is Brussels: all committee meetings are public, all are streamed live. Pure transparency.
And it is also very interesting to see how such a committee meeting actually takes place.
>> Gluck Gluck >>
I’m sitting here with a Belgian cherry beer and listening to the meeting. Brussels is definitely more pleasant than Strasbourg: the beer here is very tasty.
The Stream is in English at the first click, but that’s great about the EU: there are also simultaneous translations of the meetings in various other languages, including German, for example.
In my hotel, I hear a lot of statements on the situation of interns in the EU, the committee discusses this in great detail and yet in a timeboxed manner: statements by the so-called ‘shadows’, the shadow rapporteurs of the respective political groups, should not last longer than two minutes at the end. That is crisp.
It reminds me a little of one of the first episodes of ‘The Parliament’, the comedy series about the EU Parliament. There, the MEP Speclan doesn’t quite know how he can fill 2 minutes. And then first greet everyone present.
>>> Walking >>>
And now I’m in the European Parliament in Brussels. I already know it: I’ve been here a few times before. But always in groups. Being alone – that’s a completely different challenge.
Unlike in Strasbourg, there are not many controls here. Just get x-rayed at the main entrance and hold your press card in front of the door. That’s it.
„The parliament was behind the park, previously in the building where the regional committee and the economic and social committee now sit. Future extensions were planned. It was clear that the parliament would need more space at some point. In the 1980s, the building we are sitting in now, the so-called Spark, was designed by the politician Paul Henri Spark. And then built. However, it was first built as a congress centre and not for parliament at all. In the 1990s, I think at the beginning of the 1990s, Parliament took over this building. It was also the first building it acquired here in Brussels. Parliament had simply grown and needed more space. They wanted to have a location in Brussels. We are sitting here in the Spark building, which is the first and oldest of the two. It houses the plenary chamber and other large meeting rooms. The President and the Secretary-General are also in this building. On the other side of the street is the Spinelli building. That was added a few years later. It is connected to the SPARK building, with two bridges that cross the street. That’s mainly where the MPs sit. There are mostly MPs‘ offices in there.“
This is how Armin Wissdorf, press spokesman for the EU Parliament, describes the parliament building. Is it still possible to get lost here? Perhaps?
„It is indeed a large, spacious building with many corridors and different parts of the building. It’s not always easy to find your way around here. However, the system with the labelling of all the halls and offices is relatively well done. This means that once you have understood how the system works, you can find the hall or room you are looking for. There are different letters. There is the E-building, H-building, G-building and so on. Here in the SPARK building there are ABC wings. If you know where they are, there is a number that indicates the floor and then the office number. And that’s actually relatively easy once you’ve worked out where all these wings are.“
That’s what Armin Wissdorf says. And it’s true. In part. I was in the press centre somewhere in the Spark building, on a lower floor. We walked there so that I could orientate myself better. First difference to Strasbourg: there are significantly fewer journalists here right now, maybe a handful! The second difference compared to Strasbourg: there are lots of seats available. That’s great: I’ll try it out in practice on Thursday and Friday…
After a while, I set off on my own – and don’t know where to go. I walk once in a circle. And then think: 4th floor, that sounds good – there are also ‘press’ there.
>>> Discussion noises in the European Parliament >>>
And I’m already in the centre of the parliament chamber. Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration: The doors open towards the press gallery.
Startled, I step back. It’s noticeably cramped and empty in the corridors around the parliamentary chamber… But there’s a woman there: I get lost, I say. Third floor, she replies!
And that’s really great: 3rd floor. This is where all connections take place. Whether to the parliamentary building or to the building with the radio studios. Curved bridges connect the two quite nicely.
And orientation is really easy. Provided I hold the map the right way round 😉 With the help of online maps, however, I find my bearings after a while and I find the main axis on the 3rd floor really great for orientation!
So to repeat: nobody gets lost on the 3rd floor!
It’s also relaxed in Brussels: The radio studios are almost extinct, no hustle and bustle, no stress. They are located in the Antall building, accessible via a curved bridge – naturally – on the third floor. Very far away from the hustle and bustle, you could almost think you’ve lost your way.
The trams run incredibly frequently and are easy to access with an app. Everything here is actually paid for by card. And the Europaviertel is nice and compact, everything is easy to reach.
I have 7 interviews in the can, which is great.
Brussels: I’ll be back.
Transparency Notice
I received a travel allowance from the EU Parliament for this episode. I also used the services and radio studios of the EU Parliament in Brussels.
Of course, no influence was exerted on my reporting.