David Sumberg MEP
Date: 10/09/2002
Sell Off Wretched Strasbourg Parliament
I never cease to be disgusted at the abhorrent waste of money by the European Union but the latest move to spend 10m pounds on extending the Strasbourg parliament is deplorable.To clarify the situation MEPs meet in two parliaments. The main one in Brussels for three weeks of the month and once a month in the Strasbourg parliament in France.
The Strasbourg parliament is without doubt the biggest white elephant in political history towering over even the Millennium Dome. It only exists because the French Government demanded when the European Parliament was established that it have a base in France. It costs 80m pounds to run each year and in that time is only used for 46 days. For the rest of the time it lies eerily empty, a lifeless monument to waste.
This bright idea to throw yet more cash at the Strasbourg Parliament, which is still only three years old, belongs to the Socialist Group. They want to see two huge rooms built each capable of seating 450 people to accommodate new MEPs from countries soon to join the EU.
But rather than spend more money on it why don’t the faceless bureaucrats sell the wretched thing off? Not only is it a constant bleeding wound in money terms but it is utterly impractical to transport all the MEPs, Commissioners, and staff - 3000 people in all - every month over to France. We can do the job perfectly well in Brussels so why not stay there?
For the sake of common sense and the good of all taxpayers let's consign the Strasbourg parliament to history and sell it.