(Strasbourg, 21/11/2022) The European Parliament celebrated this week the first session of the Joint Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community, which took place 70 years ago in Strasbourg. This assembly later gave rise to the European Parliament.

Over time, Strasbourg has become the main seat for the plenary sessions of the European Parliament.

After the establishment of the European Economic Community 5 years later (1958), much of the activity of the European Commission and Council shifted to Brussels. After some time, the Members of Parliament decided to do more of their work in Brussels as well. These developments led to the conclusion that the committee work takes place in Brussels and the plenary sessions in Strasbourg.

This has created the insane situation that the European Parliament shuttles back and forth between the two locations every month. This is absolute nonsense from an ecological and economic point of view. In addition, for MEPs, staff, and employees of the Parliament who have children, the traveling circus is a great burden.

Therefore, Manuela Ripa demands that especially in times of crisis such as the Corona pandemic or the energy crisis, all meetings of the European Parliament should take place in Brussels and the final decision must urgently be made: either Brussels or Strasbourg but not both.

In an SR3 interview, Manuela Ripa went into more detail about the parliament’s “traveling circus”: https://www.sr.de/sr/sr3/ripa_kritisiert_pendeln_eu_parlament_bruessel_strassburg_100.html

At the same time, the ÖDP MEP emphasizes that the European Parliament immediately needs more competencies in order to finally be able to better represent all EU citizens. To this end, MEPs need, above all, the right to initiate legislation. In the future, no European law should be passed without MEPs being able to vote on it directly. Remembering the founding of the ECSC 70 years ago is therefore also an opportunity to call for stronger European democracy.