Three months before the European elections, a schoolyard atmosphere in the European Parliament

MEPs, many of whom are in the middle of an election campaign, met in plenary session this week.

The climate is electric in the European Parliament, which is getting into working order three months before the elections. MEPs, many of whom are campaigning, met in plenary session this week. The headliners are already over-sought, but also those who are campaigning to appear prominently on their party lists, in order to serve a new mandate. The atmosphere is therefore feverish in the corridors of Parliament, with a number of elected officials followed step by step, cameras on their shoulders, by journalists from their countries. We have to show what we are for!

Feverness but also incidents of repeated sessions. Supercharged atmosphere in particular on Tuesday March 12 (from 27 minutes 15 in the linked video), with a festival that is not very encouraging for the image of the institution: a far-right German MEP who denigrates transgender people, then an elected official Italian of the Northern League who comes out in the middle of a voting session in the hemicycle with a whistle. He thus protested against the adoption of the law on the insulation of buildings, to boos. These slip-ups will undoubtedly be duly punished but whatever, the video will create a buzz on their social networks and delight their voters.

“Tractor permits”, mega-trucks… These over-the-top bills

Very divisive European bills have also been highlighted to get people talking about Europe. There are two recent examples in France: the “tractor permit”, which Brussels wanted to impose on farmers, was in fact a simple amendment tabled by the European right, which nevertheless prides itself on being the peasants’ party. An amendment which had no chance in the context of agricultural anger of being adopted. Or the red rag waved over the possible “surge of mega-trucks on the roads of France”, while the text voted on Tuesday aims to facilitate the movement of these giant trucks between states which already authorize them. Which is not currently the case in France.

So yes, what is decided in the European Parliament is major and we understand the desire of MEPs to publicize their work, which is not very easy. But we are instead expecting in-depth debates on the results of this mandate: these hundreds of laws amended and negotiated, often in good harmony between the main political groups. On the results of the far right, which has already entered into force in 2019: what has the National Rally done with its mandate when it is considered the favorite? And on the issues, for the future of Europe, of the vote on June 9.