Brussels is a hub of European activity, so what better place to learn more about the European Union. What is it exactly? How is it governed? How do you get in? And…well, Britain showed us how to exit. The Parliamentarium answered those and many more questions.
The Parliamentarium is what they call the Visitor’s Center for the European Parliament and is situated right next door. Although entrance is free, reservations are required so we booked an 11am entry slot.
Here are some basics.
The European Commission (The Executive/Initiator): Represents the interests of the EU as a whole. It is the only institution that can propose new EU laws, manage policies, execute the budget, and ensure that member states properly apply EU law (the “Guardian of the Treaties”).
The European Parliament (The Citizens’ Voice): Directly elected by EU citizens every five years. It shares legislative and budgetary authority with the Council of the EU, providing democratic legitimacy.
The Council of the European Union (The Governments’ Voice): Also known as the “Council of Ministers,” negotiates and adopts laws, usually jointly with the Parliament. It represents the member states’ governments.
Each of the three bodies listed above has a President elected by Parliamentarians. There is no president elected directly by the citizens of the EU.
There are eight political groups but as far as I can tell, they don’t function like our political parties. The groups help set the Parliament’s agenda.
There was a ton of information on the formation and evolution of the Union. I was pretty overwhelmed. But I did learn that ABBA won Eurovision in 1974 with their song “Waterloo” which of course reminded me of the movie Mama Mia.
