Spring 2013 Student Writing: The European Parliament

Written by our Spring 2013 student, William Bradshaw

            The European Parliament was a trip that I had been excited about since hearing about the European Study Center program. I was very thrilled to actually see were the Euro Zone decides its legislation and where they deal with the massive issues clouding the European Union. It was even more interesting when one factors in that the issue with the Cypress banks had just occurred shortly before we arrived at the European Parliament building.

            The first thing that I really noticed about the European Parliament building was the construction and architectural details of the building itself. I was a very impressed with the design of the building. The first area that we came to was a circular tower where most of the offices for the Parliamentary administration were located. The circle was lined with murals indicating historic moments for the European continent. After viewing the office complex, we met our tour guide who led us into the building that contained the seating area for the European Parliament. The building that housed the European Parliament was totally glass, in keeping with the theme of governmental transparency, and hugged the enormous tower structure. At its center was a ball shaped room that held the legislative heart of the European Parliament. When we entered it really dawned on me how large the building was. I have seen the congressional building in Washington D.C., I have also now seen the Reichstag, but the European parliament building was just so much more massive. We all sat down on a viewing platform above. Our tour guide then began to tell us about how the European Parliament works. I had done a short report on the Parliament so I already had a rough idea of how the parliament worked. However, she explained it in person in a way that made me understand the inner workings far better than the sources I had read did. We talked at length about the current issues surrounding the European Union and what measures the European Parliament was doing to turn the crisis around. After we toured the rest of the room, which did not take long, we left the parliament ball and bid our tour guide farewell. On a funny note when we arrived at the gift shop, I was able to purchase a Cypress flag. As stated the drama in Cypress was just heating up. So as we left the European Parliament, I lifted the flag in the air and waved it over my head. The security guards at the entrance both pointed and laughed. That was definitely a warm end to the excursion.

            All in all I felt that I gained a lot from the European Parliament. Personally, I feel like I gained a lot from learning about the European Parliament. I feel that as an American I do not pay enough attention to how other democracies work and operate. I feel that I most certainly gained in that respect. As well academically, I feel that I learned a lot about the Euro Zone and how it operates.