Two seats even more expensive: Parliament rents another building in Brussels

A new building for 12 years (750,000 Euro every year) in view of the expansion because of Croatia
Two million a year for the translation center. Morganti: “The European Chamber expands at our expense”

“If there were a single Headquarters, as we have been requesting for some time in this institution, there would be no need to buy other buildings in Strasbourg and simultaneously, to rent new ones in Brussels. It is a disgrace that Parliament expands at our expense, spending staggering amounts.” The Tuscan Euro MP of the Northern League, Claudio Morganti, coordinator for the Eld (Europe of Freedom and Democracy) on the Budget Committee, became very angry when he received the announcement that in anticipation of Croatia entering the EU, the European Parliament and therefore his delegation in the European Parliament, decided to rent a 40,000 square meter building starting March 31^st 2014 for 12 years, where the Deputies’ and their assistants will be transferred while waiting for the additional supplementary wing.

“It is true that the actual buildings are not sufficient to hold us all,” Morganti admits, reminding that “presently only 17 square meters a head are foreseen and our offices are the smallest in Europe.” The Tuscan Lega supporter is teeming: “It is paradoxical that we spend 750 million Euro a year for this building and at the same time the expenditure of almost 2 million Euro a year is projected for renting the building that will lodge the Translation Center in Luxembourg while waiting for the final building to be constructed. Not to mention then the three buildings bought in Strasbourg – he highlighted – of which, as I already denounced last year, the Office of the Presidency of the Euro Chamber did not exactly maintain clear-cut conduct.

“What is more,” highlights Morganti, Brussels’ semi-cycle is still closed to the public for the structural failure of the ceiling beams. “The Parliament continues to buy or rent other buildings – he concluded – when the only building that really should be restructured, even because it’s our main work place, is the one in Brussels, starting precisely with its semi-cycle.