Something like Erasmus for 50-year-olds

The European Parliament was something like Erasmus for 50-year-olds. They walk around speaking different languages ​​- but they usually get along in two or three with an accent that betrays the country of origin -, everyone knows each other, everyone greets each other, and they talk and drink coffee and eat and say goodbye, always polite, always smiling, without you being able to imagine that they belong to other factions or that they work for MPs from other factions.

And everyone over a certain age. Even the 40 are difficult to meet and when you do meet them, they probably “belong” to journalists or staff – and it seems as if we are talking about the same people sometimes.

It’s hard to feel any awe unless you’ve been brought in with one of the schools you’ve seen coming in and out endlessly.

I don’t want to be misunderstood, I am in favor of the United EuropeI loved seeing this multilingual Salvation Army around me.

I just got the feeling that the important thing there was for all the countries to be and communicate – and let 7 out of 10 laws passed in each country be an adaptation to the European legislation produced there.

I had the feeling that the important thing here was “to be together, to talk, to keep the idea alive”.

I keep (many but I’ll stop at four):

• The sadness of seeing Eva Kaili pass in front of you. I don’t know if the sureness in her step was some kind of wooden, pierced shield or if she still has the certainty of being untouchable.
• The sadness Greek MEPs to be absent from the last plenary session of this term of the European Parliament. In other words, to be missing even now that the interest (almost 30 journalists had gone from Greece) was increased, now that the spotlight had literally fallen on them and their absence would be more visible than before. Sure, somewhat logical that Zagorakis is missing. How can he sit next to the New Democracy MEPs as a PASOK candidate? And what would he vote for? What was the Socialist group saying while up until a month ago it was raising its hand together with Meimarakis and Vosenberg? Awkward, ridiculous and footballingly incomprehensible.
• The kindness and willingness of everyone to help you, even if what you wanted was just to find the door that says “ANDREAS PAPANDREOU” on the top of it.
• The interview with Nikos Papandreoujust a few meters away from the shadow of this door.