In the European Parliament, it is not only about high politics, but also to the insights and intentions of members. Bernd Riegert spoke with leavers and re-goers.
A last hug in front of the EU Parliament in Strasbourg, then Packed the suitcases
“He left a gap that had to be closed,” says Elmar Brok, with typical self-irony and a wink on his retirement from the European Parliament. After 39 years as a member, Brok goes in pension. He was the oldest warhorse in the Parliament. In 1980, when he first came to Strasbourg, the Store was still manageable and not met in a private chamber. “We were nine countries, and nix had to say, today, we are 27 and 28 and have anything to say. This is a dramatic difference. This Parliament is full of as many national parliaments on key issues. Therefore, the beautiful word, the Parliament needs to be strengthened is the wrong one. The Parliament is strong.”
Brok leaves his living room
Elmar Brok would like to have stayed, but his party, the CDU no longer has it up. The gap is the natural understatement. Many leading EU politicians have estimated Brok in the past 40 years, as a consultant, Yes to the friend won. The former German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, called beard, the gnarled East Westphalia, with the distinctive mustache and the portly body of wealth regularly, in order to seek advice. Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the EU Commission, makes the still. Juncker and Mr Brok, know for 40 years. “His number remains in my phone,” let Juncker recently know.
Elmar Brok was always busy, advised the Bertelsmann group, has not only made friends in his long career. Not everything always went smoothly for him. Especially accusations that he had collected from visiting groups of illegal “fees” have annoyed him recently. The auditors of the Parliament to have him relieved in the meantime. His “living room,” he announced to the chamber, leaves Elmar Brok with a small tear in the button hole. “But on the other hand, there is also always something New, something Exciting. You will notice that you become tired after 39 years. I am going to focus now on European issues and the need to make every stuff and not every Morning to eight in any working group to sit.”
Welcome guest in many media: Elmar Brok, gave hundreds of Interviews
Pirate strikes the sail
Much easier for the former pirate Julia Reda (32) of the departure from Strasbourg falls. She had never planned to be a professional politician, says the political scientist. Previously, she had broken with the pirate party and in March its outlet be explained. “That was a Job on time. We need more turnover.” For five years, has the power politician of the Reform of the copyright law on the Internet. The Directive, which was adopted at the end, has disappointed you very much.
With a prejudice, you could clean up as a Deputy: “What I find very positive, is that really all the members work extremely hard. This prejudice of the lazy members is not really appropriate.” Julia Reda finds, however, that there are far too many of the old members. More twenty-year-old would have to sit among the 751 members from 28 countries.
Julia Reda from the built prejudices: the deputies work hard, but they are too old
Elmar Brok, the his 73. Birthday celebrated, contradicts. Meanwhile, many of the young MPs came. The saying “don’t Send grandpa to Europe!”, he had invented as a critical young man 40 years ago, not more, applicable today, long says Brok. “There are a lot of young people to build their career in the European Parliament. Therefore, this is a dramatic change for the Positive.” A little bit of experience can harm, says the senior Deputy flirtatious.
Infiltrated by the right
Experience Hans-Olaf Henkel (79) had already, when he took up five years ago, his mandate. Henkel worked for decades as a Manager and then as a stakeholder for entrepreneurs, as the influential head of the Federal Association of German industry. “I’ve always mixed in the politics, but I was never in the middle. For me, an interesting rounding-off of these five years then, but, in my professional life.” Because he rejects the Euro as a common currency, joined Henkel of the party Alternative for Germany (AfD).
It is for him: Hans-Olaf Henkel, the Parliament is a cave with snakes and vermin
In 2014, the party was done, politically, more or less, to an unusually high number of refugees came to Germany. Right-wing populists and right-wing radicals took over the former so-called professors-party. Hans-Olaf Henkel said today deeply frustrated that he had made two mistakes. Long as you didn’t recognize that it was the right move. And then you took too long to respond to this development. Henkel resigned from the party. Despite the political failure, he will not want to miss the time in Strasbourg. “I’ve gained new friends, more than in the many years before that.”
Fun party want back in
Re-elected to the satirist, Martin Sonneborn, The party won five years ago with his fun-formatting without the program, surprisingly, a mandate will be. At the time, he wanted to win as much money as possible out of the parliamentary machine.
He managed that also. Around 180,000 euros per year, costing the EU the members of diets, Meeting fees, expenses and allowances. “In the 150 billion Euro, the costs for the EU in the year, is the neglect of a billion, I run here,” says Martin Sonneborn today. His slogan this year: “For Europe had enough”.
After five years in Parliament, the operation of the former editor-in-chief of the Satire magazine “Titanic” is even a little state-supporting. The EU, he holds, in the meantime, for a vital Structure. “After four and a half years of reflection on the EU and confrontation with her, I have found, the conclusion is banal. The construct works, it is only occupied with the wrong people.” To many Conservatives, to many social Democrats, says Sonneborn.
As an advertisement for the “Titanic” can Sonneborns members activity are not well-regarded. The pad had fallen in his term of office in Strasbourg, Martin Sonneborn. He was working on it, that the go in the next few decades more, he says.
Politically, the lone Sonneborn has moved nothing, but at least he had kept much acclaimed Talk, which would be clicked on YouTube better than that of other colleagues, smiling, the 54-year-old political comedian. His electorate in Germany that’s enough, apparently. It is an opportunity to secure for The party a second term is even. Whether Martin Sonneborn can create as many terms as Elmar Brok, is nevertheless questionable. He would then be a mere 89 years old. “There is still enough Fun to be transported out of the EU.”