r/YUROP • u/Hiccupingdragon Éire • Jan 16 '23
Where should the European Parliament be located?
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u/ANewPlayer_1 România Jan 16 '23
Bucharest, Romania because the Palace of the Parliament is mostly empty. At least fill it with something! :D
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u/McEnderlan Lietuva Jan 16 '23
Turn it into a camembert reservoir.
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u/ANewPlayer_1 România Jan 16 '23
Bucharest is polluted enough already, do you want us all to die?
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u/Drago_de_Roumanie România Jan 16 '23 edited Jan 16 '23
It's polluted because of externalised trash by Westerners, who sell it here cheap to get rid of it and avoid green legislation on its disposal. Sure, our countrymen will say it's "gypsies", but its just that those poor marginalises communities outside Bucharest are used by our mafia which is enabled by the Western mafia.
I say if Western politicians come here, we can do a combo.
PS: I am replying the bad automod below (hope real mods see). It's one of the most ignorant, western cultural imperialist false shit I have seen, and no appeal to it whatsoever. Stop this bullshit.
First of all, you don't get to tell me how to call my fellow countrymen, patronizingly and spewing random views of why they might be discriminated.
Racism is bad, but I phrased my sentence above evidently to call out racists, and expose this lesser known situation to other Europeans, on how poor marginalised people (which happen to, or more often are picked because of their ethnicity) are used as scapegoats in criminal affairs by others. This is real racism from a real place, not your distorted UK-US-centric view.
Racism doesn't end with words, but how they are used. Everybody calls themselves țigan (gypsy), "rom" is a more of a top-down thing that wants to be imposed by a little minority and people who are not part of community, but think they would solve racism by replacing a word, just like "lantinx". So spare with this divisive bullshit and identity politics, I exposed real racism and get called out by an autobot who can't get it, just wants a "clean neighbourhood" of no "bad words", just like a racist suburbia.
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u/rokkantrozi fuck if i know ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 🇩🇪🇭🇺 Jan 17 '23
Can't even say cigány even tho that's how they call themselves smh
Literally 1984
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u/YUROP-ModTeam 12 ⭐ Moderator Jan 16 '23
Do not use the term "gypsies" or "rroma". Those are exonims used by European white people towards Roma and has been used as derogatory terms for centuries. The majority of Roma treat it as a slur. Just call them Roma.
The roma, travelling people, and discrimination (not necessarily racism) against these two different groups is quite complex. It is 100% inexcusable to be racist against the Roma specifically, due to no other reason than their ethnic group.
However, most people do not care about Roma ethnicity, they care about travelling culture. This is not as simple as just "black skin = bad".
Unfortunately, these cultures do not merge well with modern society. Having a 400-person caravan chain arrive at your village can be very disruptive. Therefore, people get irritated with this culture, and reject them. Travellers often then reject the norms of the society that rejected them.
Due to this, they are more likely to steal, litter or do even more unsavoury things, such as rape. This causes disgust and hatred - which of course leads to even worse attitudes from the travellers. Of course, there are traveller groups that do comply with societal norms, and these are often unfairly hated as well.
The travelling culture is just as valuable and unique as any other, and we should attempt to preserve it as we do any other culture. However, it can be difficult, and pretending there's no reason for the discrimination will not help.
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u/Burner_account_546 Jan 16 '23
Second largest building in the world? Cool!
I support this suggestion, as by the sound of it, we could fit everything with room to spare.
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u/Chingis-chan Österreich Jan 16 '23
Vienna ofc😎No but unironically, Brussels/Straßburg are waaay too west for our eastern brothers I think.
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u/bricart Jan 16 '23
We just need to conquer North America and a part of Asia to make Brussels central again.
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u/corbiniano Jan 16 '23
No, no we should move the capital to Kırşehir, Turkey (we just have to add Turkey to the Eu as well). It's the geometric center of all land surfaces on Earth, so the perfect place to start building a world federation eventually.
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u/Wuz314159 Pennsilfaanisch-Deitsch Jan 17 '23
We keep offering you guys Florida, but you won't take it.
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u/Drago_de_Roumanie România Jan 16 '23
Vienna would indeed be a good choice. Get rid of the "capital of spies" renown first, but it is well suited and capable, I would just hope the city doesn't downgrade in life quality from all the attraction side-effects.
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u/philipthe2nd BG in exile Jan 16 '23
I think all EU institutions should be in Vienna as the most central capital. Plus it’s nicer than Brussels
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u/difersee Jan 16 '23
I am a long-time supporter of the capitol in Vienna. It is in western Europe, but so close to the East, that you cannot go further.
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u/NorddeutschIand Fischkopp Jan 16 '23
Easterners aren't as EU friendly and emotionally EU invested. Also all founder countries are western European. Also the infrastructure is aleady there in Brüssel. Also Brüssel is already seen as EU capitol more than any other city. Also using your words it would be "way too south" for our northern brothers.
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u/albl1122 Sverige Jan 16 '23
using your words it would be "way too south" for our northern brothers.
agreed.
it should be in Stockholm•
u/KartoffelnPuree Lubelskie Jan 17 '23
Easterners aren't as EU friendly and emotionally EU invested Data source - toilet.
But frankly is it a big deal that it's Brussels/Straßburg based? Shouldn't we consider philosophy of "upgrading there where upgrade is needed" as at least one of applicable?
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u/NorddeutschIand Fischkopp Jan 17 '23
The mindset "We want to be in EU just to get money" is stronger there than in w. Europe. If you don't see that you're delusional. No, not an upgrade containing "You get the capital". There are more and better reasons that speak for the west, best Brüssel. Wait, you're a Pole in Vienna? Ofc you're triggered by my comment speaking against Vienna and easterners.
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u/KartoffelnPuree Lubelskie Jan 17 '23
Like W.Europe Countries don't get the money from being in EU structures. If you don't see that you're delusional. Still no data available to back up your interesting thesis about how strong EU sentiment is in countries you know little of.
You didn't get my point. I will say it simpler: Why arguing about something of little importance. Brussels/Straßburg works fine. Let's improve something else within EU.
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u/NorddeutschIand Fischkopp Jan 17 '23
Of course I see that, but what does that change? This is not about who gets money. EU easterners are more about JUST the EU money and less about EU values and the idea of forming a European nation than westerners are. Isn't this common knowledge at this point? If you want data then search yourself. You will find out that anti EU feelings are stronger in the eastern EU. People like your government and Viktor Orban help it and I hope they will be gone soon, so that relations can improve.
It is not of little importance where the basically capital is located. But if you say it works fine then we can at least agree on one thing.
Btw: Correctly it would be "Kartoffelpueree". Have you not done research before putting foreign words in your name? And the name is not already taken from what the search tells me.
Anyways, I'm out.
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u/KartoffelnPuree Lubelskie Jan 17 '23
This change only one thing: Do not spread false "facts" and I'm telling you there is no such real data about anti EU feelings. The only one case of anti EU feelings confirmed is Great Britain. It's common knowledge in Germany as I see it but you know You at the very beginning of this conversation took my right to share common values with other EU people because you read some fantasies. So you talk some newsfeed qwatch or whatever they show you in media. Assumptions are not one of the values you want to spread across EU?
It is located already so what's the point?
Btw: It's second time you try to insult me personally. I will not tell you about the concept of a joke or humour generally but I wrote my nick as it should be written, as I wanted it to be written not knowing the concequences that every German person would correct it.
Be out, be safe.
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u/NorddeutschIand Fischkopp Jan 18 '23
Go do some digging instead of being a denier. There are studies and surveys out there. If you don't find anything that doesn't mean it's not there. You really believe Poles or Hungarians are more EU friendly than Germans, French, Dutch or Belgians? What was the point of saying it should be in Vienna? You started it. Sure you did. Ofc some are going to correct you if they see a foreigner mutilating their language like this. Now get blocked, you're starting to irritate me.
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u/HelloThereItsMeAndMe Wielkopolskie and Thurgau, CH Jan 16 '23
If the location ever changes, it should be to either Prague or Vienna, as they're more centrally located. (Budapest could work too but it would be weird because of Orban)
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u/rokkantrozi fuck if i know ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 🇩🇪🇭🇺 Jan 16 '23
Orbán has already a place to stay and its Felcsút where he can play with his tiny train, it's not like he actually attends the meetings in the Parliament.
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u/YogurtclosetExpress Jan 16 '23
Easily Brussels, it's already there, all the diplomatic infrastructure is there, i.e embassies galore. There is no point going to Strasbourg just do France can have an Institution.
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u/Mimirovitch Jan 16 '23
There is no point going to Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliement, but also Council of Europe and European Court of Human Rights
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Jan 16 '23
Sure, but the Parliament is most of the time in Brussels as it is just easier to be able to talk with the other powers within the EU
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u/Mimirovitch Jan 16 '23
Not a big fan of centralisation, we are in 2023 we can talk with anyone on the planet freely and instantly now
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u/KronusTempus Yuropean Jan 17 '23
Documents still need to be shipped back and forth, and MEP’s have to travel back and forth for a rather silly reason.
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u/theNikolai България Jan 16 '23
Dresden is pretty central to everywhere.
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Jan 16 '23
Give it and the EU its own small territory like the Federal District of Columbia in the USA.
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u/Pyrrus_1 Italia Jan 16 '23
and why specifically this territory would corrispond to the exact borders of hungary :))))
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Jan 16 '23
How about the autonomous region of south tyrol? Bozen would make a great seat for the parliament and South Tyrol isn‘t really italian anyways.
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u/Pyrrus_1 Italia Jan 16 '23
Hmmmmmm No too many mountains and too many difficulties in getting there from other parts of europe. Good try tyroleans not today.
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u/ddm90 Social Liberal Evropa Jan 16 '23
That should be Brussels, its already weird inside the map of Belgium.
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u/Pyrrus_1 Italia Jan 16 '23
brussels but if has to be somewhere else entirely outside of western europe id pick either vienna or prague
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u/philipthe2nd BG in exile Jan 16 '23
Imagine airbnb prices in Prague after moving Parliament there 🥲🥲🥲
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u/albl1122 Sverige Jan 16 '23
airbnb and it's associated model is a plague that needs to die. the idea originally was that oh you're going abroad for a few weeks? rent it out. but it's pretty much never that. it's just another way for our corporate overlords to charge even more, because tourists are more willing to pay then actual tenants. https://youtu.be/lHr7GXuqzm0
hotels are fine, but they mostly don't compete with actual long term tenants.
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u/Effective_Dot4653 Wielka Polska Muzułmańska! Jan 16 '23
Twangste, European Capital Territory. The city formerly known as Köningsberg / Kaliningrad / Królewiec / Královec, among other names.
And before we get to this point, just keep it in either Brussels or Strasbourg, I don't really care. Just choose one over the other, switching constantly between two places is dumb and wasteful.
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u/moresushiplease Jan 16 '23
I think we should retake Kaliningrad and put it there. It can be it's own thing free from any nation.
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u/EstebanOD21 Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Jan 16 '23 edited Jan 16 '23
Why move it out of Strasbourg in the first place?
The European Parliament and Council of Europe is in Strasbourg 🇨🇵
The European Central Bank in Frankfurt 🇩🇪
The Court of Justice of the European Union and European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg 🇱🇺
The European Council and Council of the European Union in Brussels 🇧🇪
- The European Commission in both Brussels and Luxembourg City 🇧🇪🇱🇺
Why is it problematic all of a sudden that something isn't in Brussels... Lots of things aren’t in Brussels and never were, why has it became a big deal? That’s the second post I’ve seen about this today.
It’s in Strasbourg that the Council of Europe was created, that the flag we use for the EU 🇪🇺 was created, that one of the three seats of EU’s ancestor the ECSC was located. They didn't chose Strasbourg randomly.
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u/philipthe2nd BG in exile Jan 16 '23
- The European Parliament and Council of Europe is in Strasbourg 🇨🇵
- The European Central Bank in Frankfurt 🇩🇪
- The Court of Justice of the European Union and European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg 🇱🇺
- The European Council and Council of the European Union in Brussels 🇧🇪
- The European Commission in both Brussels and Luxembourg City 🇧🇪🇱🇺
United in diversity 😍😍😍
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u/EstebanOD21 Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Jan 16 '23
Exactly! I find it better that important buildings and HQs are spread across multiple countries instead of everything in the same place, it’s supposed to be a Union after all
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u/ThatBelgianG België/Belgique Jan 16 '23
Unity makes strength, litterally the Belgian motto 😎
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u/De_Sam_ Jan 17 '23
Didn't it only move to Strasbourg because it should have stayed in Luxembourg City but there was no room big enough for them all to fit inside so the Council of Europe let the EU Parliament meet in their room in Strasbourg?
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Jan 16 '23 edited Jan 16 '23
I’ve never liked how far west a lot of our institutions are. Living in the Nordics they feel comically far away and I can’t even fathom how it feels to EU citizens in the former eastern bloc.
Call me a Germany simp, but I’ve always thought that is a much better place for the EU parliament. And in my (admittedly uneducated) opinion cities such as Nuremberg, Leipzig or Dresden would make far better capitals in a purely geographic sense. This also includes some cities to the east like Prague or Vienna which I think would make excellent capitals as well.
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u/Effective_Dot4653 Wielka Polska Muzułmańska! Jan 16 '23
I'd argue Prague and Vienna are better precisely because they aren't in Germany -> I think the major institutions should not be placed in the biggest countries, as they already have a lot of influence over the Union.
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Jan 16 '23 edited Jan 16 '23
I agree fully. Prague in particular I think would make a great capital in a geographic sense. Basically being in the smack middle of Europe.
My main problem with those two however is that they’re European capitals. At this current moment I think it’s fine that they’re capitals, but I do believe that we should strive to create some sort of independent EU capital in the future (like the proposal to keep Brussels independent if Belgium ever breaks up).
And if such a day comes I find it much more likely Germany would grant Nuremberg independence compared to Austria or Czechia giving up their respective capital cities for very obvious economic reasons.
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u/Effective_Dot4653 Wielka Polska Muzułmańska! Jan 16 '23
an independent EU capital in the future
I sometimes dream about this happening with the modern-day Kaliningrad Oblast xD I know this is an incredibly far-fetched scenario, but that's the only spot I can see a truly neutral place emerge in Europe.
I mean... even if Nuremberg got its independence, it would still be a predominantly German-speaking city surrounded by more Germans on all sides. And it would only strengthen the position of Germany as the "main country", I think. Kaliningrad though... Idk, I do dream it could become a truly neutral pan-European city, with Russian spoken alongside all the other European languages, if it ever somehow fell out of Russia's grip.
yes, I know, this needs like at least a few independent miracles to actually happen.
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Jan 16 '23 edited Jan 16 '23
Seems every Pole create some sort of excuse to invade Kaliningrad 🙄🙄🙄
/s
Even though I think it creates the opposite issue of Brussels (being too eastern) I don’t think it’s exactly impossible for a scenario like this to someday play out.
While I can’t say an independent Kaliningrad necessarily would become a pan-European city, it would most likely become multicultural in the diversity of different Russian-speaking peoples that could migrate there. I can see thousands of people from all over Russia seeking asylum in this hypothetical republic to get a better life. It could become democracy that democratic-minded Russians could migrate to and turn into a prospering country.
Goddamnit I’m hopium overdosing again
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u/joaojcorreia SPQR End the Portuguese ocupation of Lusitania Jan 16 '23
Where it is supposed to be.
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Jan 16 '23
Well in case we’d really get as far as more unification within the EU, it would be cool to have something similar as Brasilia in Brazil, or Washington DC in the US; a separate capital city built in the centre of the country, and built out of nothing.
Place? Don’t know. Somewhere along the Rhine like between Frankfurt and Karlsruhe is right in the economic heart of Europe, but only central for Western Europe and not for the east.
Other places, like Vienna, are more central looking at the east, but completely miss out on any economical zone.
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Jan 16 '23
Vienna or Prague are better that Belgium, It's better to have a capital in the centre of you country/overnational entity than too much on the west.
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u/NorddeutschIand Fischkopp Jan 16 '23 edited Jan 16 '23
Brüssel. Let a smaller country have it, easier to accept for many EU citizens. Infrastructure is already there and it's viewed as the EU capital more than any other EU city already. Also it's in the Blue Banana.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Banana#/media/File:Blue_Banana.svg
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u/Merbleuxx France Jan 16 '23
Strasbourg is in the megalopolis too. Infrastructure is also already there.
I’m not saying that to defend any position, I don’t care that much about where the European Parliament is.
Hell make it change between all EU countries every 5 years if you want.
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u/levinthereturn Milano Jan 16 '23
Move it to Würzburg (Germany)
Reasons:
- It's the geographical center of the EU (actually the GC is in the countryside near the city but who cares)
- Nice little city with medieval center, a river passing through, a stone bridge, a market square and a castle on the hill. It's the stereotype of the european city.
- It has a XVIII century palace that can host the Parliament and the offices / public spaces.
Würzburg 4 capital!
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u/gabrielish_matter Yuropean Jan 16 '23
Strasburg, in the independent country of Alsace - Lothringen
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Jan 16 '23
The median point of population of the EU is somewhere in Germany. Having the Parliament be central is both symbolic and practical. In anticipation of the ongoing effects of climate change, current demographic trends regarding fertility and immigration, and the joining of several more eastern European nations, the Parliament should probably be somewhere to the east and north of the current population centre so that it may be aligned with the future one. Therefore Berlin seems a suitable location.
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Jan 16 '23
Never. The location is very symbolic. Germany already has crazy amounts of influence on the EU. Them having the institutions as well will never be accepted by anyone. Strassbourg is symbolic due to its German and French history. Brussels Belgium is a very neutral location and Belgium is a country build on compromises just like the EU.
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u/NorddeutschIand Fischkopp Jan 16 '23
Yes it shouldn't be in Ger or Fra. Brüssel is best, also it's located in the Blue Banana.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Banana#/media/File:Blue_Banana.svg
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u/Hiccupingdragon Éire Jan 16 '23
I’m not disagreeing but as the eu expands won’t the median move?
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Jan 16 '23
Yes. It will move east with the admission of Ukraine, Moldova, etc. hence the future proofing of selecting Berlin instead of Strasbourg or another more westerly German city.
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u/rokkantrozi fuck if i know ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 🇩🇪🇭🇺 Jan 16 '23
Germany has the largest population in the EU and many of the EU's people are german, therefore the Parliament should be relocated to Bielefeld.
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u/HorsePussyEnjoyer Italia Jan 16 '23
I'd like for it to be somewhere like Basel or Geneva but Switzerland isn't in the EU.
But who knows, make we could strike a deal: they don't have a capital so let's give one to them (/j)
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Jan 16 '23
[deleted]
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Jan 16 '23
"Neutral" and Switzerland is like "Peace" and France in the same sentence.
Plus, no, it would make more sense for Germany to host it, just so that it's a bit more "central" than at the moment, in Strasbourg.
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u/Fredaric Jan 16 '23
Realisticly it should be Brussels, but like others I like the dream of an independent Capitol in Kaliningrad.
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Jan 16 '23
Once the UK rejoins, move it to Sunderland.
I'd love that purely for the culture shock on both sides. MEPs can enjoy some decent fish and chips, it's on the North Sea coast which (once UK and Norway join) becomes Lake EU, and Sunderland is nice so long as you stare at the North Sea and never look at the city itself.
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u/Blakut Yuropean Jan 16 '23
Rotating parliament, each year, a different capital. All the MEPs and their staff have to use public transport. This will improve things for sure.
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u/Blakut Yuropean Jan 16 '23
Rent some space from Switzerland and have it there, in the middle.
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u/LevKusanagi The EU has the responsibility to become a superpower. Jan 16 '23
oh my god will you shut the fuck up with these stupid polls
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u/ElectricToiletBrush Jan 17 '23
Why should the ugliest piece of shit city be the capital of the EU. My god, Brussels should just be blown into oblivion, while the EU moves it’s capital elsewhere
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u/[deleted] Jan 16 '23
In my house, I have a spare room.