As part of Western Kentucky University's study abroad program in Brussels, participants had the option to intern at a company in Brussels or enroll in a course taught at Vesalius College; I chose to enroll in a class titled The European Union in the World- what better place to study the E.U. than in the capitol of Europe! Thus far, it has proven to be a very interesting course, but the most exciting aspect is that we take many "field trips" to the different buildings which house all the branches of the E.U.
Pictured to the right is the outside of the European Parliament, which is comprised of MPs elected by the member states of the E.U. Currently, the parliament is the most democratic branch of the E.U., for it is the only body elected by citizens of Europe; consequently, they also wield much power in advancing or hindering potential Eurozone policy.
Left, is the chambers of the European Parliament. There are over 700 members and 23 languages represented in this room. Since there is no common language for E.U. membership, everything that occurs in this room must be translated and interpreted into the 23 languages. This alone costs the E.U. hundreds of millions of dollars each year; however, this status quo will never change, as the member states believe that if they sacrifice their language in the parliament, they lose a bit of their sovereignty as well.
An interesting story on this topic... to prove the importance of representing all languages, an MP from Ireland completed the opening remarks in Shelta- a dying Irish language. Of the hundreds of translators and MPs in the chamber, no one understood Shelta, so his remarks were never recorded.
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