Instead of the European Parliament, deputies ended up in… Disneyland

On a train traveling on the Brussels-Strasbourg route, an incident occurred. “small” error, and passengers instead of… the European Parliament ended up in Disneyland! At least that’s what the publication claims Рolitico.

A Mickey Mouse Parliament?

An EU train to Strasbourg took a wrong turn and ended up at… Disneyland. https://t.co/GRp89TgdWe

— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) October 16, 2023

Politico: Mickey Mouse-style parliament? An EU train heading to Strasbourg took a wrong turn and ended up in… Disneyland.

On Monday, a train carrying hundreds of MEPs and European Parliament staff turned off on its way to Strasbourg and briefly ended up in Disneyland. This incident did not at all embarrass those who call the EP “Parliament of Mickey Mouse”.

Every month the European Parliament rents trains exclusively for legislators and officials EUto transport them between Brussels and Strasbourg, located in eastern France. This monthly “tour”, enshrined in EU treaties, is fiercely defended by France but is often derided as a traveling circus that Goofy would proudly participate in.

After leaving Brussels Gare Midi, the train diverted from Strasbourg to Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy, where Disneyland is located, resulting in a 45-minute delay.

“Team Disneyland”, wrote Dutch MEP Samira Rafaela in a photograph she posted on the X website of herself in the train’s cafe car with fellow MEP Mohammed Chahim, who appeared to be drinking lemonade. “Unfortunately we couldn’t get out,” said one EU official, adding that during a brief stop he could see the top of the Space Mountain roller coaster.

“Almost everyone here was laughing at the insanity of the situation. There were a few shouts of ‘one place now'”, joked one parliamentary aide, referring to the campaign to stop travel to Strasbourg. The second one complained that on the train “no free rides”

“The driver has to go to the other end of the train and go in a different direction.”said another official.

“We are NOT a Mickey Mouse Parliament”, said German legislator Daniel Freund on the Internet. Another MEP said he was happy about the change in direction as it meant he was facing forward.

The third parliamentary assistant on the train, Emmanuel Foulon, joked that Parliament should now adopt Disney’s motto: “Where dreams come true.”

“The image of the EU Parliament as a peripatetic circus [становится] more and more real every hour”wrote Alberto Alemanno, founder of the Good Lobby organization on the X website.

In April, senior Socialist MEP Pedro Silva Pereira told a closed meeting that there were not enough seats on trains to Strasbourg and asked whether parliament could charter more trains. Christoph Hansen, the European People’s Party MEP responsible for administrative issues, echoed his colleague’s statement and informed colleagues that they were completely short of trains.

The circus has left, the clowns remain…

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