Allister welcomes public support for ending Strasbourg circus
20 September 2006
"The EU likes to pretend it is interested in listening to its citizens. Though to date it hasn't listened to MEPs on the issue, the fact that a million citizens have signed a petition demanding an end to the nonsense of the Parliament meeting in Strasbourg, while it has full and adequate facilities in Brussels, will put EU leaders responsiveness to public demand to the test.
I welcome the fact that the millioneth signature has now been gathered and hope the public might succeeed where MEPs have failed in stopping the wanton waste of Billions per annum on the 12 sessions in Strasbourg.
While EU leaders proclaim their desire to listen to citizens, they also love wasting money, so, frankly, not much is likely to change, particularly as it would require the other 24 Leaders to stand up to France.
Of course, the fact that the European Parliament is the only parliament in the world incapable of deciding where it will sit, is a telling commentary in itself on EU institutions and their democratic deficit."
