EU Parliament Gears Up for Another Week of Very Important Meetings About Very Important Things
The European Parliament is rolling out the red carpet (and firing up Interactio, whatever that is) for Wednesday’s press briefing about next week’s plenary session. Because nothing says “democracy in action” quite like a press conference about an upcoming meeting.
Kicking off May 18-21, the agenda reads like a greatest hits album of EU bureaucracy. First up: the inaugural European Order of Merit ceremony, where presumably someone gets a fancy medal for being exceptionally European.
But wait, there’s more! MEPs will cast their final vote on screening foreign investments—because apparently, the EU’s strategic sectors need protection from suspicious outsiders who might want to, you know, invest money in them.
The real excitement comes with debates on the single market (thrilling!), cybersecurity threats from AI systems (finally, something scary), and the Middle East crisis (less thrilling). There’s also a fertilizer action plan on the docket, which is exactly as riveting as it sounds.
Latvia’s Prime Minister Evika Siliņa will drop by for a “This is Europe” debate, presumably to remind everyone that yes, Latvia is indeed in Europe.
Journalists eager to participate must navigate the technological labyrinth of Interactio—supported only on iPads with Safari and Mac/Windows with Chrome, because why make things simple? First-timers are advised to connect 30 minutes early for a “connection test,” which sounds less like journalism and more like preparing for a space mission.
The whole affair streams live from the Anna Politkovskaya press room, with interpretation available in English and French. Because if you’re going to discuss fertilizer policy, you might as well do it bilingually.