“We call on the European Parliament to launch a public debate on the Caprice des Dieux renovation project as a matter of urgency. A project of this kind, costing €500 million, cannot be carried out without a proper debate with our citizens”. This paragraph, printed in large bold type, concludes the open letter (https://bit.ly/3lZAJEU ) (in French) sent to David Sassoli, the President of the European Parliament, last week, and published as an advertisement in six newspapers on Tuesday: “Le Monde”, “Les Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace” and “L’Alsace” in France; “Le Soir” in Belgium; the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” in Germany and the “Luxemburger Wort”. The letter is co-signed by the Grand Est Region of France, the City and Eurometropolis of Strasbourg and the two departments that make up Alsace.
The Paul-Henri Spaak building, which houses the European Parliament in Brussels, was opened in 1993 and nicknamed the “Caprice des Dieux” (the whim of the gods) because of its shape and cost. The building is due for refurbishment. There are two scenarios under consideration: reinforcing the building or knocking it down and rebuilding, either of which would involve a minimum cost of €500 million.
Councillors in Alsace are, however, wondering whether Europe can afford either option, especially when the European Parliament has a perfectly functional building in Strasbourg, the city where it is based. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)