The European Students’ Forum AEGEE brought over five European Parliament civil servants for the occasion to speak about the workings of the EP but, sadly, journalists far outnumbered the handful of students, and some local MEP candidates, who turned up for the discussion.

The five civil servants from Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands mainly spoke about the differences in the EP from when it was first set up to the powerful body it has now become.

Wouter Offereins, from the Netherlands, said that the EP was first set up in 1952, but it was not a parliament as we know it today. “It has grown tremendously in size and power. A parliament without power is nothing,” he said.

He said that after the 12 June election, older member states will relinquish some seats to accommodate the new ones under the newly-established maximum of 788 seats.

Enrico D’ Ambrogio said that the workings of the EU are facilitated by three institutions. “The Commission proposes, the parliament is consulted and debates while the council adopts the decisions,” he said.

Fransisco Florensa Canes said the European Parliament represented the populaces of 25 EU member states. “That is why the parliament votes on everything, because sometimes the will of the people is not the same as the will of the authorities,” he said. The panel then took some questions from the floor.