Bookshelf

🎨 Impressions

I’m not sure if I’ve ever put this into public writing here before, but I am interested in how the European Parliament works for the specific reason of finding out if it would be a worth-while longtime goal for me to pursue a seat in it. Yes, I understand that sounds far off, but if you know this blog you know I enjoy setting seemingly unachievable goals and celebrate the opportunity to learn and grow beyond the limits I thought were possible.

I think politics is a highly interesting field. It centers around human connection and interaction more than anything else. The question is, will I find it as tedious and ineffective as its public image is? Is it just an ego-show and will everyone inevitably forget their ideals and sell their souls for some unattractive compromises or power gains? Or will it be rewarding due to the ability to influence positive change in the world and plainly improve it a little bit?

In order to find out, I must first explore the edges. Since I ran all 28 EU capital city marathons (including London) and therefore already set foot into all member countries, I am convinced this continent including all its different peoples is amazing and needs to be cherished. Also, it deserves the work put in. I’ve read the two books by outsider MEP Martin Sonneborn, and they made me come to the same conclusion.

During a recent visit to Brussels with two of my daughters I wanted to show them the parliament. I’ve told them about politics so many times, I thought it would be smart to finally put a visual image of that place into their brains, too. And when we entered the gift shop at the end of the museum tour that’s next to the Hemicycle where the action happens, I saw this book here.

Written by a former Member of the European Parliament (“MEP”) and longtime assistant and insider, its purpose is to show what it’s really like to work for the EU in such a fashion.

It’s a short and descriptive introduction and basically a complete guide to it all. Not the day-to-day, but how to make it as an MEP. How to gain the influence to actually move things into the direction you want them to go. Short sentences, mostly written in imperative form. It reminded me of the concise writing style of Derek Sivers. Just that it’s very dry, features no fun anecdotes and exactly zero humor. At points it is accidentally funny, and for a second I wondered if parts were meant as a joke until I realized that no, that’s the way it actually works in politics.

I’m convinced this is actually very good advice. A few testimonials by other MEPs say so, too. That being said, I wasn’t surprised much by how it seems to work inside the parliament. That’s probably also because I’ve read the very frank books by Martin Sonneborn before, but I think most people have a vague idea of what it requires of you to become a politician. There’s a lot to do with cultivating a public image or brand, how to make deals with other politicians, how to influence people and line them up behind you, how to use information as a weapon when interacting with the press, how to time certain publications of information. That sort of thing. It’s a highly tricky business. But as Martin Sonneborn and several other people I’m aware of have already proven: There are other ways to act when having become an MEP. Maybe those won’t make you as successful, but it is not required to play by the rules the author laid out here.

As a book it fulfills its purpose well. I’ve got a good impression now and it was a quick and easy read.