Anyone who has visited Washington DC knows that you feel the power and importance of the city and its inhabitants pulsing through the alphabetically named streets. It was with similar anticipation I flew in to Brussels, the capital of the world’s largest economy.
Two days prowling the halls of power provided ample time to compare and contrast the cultural differences between the EU and US. While Fredrik and the other EU leaders sit down tonight to horse trade over who will be the first president of the EU (the only thing for sure is it will not be an inspiring visionary leader like President Obama) I now see clearly what the winds of the Atlantic did not blow West from the old world to the new.
The EU Parliament is neither an inspiring or grand building and makes no clear architectural statement. Compared to the US Congress it looks more like the head office for a large multinational company than an institution designed to impress and awe. Inside it is light, spacious, no doubt complying to all EU Occupational Health & Safety laws and ergonomically sound. There are no statues of previous leaders although the main doors are all named after them and the only old stones visible were from the Berlin Wall, shipped in to commemorate the 20 anniversary of its downfall.
What I was unaware of is that the 736 Members of European Parliament are seated in the large but not grand parliament room by their political groupings rather than by country. The Swedish Moderates sit with the largest party, the European People’s Party and the Social Democrats sit with the European Socialists party. Politics, rather than nationality, is what binds the MEPs.
The EU legislative process is based upon consultation and consensus while DC is about numbers of votes and power. It is therefore hard to see a Barack Obama figure rising out of the MEPs as they would find it hard to espouse a vision that all EU citizens let alone their MEPs would believe in.
But there could be an exception……
One of Sweden’s newest MEPs is Anna Maria Corazza Bildt whom I had the opportunity to spend some time with and learn about not only the workings of the EU Parliament but also the issues she is passionately engaged with. And when I say passionately I mean it with a capital P. And I should add a capital I because her passion is only exceeded by her intelligence. As a former journalist I have met my fill of politicians, senior business leaders and even a man who flew to the moon and Anna Maria is one of the most impressive I have met.
Italian born, Italian and US educated, married to one of Europe’s leading politicians and fluent in at least 4 languages I heard her speak and from 1998 resident Swede, she spans borders, cultures, languages and can work a room like a pro. The very model of a modern EU MEP!
While I share some of her views including those on free trade I do not buy into all of them but the only person I do always agree with anyway is my wife! Right honey?
It is good for Sweden that almost 90,000 people crossed her name in the MEP elections earlier this year to push her up from 8th to 2nd place and secure one of the Moderate Party seats. While I can not always say that the people of Sweden get the leaders they deserve, with AMCB they have probably done even better.
Those who voted for her have big expectations, let us hope she lives up to them.
What does this have to do with wine freedom? AMCB previously ran a small e-commerce mail order business selling Italian wine and delicacies and I hope one day if needed, she will remember her free trade and entrepreneurial credentials of we need her help!
cheers
Mark
