3 questions to our colleague and the Parlamentarium‘s project leader Alexander Kleinig who for 6 years and 3 months and 14 days [on 19 Ocotber] has been working on the visitor’s centre that opened up it’s doors in Brussels last week. In three words Kleinig describes Parlamentarium as: “Interactive, multimedia, multilingual”

1. How did it all start …

Parliament had the obligation in the public planning permit to make part of today’s Willy Brandt building open to the general public.

It was also the moment of the negative referendum votes over the draft constitution in France and the Netherlands and everybody was saying: “we have to do something more about communication”.

Parlamentarium - EP's new visitor centre more about communication".

2. Which part do you think is the best?

If I have to choose … I like best the Daily Life section [personal stories from people from all around Europe], with the landscapes of Europe it is at the same time solemn and intimate – it is just beautiful!

I’m most satisfied by the history section. When I walk through I always see people standing listening, browsing through the Treaty tables, it is a pleasure to see other people suddenly getting interested in the history of European integration, it all comes to life. That is really nice that people get interested in it!

3. Reactions so far from the visitors?

It is a bit early to say, but overall the feedback is positive. Sometimes people applaud at the end of the film “how the European Parliament works film” [360 degree projection of the Plenary Chamber and a film on how decisions are taken] and we also get positive feedback from politicians.

Certainly we also get some criticism: Some applications don’t work as they should do and we have to do also a number of corrections that slipped through quality control during the production.

Also people from museums and journalists are very positive; a Norwegian journalist said “maybe it is not in line with the editorial line of my newspaper but after the visit I think that Norway should join the EU!”