A member of the European Parliament (EP), who wished to remain anonymous, sought help from the parliament’s medical service after complaining of particular dirtiness at his hotel in Strasbourg, Politico writes.
The problem of dirtiness in hotels was highlighted by Luxembourg parliamentarian Marc Angel. He declined to identify the deputy or the hotel in question.
The hotel is located in Strasbourg, where legislators, aides, officials, lobbyists and journalists gather every month for the plenary session of the European Parliament. This was reported by two people familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue.
“Parliament expects that accommodation used for official business trips meets appropriate standards of quality, safety and hygiene,” said a parliamentary spokesman, who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with the institution’s rules.
“If a complaint is received, it is evaluated by the relevant services and, if necessary, discussed with the tour operator and the hotel concerned to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents,” he added.
The European Parliament meets once a month in Strasbourg, France, although most EU work takes place in Brussels, Belgium. Many consider this legal requirement to be absurd, as frequent travel is a waste of money, harmful to the environment and tiring for MPs themselves. In 2014, EU auditors calculated that maintaining the second seat of the parliament costs taxpayers 114 million euros per year.
The level of hygiene in Strasbourg hotels has been scrutinized in the past.
The President of the European Parliament, Italian Davide Sassoli, fell ill in Strasbourg in November 2021 with an illness caused by Legionella bacteria. According to his press secretary, Sasoli most likely fell ill at the hotel – often caused by the spa’s water supply and air conditioning systems.
The search for the source of Sasoli’s infection was futile, as both the European Parliament buildings and his homes in Brussels and Rome were affected. He never fully recovered from his illness and died in January 2022, aged 65.
