Turn for the worse (or better): EU lawmakers take accidental detour to Disneyland

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – With a single wrong turn, a charter train carrying EU lawmakers and parliament staffers from Brussels to Strasbourg on Monday ended up instead at a rather different destination of the imagination, Disneyland Paris.

“A signaling error of the French railway SNCF sent our train today to Disneyland instead of Strasbourg,” a European Parliament staffer told Anadolu Agency, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“Unfortunately, they didn’t let us get out to have some fun there,” said the source, evidently believing that the Star Wars rides and Marvel superheroes found at Disney theme parks might prove more enjoyable than debates at the European Parliament.

The train was quickly redirected to Strasbourg, perhaps to the disappointment of some of its passengers.

On social media, some made light of the incident, referring to how one of the bars in the European Parliament is nicknamed the “Mickey Mouse Cafe” after the shape of its chairs.

The monthly journey was necessary because while committee meetings, mini-plenaries, and daily administration take place in the EU and Belgian capital of Brussels, the European Parliament holds its plenary sessions in Strasbourg, northeastern France – some 350 kilometers (217 miles) away.

The unwieldy setup, often called a “traveling circus,” is the result of compromises between EU member states made decades ago.

Despite criticism of the setup's huge financial and environmental burden as it requires EU lawmakers, thousands of their staffers, and confidential documents to be transported to France once a month, the EU has been unable to change the system due to French opposition.