Foreign MEPs ‘outraged’ by Prorogation, but sit for far less time than UK MPs. You just could not make this up if you tried.
How many days per month will the EU Parliament sit in 2019? Let's take a look at how may days a year these foreign paragons of virtue sit.
The answer may shock you
MEPs from other EU countries have been ‘outraged’ by the Prolongation of the UK Parliament by Prime Minister Johnson, as has the press in their countries. something that happens every year in the UK. Below I show the calendar for the EU Parliament for 2019. The EU Parliament will be in session for just 3.5 days per month during 2019.
How the EU Parliament can hardly lecture the UK Parliament
The EU Parliament will sit for only 42 days this year
That’s only 3.5 days per month
In May, June, and August they did not sit at all.
The number of days a month the EU Parliament sits in 2019
January 4.5 days
February 3.5 days
March 7 days
April 4.5 days
May 0 days
June 0 days
July 6.5 days
August 0 days
September 3.5
October 4.5
November 4,5
December 3.5
Remember these days are not weekly but monthly.
In the whole of 2019, there are just 33 full days and 18 half-days for the EU Parliament to sit in session, giving a total of only 42 days for the whole of this year
Contrast that with the UK Parliament that sits on average 12 days per month.
Conversely, the House of Commons sits for an average of 149 days per year
That’s 12.5 days per month
And that’s over 100 more days than the EU Parliament.
Who is more “democratic”, Guy Verhofstadt?
I mention Guy Verhofstadt because he is always poking his nose in our Parliamentary business.
His latest tweet ito our business is below
Guy Verhofstadt is fond of quoting the Guardian newspaper.
Below is a selection of responses to his tweet
The EU Parliament is not even able to bring forward legislation and enact it, unlike the UK Parliament.
Mr. Verhofstadt may wish to explain to the British people that it’s the unelected EU Commission that has the right to bring forward legislation in the EU, not the EU Parliament.
On average the British Parliament sits for 3.5 times as many days as will the EU Parliament this year. Despite this, British MEPs have been inciting their EU27 colleagues to condemn “the coup”, as they describe the prorogation of Parliament which normally happens each Autumn. These foreign MEPs have happily waded in, despite knowing very little about the facts. I doubt that Europhile federalist MEPs will be interested in facts, alas.
On the other hand, the British public might be interested in FACTS.
[ Sources: EU Parliament | UK Parliament Library Service ]
