They are back. This Monday, MEPs are meeting in Strasbourg for a new parliamentary session in the Wacken hemicycle,
the second in October. A habit found since June, sixteen months after the forced interruption of sessions because of the health crisis.
In Strasbourg, the gradual introduction of face-to-face sessions has something to cheer up those involved in the local economy, still exhausted by the sudden cessation of their activity. “We feel that it is rising crescendo. It is difficult to estimate from a quantified point of view, but the return of parliamentarians has an indisputable impact, according to the returns given to me by the traders ”, notes Pierre Bardet, general manager of Vitrines de Strasbourg.
“As long as it continues”
“It’s obviously something that makes everyone work a bit,” adds Hakim Kerkoub, president of Taxi 13, the largest taxi platform in Strasbourg. “For us, it starts at the station, on Mondays after 12 noon. Then, deputies and assistants are dropped off at Parliament or at their hotel. Then there are the restaurants in the evening, leaving the Parliament … It makes for back and forth! As long as it continues … “
If he insists on the positive, Hakim Kerkoub also observes “a crescendo”: “We do not find the pre-Covid Parliament, but it is already not bad. “Pierre Bardet agrees:” It is not a panacea, there are fewer employees who come to Strasbourg than before. But it’s better than zero. “The director general of the association of traders awaits” December “impatiently:” It is a month during which parliamentarians often come with their families. It is really at that moment that we will be able to measure the impact of their return. “
Better than nothing, but not quite that yet. An observation shared by Pierre Siegel, boss of hoteliers in Bas-Rhin. “We started from so low in 2020 that there could only be a positive effect. But we are still far from being complete. Yes, parliamentary sessions are contributing to the recovery, but there is still some way to go, ”says the owner of the Best Western Monopole Métropole hotel in Strasbourg.
“A lot of received ideas”
More generally, Pierre Siegel relativizes “the impact of the return of MEPs”: “Obviously it is positive. But we must not forget that we are talking about three or four days a month. After that, we still have 27 left to fill our hotel rooms. This is obviously important, but fortunately there are other clienteles to live on. “
According to him, the fallout is more “indirect”: “Their presence in Strasbourg has an impact on tourist attractiveness. But already before the Covid, this represented 15% of the hotel activity in Strasbourg. There are a lot of misconceptions. “
For his part, Hakim Kerkoub wants to be a philosopher and advocates caution, in a context where the pandemic is still threatening: “I think we should not skip the steps. Better to take it slow rather than screw it up. It’s good not to rush things with a smooth return from members. And when they’re there, it’s still a plus! “