Vignettes

Rome

I’ve been travelling more these last months than I ever espected to in my wildest dreams. This weekend I was in Rome for a European Youth Summit. It was … on one hand great. I loved seeing the city, meeting interesting people, EU-big wigs, having champagne on a terrace of Campidoglio overlooking fair Rome. A guilty pleasure. Normally, I’m not very much against the business-class flight, nice hotels, etc. afforded to politicians and others. It’s comes with the territory and is a perk that replaces pay. Also, nice, comfortable surroundings build a certain image and inspires a certain sense of professionalism and seriosity which can be conducive to the political process. Within certain limits. This was just.. beyond all reason. Too nice a hotel, too much champagne, too large buffets.. Just too much of it all. It must have cost a fortune.

Sigh. Well, there was a bit of politics involved too. I’m not going to get too much into it here. Ask me for the reports I wrote before and after the seminar. Let me just say, every single prejudice about the EU I ever had was confirmed.

And other travels

I was in Finland for their parliamentary elections, and I’ve been in Istanbul for a large Middle East-meets-West seminar. I’ve written an article on it for KU, but it hasn’t been published yet. There’s too much to write as always. I’ll post some pictures at some point.