Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Europe rediscovered - a place of Pilgrimage

The Hungarian Socialist Party has set the entire European parliament guffawing into its lunch. On every canteen tray today was a sheet of paper - much like those you find in MacDonalds. This however was in honour of a Statue that is now parked outside the canteen entrance. A gift from the Hungarian Parliament no less.
The statue is supposed to be Europa Rediscovered, but the blurb on the sheet is boggling. In describing the story of the rape of Europa;
"The princess suffered from the separation from her mates only for a fleeting moment, then even her initial fear vanished and began the magic, when the divine body irrupting in the water continued its run on the surface of the sea".
Remember that the thing irrupting is a bull!! But this following request/demand/claim (?) just takes the biscuit;
"the building of the European Parliament offers us a meeting point in the XXI century. This should be a place of Pilgrimage, where we point out the past and under the major virtues ... we can plan the future, the future of Europe...on the waves of their artistic love recount us how Europe was founded. The legend continues..."
Fortunately this drivel didn't.

Update
I can report that the sculpture (given the dross that clutters up the building) is rather good, though inappropriately situated. The champagne and foie gras were also excellent.
The speeches were as ever pointless, and Mr Borrell starting going on about how he had always imagined Europe to be a man (Eh?), but was beginning to understand its feminine side, or something. The Hungarians were represented by Mrs Szili.
Who wasn't.

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