How does Europe work? A satirist puts EU representatives to the test
The adventure begins in the spring of 2014. Unexpectedly, Martin Sonneborn, former editor-in-chief of the satire magazine Titanic, is elected to the EU Parliament – as the sole representative of his party (“Die Partei,” or “The Party”). And now that he’s there anyway, he decides to find out: How does Europe work?
At first, it’s like a field day for grown-ups, with Europeans speaking 24 different native languages all coming together. They don’t know each other, but are supposed to make policy together. And the years ahead prove to be turbulent: an expanding EU, Brexit, privacy policies, the Catalonian crisis and the relationship between the US and Russia. Policy is made by people – by independents like the Polish monarchist, who wants to do away with women’s suffrage; by Alessandra Mussolini, Il Duce’s granddaughter, who made it into parliament thanks to Berlusconi’s legendary “shameless trashy” list of candidates; as well as by members of the major parties.
Martin Sonneborn’s book is a humorous look behind the scenes at the EU Parliament. His judgment is unerring (mostly) and readers of his book will laugh a lot – and finally understand how policy is made in Europe.
