Moving roughly 4,000 lawmakers and staff each month undermines that message, she argued, pointing to the European Commission’s recent guidance to curb transport demand and work remotely where possible.
In a similar letter set to be delivered to Metsola on Wednesday, ECR lawmakers argue the costly back-and-forth trips to Strasbourg should be temporarily suspended “in light of the ongoing energy and jet fuel crisis,” warning the commute “cannot be reconciled with what the Commission is asking of citizens and businesses.”
The right-wing lawmakers urged Metsola to “take decisive action without delay” and suspend nonessential travel. The letter concludes by insisting that “when the Union asks citizens to cut back, Parliament cannot be the exception.”
In 2022, a contingent of lawmakers from different parties similarly called for the Parliament’s sessions in Strasbourg to be suspended as energy supplies dwindled in the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The treks to Strasbourg were actually halted during the Covid pandemic. Then-President David Sassoli ditched the sittings in 2020 under force majeure rules, citing the suspension of travel as a necessary “security measure.” After a 15-month absence, lawmakers were obliged to resume sessions in the French city under pressure from authorities in Paris, who have vetoed any move that would undermine Strasbourg’s Parliament seat for the past half century.
According to a 2014 report from the European Court of Auditors, the annual costs of the Parliament’s monthly move to Strasbourg exceeded €113.8 million. Environmentalists have also repeatedly raised concerns over the climate impact of the so-called grand déménagement.
Lawmakers now argue the latest shock, driven by the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran and a looming supply squeeze, warrants similar flexibility. Analysts warn that prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a global energy crisis, already seen in shortages of jet fuel and continued higher costs at the petrol pump — with crude oil prices climbing above $100 per barrel.
A plenary session of the Parliament is set to take place in Strasbourg next week.