Citizen-friendly post-Electoral evening at EU Parliament in Strasbourg opens new era ?

It's the first time that "EuroFora" entered EU Parliament's building helping a group of sympathetic but overloaded young people to carry a heavy load of .. Champaign, to celebrate 2009 EU Elections ! 

EU Citizens were astonished to be greeted with .. free Champaign (offered by Strasbourg's city), Giant TV Screens and an open EU Parliament, freely meeting with EU and local politicians, officials and journalists at MEP's Hemicycle : Strasbourg takes seriously the fight against majority abstentions on EU Elections since 1999..

-  "It's the first time that it happens", confirmed to "EuroFora" EU Parliament Strasbourg Office's Director, Jean-Jacques Fritz, busy to run around for several practical matters. Indeed, as "EuroFora" remembers, the post-Electoral night was traditionally used only for a "happy few" "invited" persons, politicians, journalists, officials, etc, most interested Citizens having just to keep to their homes' TV screens...

- "I don't think that it's practiced in Brussels, but we'd like to establish and develop further in future this opening towards EU Citizens in Strasbourg", said to "EuroFora" the City's Mayor, French Senator Roland Ries (Soc.)

Journalists were positively surprised to find working Tables, with Electricity and Wifi connections, in front of a huge TV Screen, right in front of MEP's Hemicycle at the 1st floor, close to Politicians, MEPs, Officials and Citizens, surrounded by a spectacular eye-catching view, among transparent Crystal "walls", to a splendid Natural landscape at the Sunset, made of Rivers, Forests, Sports' areas, Tram, Bicycles and Boats', looking straight at the European Court of Human Rights' original building, (designed by the same British Architect : Sir Rogers, who made also Paris' world-famous "Beaubourg", visited a few hours ago by new US President Obama and his family)..

Instead of being closed in an... Underground room, surrounded by high walls, closed doors and windows, far away from MEPs, EU Officers and Citizens, at a "Press room" curiously pushed at the other side of the building, in unequal and poor ventilation conditions, as usual...

Citizens were happily strolling around, having never seen EU Parliament open and active like this, looking for and commenting on Elections' results, among local, national and EU politicians, while various Receptions were going on in parallel at several meeting-points all around the central area.

Security guards appeared astonished that everything was going on calmly, without any incident to notice. Impressive EU Parliament's Ushers, wearing their uniforms, had come to guide People to, and around the Hemicycle.

Only regret : When "EuroFora", thirsty, urgently asked for "a glass of Water", the only tables close to the events served only ... Champaign (and a dangerously good one), offered by Strasbourg's City.. It took some hours, and a helpful young couple, to find out that there was also an open Bar with almost everything People wished to eat and drink, including refreshing fruit juices.

Who claimed that People don't give a damn about EU Parliament since 1999's first majority abstention ? Even after Midnight, a young EU Citizen, anxious to be among the first to have the lastest overall EU Parliament's results, asked "EuroFora" to lend him a pencil to simply write down on a piece of paper the numbers which figured at a Giant Screen out of the Hemicycle.Sometimes,

Citizen-friendly atmosphere may simplify journalists' work...