Fitting the Parliament’s bill

Date: 08/05/1997

Are Euro MPs fit to govern? If not they soon will be.

The Espace Léopold Parliament building now nearing completion will include a 1,000-metre sports complex on three floors including two squash courts, a body-building room, a gym-exercise room and two single-sex saunas.

The monthly fee for honourable members will be up to 25 ecu and the facilities will be able to cope with as many as 100 sweaty MEPs at a time - a thought which may give pause to anyone planning to apply for the job of supervisor which is now being advertised.

The successful applicant will be a doctor or other professional fully trained to help people who fall on their faces. He or she must be able to heal physical wounds if not political ones, and will also be in charge of supervising athletically-inclined elected members and organising classes.

Applications for this post close on 1 June.