The European Parliament’s Interpreters

The European Parliament is the biggest employer of interpreters in the world with 350 permanent interpreters, joined by about 400 free-lancers during peak periods. The European Parliament has often been compared to the Tower of Babel in terms of the number of languages spoken within its walls. But, while communication failed in the Tower of Babel, the European Parliament very obviously doesn't have that problem. The difference is due to the interpreters: they make it possible for members of Parliament to speak their own language and still be understood.