Parliament to Juncker: Don’t bother us, we’re on vacation

Antonio Tajani makes it clear that he and the other MEPs won’t be back until early September.

The European Parliament would like to make it clear that it’s going on holiday, so don’t even bother trying to get in touch.

That was the message in a letter from Antonio Tajani, the president of the assembly, to “Dear Jean-Claude” Juncker, the president of the European Commission, in which Tajani pointed out that the Parliament was taking its summer break and no work should be sent over before early September.

“I would be grateful if you could suspend, from the date of reception of this letter, the transmission of any notification or request to the budgetary authority [that’s the Parliament],” Tajani wrote.

The letter, seen by POLITICO, is dated July 13.

The Parliament could be needed if the Commission wants to transfer money between budgets, for example to react to a migration crisis. According to the Commission, there have been 17 budgetary transfer requests so far this year.

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Tough luck if that happens before the first week of September. “I would like to inform you, as it is customary that the European Parliament will hold neither a plenary session nor committee meetings during the period between 12 July and 30 August,” Tajani wrote.

He added that it would be unfair to bother the Parliament based on “the principle of loyal cooperation among the European Institutions” and asked Juncker to “take the necessary measures” to ensure the Parliament’s summer break remains quiet. The letter ends formally, with “yours sincerely.”

A similar letter, Tajani said, “has also been sent to the Presidents of the EU institutions and bodies.”

Tajani and Juncker have been at loggerheads of late after the latter called the Parliament “ridiculous” when only around 30 MEPs turned up to hear a speech by Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

Juncker later said sorry for using such language, writing a one-page note to Tajani apologizing for “losing his temper.” Tajani responded by reminding Juncker that it is “the Parliament who has to control the Commission.”

The Commission president has made clear that his institution will be open for business during the summer. He’s put up a rota of commissioners on duty over the summer. The first, week-long shift goes to British commissioner Julian King, according to Commission sources. Juncker himself plans to be around “for a while” during the holiday, one official said. The last scheduled meeting of the college of commissioners is on July 26.