Young people from Spain and Croatia learn first-hand about parliamentary democracy in Baden-Württemberg
The trainees from Spain and Croatia who began their training as hotel specialists on 1 September 2016 as part of the Esslingen ECOINN Hotel’s European Solidarity Project have now visited the Baden-Württemberg State Parliament: the President of the State Parliament, Muhterem Aras, insisted on inviting the ECOINN delegation personally. The fact that she was not able to speak to them in person for half an hour as planned was due to a complete traffic jam that prevented her from returning in time from an appointment further away. However, she promised to visit the trainees at the hotel.
In her place, Jennifer Kraus from the State Parliament’s visitor service did her very best to give the trainees, who were accompanied by social worker Franziska Rettenbacher, ECOINN manager Thomas Puchan and management assistant Christine Rothwein, extensive knowledge of the content and procedures of parliamentary sessions.
She answered questions just as patiently as she guided the delegation through various rooms, finally arriving in the plenary chamber. Here the nine young people were able to see for themselves how the parliamentary groups are seated, how sessions run, where the President of the Parliament sits and where the government representatives and the Minister-President have their seats. Jennifer Kraus even allowed the young people to re-enact a session: they were allowed to sit in any seat, and so there was great delight at being able to sit in the seats of the group leaders, the President or even the Minister-President. The President’s bell was also rung with great pleasure whenever things got too loud.
On behalf of everyone, Thomas Puchan thanked Ms Kraus for a highly interesting and not at all dry afternoon. Everyone is now looking forward to President Aras’s forthcoming visit to the ECOINN Hotel am Campus in Esslingen and will give her a warm welcome!