The European Parliament’s interactive museum in Dublin has officially opened four months after its soft launch.
In 2019, the European Parliament decided it would open museums across Europe to try to bridge the disconnect between citizens and the European Union.
“Europa Experiences are designed to introduce visitors to the European Union through exhibitions, which combine innovative design and fit-outs with state-of-the-art media technology as well as interactive features”, the EU says.
Visitors can learn how the EU institutions make new laws and why EU decisions matter to people in Ireland.
“Discover how the EU works and how the decisions taken by Parliament, Commission and Council affect you”, urges the Europa Experience Dublin website.
“Listen to stories of how EU policies have shaped the lives of people from all around Europe. Find out about how you can make a difference and have your say.”
Polling carried out last year suggested that 70 percent of people in Ireland feel a sense of attachment to the European Union, compared to 63 percent on average across the EU.
But if the new European Parliament museum’s aim is to boost that further, it comes with a hefty price tag.
Last year, the European Parliament’s visitor centres cost close to €30 million, according to EU budget documents.
That cost is expected to rise significantly as more museums are set to open this year too.
“The objective to roll out the Europa Experience visitors’ facilities in all Member States is ongoing. In 2024, the facilities planned to be opened are located in Prague, Dublin and Luxembourg. In 2025, five additional installations are scheduled to open in Athens, Zagreb, The Hague, Sofia, and Budapest.”
Some of the new museums have reportedly attracted a low number of visitors raising questions over whether the exhibitions are really value for money.
In 2023, Denmark’s European Parliament centre in Copenhagen received just 9,000 visitors. The one in Paris only had a footfall of 32,000 people, according to Politico.
Nonetheless, Dublin’s new museum has been lauded by the government and EU.
“The Europa Experience offers visitors the opportunity to explore the workings of the European Union from the heart of Dublin city”, said Ireland’s Europe Minister, Thomas Byrne TD.
“It is terrific to see that the Europa Experience is available in all 24 official EU languages, including our own first official language, Irish,” he added.
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, also praised the opening of Dublin’s newest attraction.
“This experience is, in a very real sense, European democracy in action”, she said in a video message.
The European Parliament says “it is the Parliament’s ambition to have one in each capital city of the European Union. There are currently 14 Experiences, including in Dublin.”
The Europa Experience Dublin is located just off Grafton Street. Entry is free and it is open seven days a week.