Strasbourg Open Day: Parliament Throws Open Its Doors to Citizens
The European Parliament opens its Strasbourg hemicycle to the public on Sunday 17 May 2026 for the institution’s annual Open Day, in what has become one of the most visible expressions of the European Union’s outreach to citizens. The event, scheduled to draw tens of thousands of visitors from across the Grand Est region, France and beyond, comes a week after Europe Day on 9 May, and a day before the May plenary session opens.
“Come and See Democracy in Action”
The motto chosen by Parliament for this year’s edition – “Come and See Democracy in Action” – signals the institution’s continued effort to translate the abstractions of legislative procedure into a tangible civic experience. Visitors will be able to enter the hemicycle, take part in quizzes and discussions, and follow guided tours of the institutional spaces normally reserved for MEPs and staff during plenary sessions.
Metsola’s outreach strategy
For Roberta Metsola, the Parliament’s President since 2022, the Open Day fits squarely into a sustained communication strategy aimed at reinforcing the institution’s legitimacy in a turbulent political environment. Her presidency, due to end mid-mandate later this year under the rotation principle, has placed heavy emphasis on direct citizen engagement: educational programmes, regional visits, and visible defence of the rule of law in member states under pressure.
A symbolic year for the EU
The 2026 Open Day takes place in a particularly symbolic year. Europe Day this year marked the 76th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration and two important milestones: 40 years since Portugal and Spain joined what was then the European Economic Community, and 40 years since the first official Europe Day celebrations in 1986. For Strasbourg, host city of the Parliament since the institution’s earliest days, the dual symbolism reinforces its claim as the EU’s democratic capital.
The wider context
The Open Day comes against a backdrop of acute external and internal pressures on the Union: the ongoing Iran war and the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the political instability in London where Sir Keir Starmer faces calls to resign from over 90 of his own MPs, and the formal start on 15 May of the EU’s accession to the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. The plenary that opens in Strasbourg on Monday will address all three files.
From outreach to legitimacy
European Commission officials are also active across member states. A Eurobarometer survey published earlier this month found that a clear majority of Europeans see benefits from EU membership and view the Union as a pillar of stability and security. For an institution often accused of remoteness, Sunday’s Open Day in Strasbourg is the most concrete answer it can give – a guided tour, in 24 languages, of a democracy in action.
