Date Published: 13/12/2023
WATCH: Barking mystery dog overshadows Spanish President in European Parliament
President of Spain Pedro Sánchez had just finished addressing the European leaders when the hound began howling
A mystery mutt reduced even the most stoic of European leaders to gales of laughter on Wednesday December 13, when an unseen dog began barking from the stalls of the European Parliament. With rather unfortunate timing, the clamour started not long after Pedro Sánchez, the newly elected President of the Spanish Government, finished addressing the chamber.
In the footage, the barking sounds like it’s coming from somewhere in the back of the room and at first, everyone is craning, bewildered, to see what’s causing the commotion. As the dog continues to howl, however, the politicians couldn’t hide their amusement and the chamber dissolved into fits of barely concealed giggles.
“We must have a support animal in the House,” quipped the president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola.
El momento en el que un perro se pone a ladrar durante el balance de la presidencia española del Consejo con @sanchezcastejon en el Parlamento Europeo, con las reacciones del propio Sánchez, PP, Ciudadanos y la propia Metsola aguantando la risa, es el mejor minuto de este 2023. pic.twitter.com/pjS99wy4ZD
— Laura Zornoza (@LauraZornoza) December 13, 2023
Later, EPP leader Manfred Weber joked about what happened, right before congratulating President Sánchez on his return to office: “It seems we have a new Ursula von der Leyen admirer,” he joked.
As the ‘ruff’ day continued through Weber’s speech, President Sánchez could be seen grinning at the noise even as the head of the People’s Party lambasted the Spanish leader’s amnesty deal with Catalan separatists.
Socialist MEP Eider Gardiazabel Rubial possibly summed up the feelings of the Parliament best when he joked that the dog had expressed his opinions at exactly the right moment.
It turned out that the barking dog belonged to a visually impaired visitor.
In other news: Spain considers banning smoking on outdoor bar terraces
Image: @LauraZornoza
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