I’m on my laptop or phone during meetings all the time. So are my colleagues. I don’t get fired because everybody understands that some meetings don’t require active participation from everybody at all times, yet attendance can be useful to intervene when necessary. (I explained as much in my original message.)
That said, I understand your concern if your definition of work for an elected official seems to be “staring aimlessly at a podium during a plenary session.”
And before you say: “they should actively participate!” Good luck doing that in a session with 200+ participants. Law making is done in smaller sessions and committees. The plenary session is a formality.
In this particular case, chances are that they were filming during “het vragenuurtje”, the Q&A where Flemish members of parliament can get answers from ministers to submitted questions. It’s completely normal for one member to sit at attention while their question get answered while others sit and wait for their turn, and do something else. After all, that member may have an interest in the lack of highway signalization to his village, while other members don’t care. (Yes, Flanders is small enough for these kind of things to be brought up in parlement.)
I totally understand that this doesn’t fit the standard narrative of the lazy politician who doesn’t work for my money, and for that I’m sorry.
That said, I understand your concern if your definition of work for an elected official seems to be “staring aimlessly at a podium during a plenary session.”
And before you say: “they should actively participate!” Good luck doing that in a session with 200+ participants. Law making is done in smaller sessions and committees. The plenary session is a formality.
In this particular case, chances are that they were filming during “het vragenuurtje”, the Q&A where Flemish members of parliament can get answers from ministers to submitted questions. It’s completely normal for one member to sit at attention while their question get answered while others sit and wait for their turn, and do something else. After all, that member may have an interest in the lack of highway signalization to his village, while other members don’t care. (Yes, Flanders is small enough for these kind of things to be brought up in parlement.)
I totally understand that this doesn’t fit the standard narrative of the lazy politician who doesn’t work for my money, and for that I’m sorry.