EuroparlTV follows Yves Cochet, one of the thirteen new politicians to start working at the Parliament as fully-fledged MEPs.

The News: Thirteen MEPs take their places

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15783578/n001-111212-001-en_mf.srt

It's not the first time I've been elected  to the EP as I was elected in June 1989.

Then I returned to France where I spent  15 years in the National Assembly

and then one year  in Lionel Jospin's government.

French politician, and re-born MEP,  Yves Cochet found out just days ago

that he would be taking a seat in the EP.

A trick of the treaty, many new 'phantom  MEPs' were elected in 2009.

However, in France they were  only chosen recently.

We took two MPs because France  was allocated two more seats,

we took two MPs from the National  Assembly and put them in the EP.

Monday marked the first day of work  for most new MEPs.

Only 13 of the 18 could start as five others  had to finalise their national paperwork.

The first step in taking your seat  as an MEP is getting your access badge.

Badged and ready to go,  but getting behind the desk isn't so simple.

Do we have to do  any more formalities now?

16:00 - Time to meet his new colleagues.

Sitting with the Greens, the first debates  centre on the eurozone summit.

We are very critical of this project,  especially this proposed new treaty.

We're going to talk about it in the group and  I've a little idea myself of what I could say.

17:00 - Time to start work  in the hemicycle,

and he hadn't even had the chance  to see his new office.