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Until now, the European Parliament has avoided installing a nativity scene at its Brussels headquarters, considering it to be "potentially offensive" to non-believers, despite pressure from many MEPs, in particular Spanish MEP Isabel Benjumea.

 

When she arrived at the parliament in December 2019, she was surprised at the lack of a nativity, and was told one had never been put up. She was met with discouraging red tape and bureaucracy but continued to push for a nativity, and this year it was announced a traditional scene made by Belenes Murcia S.L, the workshop of prestigious Murcian artisan Jesús Griñán, will be installed in parliament for the first time ever on Wednesday November 30.

 

President of the Region, Fernando López Miras, will attend the inauguration, along with Benjumea and Griñán.

 

In addition to being a historic move, it's a huge honour for the Murcia artisans whose nativity was deemed superior to offerings from across Europe and America.

 

 

In making its decision, the European Parliament took into account the "great tradition of nativity scene craftsmanship in the Region", which is "valued as a national and international reference for the quality and detail of its pieces".

 

"This historic installation has been endorsed by the President of the European Parliament, the Maltese Roberta Metsola, and the aim of the regional government is to maintain it in the future, as a consolidated tradition," said sources.

 

Jesús Griñán is a master nativity scene maker from the Puente Tocinos district of Murcia, and is one of the leading figures in the sector, with numerous awards under his belt.

 

He founded his family business in 1952, and since then has exhibited his works in the United States, Japan and France. The nativity chosen for the European Parliament is two metres high and recreates a Bethlehem portal which includes the architectural remains of a traditional Murcian Baroque church and the Cathedral of Murcia.

 

 

Image: Belenes Murcia S.L