#government

No, seriously. The Consell General (our parliament) is inside a building smaller than most banks.

It’s wedged right into a bend in the road in Andorra la Vella. It has a parking garage underneath.

In theory, you could run for office, park your car, and walk into the chamber in under three minutes.

I once tried to explain this to a coworker from Berlin. He laughed for five straight minutes.

And yet, it works.

Our political system is one of the oldest in Europe — we’ve had co-princes since the 1200s. One is the Bishop of Urgell (Catalonia), and the other is the President of France.

It’s weird. But stable. And very us.

Maybe you don’t need a palace if you’ve got snow, fiber internet, and municipal hot springs.

New Parliament of Andorra, headquarters of the General Council of Andorra since 2011.