Northern Ireland

Irishman arrested after drunkenly mistaking Romanian parliament for Bucharest hotel

Romania's Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest
Romania's Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest Romania's Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest

AN IRISH tourist who drunkenly mistook the Romanian parliament for his hotel has been arrested in Bucharest.

The unnamed Irish national was said to be a little worse for wear as he searched for his hotel in the city's Old Town.

But rather than his chosen accommodation he instead entered Romania's Palace of the Parliament.

His breach of security at the huge Communist-era building, also called the People's House, grabbed the headlines on Romanian television.

Footage broadcast by Stirile Pro TV is thought to show the man arriving at a police station in Bucharest for questioning.

However, it has been reported that interrogation of the suspect was delayed due to his excessively drunken state.

Palace of the Parliament has more than 1,000 rooms and took more than 13 years to construct.

It is said to be the world's third-largest government building, behind only the Pentagon and Thailand's seat of government.

According to the Romanian network Digi24, the man scaled the parliament walls, broke a window, and climbed in on Monday morning, around 4 am local time.

He then staggered around the building, trying different office doors, until being apprehended by police officers on the third floor.

The man was charged with destruction of public property and breaking into a public building.

Just days previous, the same building had been stormed by protesters unhappy with the Romanian government's Covid restrictions.

The Department of Foreign Affairs was contacted yesterday but was unable to comment.