Does the Chamber of Deputies kitchen need more than 100 employees?
The Chamber of Deputies is taking on a decidedly gourmet tone, at least when it comes to internal services, and the credit goes to Cd Servizi, the company founded last year to manage everything parliamentarians need, and which is growing rapidly.
No contracts awarded to external companies: now the focus is on internal management, which, according to plans for 2026, is set to expand further. The year has already started with a bang, with the completion of selections for nearly one hundred new faces who will handle day-to-day support in the building's corridors.
The one hundred new hires
They're not your typical uniformed clerks, but operational figures who do a bit of everything: they escort guests between the various floors, ensure the rooms are tidy, manage microphones during work, and, if necessary, arrange furniture and seating. These duties carry a starting salary of around €1,300 per month, a figure that can increase based on the employee's resume.
But the real challenge seems to be taking place in the kitchens. The company, founded at the instigation of the current government majority, is investing heavily in the quality of what ends up on the plates of MPs and, perhaps inspired by Auguste Escoffier—"chef of kings, king of chefs," inventor of the concept of the modern kitchen brigade—is beefing up the staff behind the stoves.
The goal for the near future is to serve dishes prepared with fresh, seasonal products sourced from local supply chains or mountain communities. This is certainly a laudable goal, but it's not without logistical challenges: all these prized products transiting through the Chamber's kitchens will also require someone to clean and prepare them for cooking.
In short, returning to Escoffier will require entremetier chefs or garde-manger chefs, and the Cd Servizi seems to have discovered the most basic rules of kitchen organization in 2026: restaurant staff will be able to dedicate themselves exclusively to preparing dishes, avoiding wasting time washing vegetables. This new contingent of workers will cost the public coffers between 450,000 and 700,000 euros, depending on the type of contract applied.
There are also new measures to reduce leftovers at the end of the day. If there is any food left over from restaurants or self-service restaurants, MPs will be able to take their dinner home and take advantage of special discounts during the evening hours. This is a smart way to manage surpluses and also allows MPs to save on dinner, should the need arise. This service costs around €4.1 million, up from €3.6 million under the previous administration.
We thought the turbulent arrival of artisanal gelato in the refreshment area might herald legislative action, but instead it was only the first step toward leading the room service company to adopt a curiously hotel-like management style: we're curious to see what other culinary innovations are in store.