Le congrès ne marche pas (Torroella de Montgrí)

Austrian Foreign Minister Klemens von Metternich knows that revolutions must be stopped before they start. With this in mind, he invited the leaders of Russia, England and Prussia to spend a few days in Vienna. Little did he know that the news of the congress would attract the curiosity of all the world’s governments, and that what was to be a simple meeting would turn into a massive party that would last nine months and more. It is not easy to separate territorial negotiations from amorous conflicts, ideological debates from simple ego fights… It is hard to know when we are celebrating and when we are working. Meanwhile, the champagne bottles start to run out, the food trays become increasingly scarce and the return of an old enemy makes us think, for a moment, that perhaps things could be different. Belgian delegate Charles-Joseph de Ligne writes in a letter: “The congress does not move forward, it dances”.