The European Parliament and other institutions within the European Union are important, but for many not easy to understand. In our efforts to reach and educate young people about the functioning of the European Parliament, we have reached over 20.000 people monthly, and increased knowledge on the European Parliament and the elections in 2019 significantly.
I’m an Italian living in Brussels, how do I vote? This question – or at least in a similar way – will come to the minds of many European Union citizens. But why? The European integration has brought forward many achievements that have had an impact on our daily life. For example, for citizens of its member states, it has never been as convenient as today to study, work or simply live in another country of the European Union. These freedoms provide unique opportunities and play a crucial role towards the formation of a European identity.
Why democracy sucks „Why democracy sucks“, you’ll ask. „How can you say such a thing? We live in the best political system.“ Oh no, we don’t, I would say. Democracy sucks! Every 2 years I have to vote and decide between more or less the same parties and people, that in the end will not make a difference to me, will disappoint me and disregard their promises made before the elections.
The procedures for electing the EP are governed both by European legislation which indicated ground rules that are common to all Member States. The main part of the elections depends on specific national provisions which vary from one state to another. When we talk about the European elections, we are thus truly talking about different elections: on different days, with different candidates, and different elections systems. So, what is the premise that the EU law gives to the nation states, and how do they treat it?
Austria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Bulgaria Today, on 1 July, Austria takes over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the third time. The next six months they set some new topics to the agenda, negotiate between the member states and represent the Council internal and external. If you want to know more about the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, you can check this page, their program you can find on the Austrian Presidency website. So, let’s have a look at what they have planned and what that means for Europe.
During the European Youth Event in Strasbourg in 2018, we held a session called “Meeting your representatives: What happens next?“, where we discussed with Terry Reintke (MEP), Brando Benifei (MEP) and Loes Rutten (AEGEE-Europe) about how the follow-up after meetings of MEPs (and politicians in general) and (young) people could be improved. Here are the outcomes!