”Only by working together can we accomplish more.”

On Friday and Saturday, 5 and 6 May 2023, MEP Irena Joveva hosted a two-day meeting on behalf of the ”Renew Europe Goes Local – Slovenija: osrednji del evropske zgodbe” (”Renew Europe Goes Local – Slovenia: a central part of the European story”), where she presented the work of her political group at the European level and its relevance locally, emphasising the importance of working together to accomplish more for citizens.

Her presentation began with a description of her endeavours in the European Parliament, particularly in various committees and delegations. She explained the work of MEPs and the procedures for adopting legislation, highlighting her work on finalised reports and opinions, and touching on those that are still in the pipeline.

She then mentioned the topics that she is focusing on at the moment: the safeguarding of the Slovenian language in the digital world, the drafting of the European Media Freedom Act, commitments and efforts to increase transparency, the fight to ban unpaid traineeships, and the promotion of volunteering and of the European Solidarity Corps. She then drew more attention to the collective efforts made within her political group Renew Europe, but also broadly in the European Parliament. She highlighted various extremely important legislative developments, such as the Green Deal, the Next Generation EU recovery fund, the Field to Fork Strategy, the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act (DSA, DMA), and others. Her message was clear:

“There are many things we can point out as individuals, but it is harder to bring about change. That’s why our strength lies in our collective action, because only by working together can we accomplish more – for each and every one of us.”

Joveva stressed the importance of the local communities being informed about her work, the work of her political group and that of the European Parliament, and how critical it is that the local communities know how to connect with the EU in different ways. By presenting the complex workings of the European institutions, she aimed to provide a better understanding and insight, so that all levels – national, local and European – can be brought closer together and cooperate more. She also mentioned that she enjoys visiting local committees around Slovenia, as this is the only way to see the lay of the land up close.

“I like to be around people, on the ground. This allows me to see how things really are, where we are doing well and where improvements are still possible – and it is almost always possible to improve, or at least to supplement.”

Along with the MEP, the meeting was addressed by Peter Majerle, Svoboda party’s Business Director, Marjan Šarec, Minister of Defence, and Borut Sajovic, leader of the Svoboda deputy group. As a former Prime Minister, Minister Šarec presented the importance and influence of Renew Europe in various European institutions, including the European Council and the Council of the European Union, where working for the common good is equally key to successful politics. Former Mayor and leader of the Svoboda deputy group, Borut Sajovic, discussed the importance of the local environment and its influence on European policy-making. On the second day of the event, the participants tested their knowledge in workshops and mock sessions of the various European institutions.