Joveva in Murska Sobota: “Cooperation is the driving force of our common success.”

On Friday, 29 September 2023, MEP Irena Joveva headed out for a visit to Murska Sobota, where she met with secondary school students from the Murska Sobota Gymnasium and representatives of civil society. The visit instilled in the MEP a great deal of hope for the future, as she is convinced that inclusion, intergenerational coexistence and cooperation, which are fostered in the municipality, create the conditions for achieving common successes.

The MEP began her visit at the Murska Sobota Gymnasium, where she held a relaxed conversation with young people about her reasons for entering politics, her dynamic schedule, and her work and priorities. She also gave an overview of the committees on which she serves.

Discussion at the Murska Sobota Gymnasium

The participants wished to know what benefits Slovenia has gained from its membership in the European Union, and Joveva explained that there are many – not least for young people, in the form exchanges and international engagement, for example. They also talked about climate change and measures adopted at the EU level in order to tackle it. The MEP explained: “Fit for 55 is a key package aimed at reducing greenhouse gases by 55% and turning Europe into the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050.” She added that as part of this package, various legislative measures have been taken, ranging from energy renovation of buildings and ban on the production of internal combustion cars to emissions trading and, most recently, the Nature Restoration Act that was adopted in July.

Meeting with the mayor

The use of Slovenian in the digital world and the reactions to the letters sent  by the MEP to representatives of Amazon, Apple and Netflix were also brought up during the discussion. Joveva revealed that she knows for a fact that Apple’s Siri is learning Slovenian, yet she is unable to provide a timeline as it is not up to her. She explained to the young people that for the time being, Apple is the only company that has undertaken to design its operating system to include a greater number of languages, including Slovenian, independently of the requirements of the (existing) legislation. Other providers will apparently have be forced to do so through legislation that is also being drafted at the European level.

The visit was followed by a meeting with Mayor Damjan Anželj, who presented the vision and current projects in the municipality.

Mensana Intergenerational Centre

Joveva then met with representatives of the Mensana Intergenerational Centre, who informed her about good practices of intergenerational cooperation based on coexistence and co-creation.

The MEP summarised her impressions by concluding that the municipality of Murska Sobota should be held up as a model of an inclusive community. “Our communities are a mosaic made up of pieces of different people. Bridging the divide between generations allows for the exchange of knowledge, traditions and stories. Inclusion, intergenerational coexistence and cooperation create a community where every voice is heard, where young and old coexist in harmony and where cooperation is the driving force for a common success.”