,

A Europe That Cares for Mental Health Cares for Its People

On Thursday, 9 October 2025, Member of the European Parliament Irena Joveva took part in the plenary debate marking World Mental Health Day, stressing that mental health must be placed at the heart of European policymaking. “Mental health is not a luxury. It is a fundamental human right. It is dignity,” Joveva declared.

At the outset, Joveva recalled that the European Commission in the previous term presented the European Strategy for Mental Health, describing it as a step in the right direction — but still insufficiently ambitious. “Mental health doesn’t begin in hospitals,” she noted. “It begins in societies that provide people with security, stability, and opportunity.”

She therefore called for concrete action, including stronger social safety nets, access to affordable housing, the reduction of poverty and inequality, better protection against burnout, and the integration of mental health into the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Joveva also drew attention to the growing impact of artificial intelligence on mental health, a factor often underestimated by society. “Our societies are increasingly dependent on algorithms. Artificial intelligence shapes our lives — and our emotions,” she said, adding that AI had been among the reasons that led one teenager to take his own life.

In conclusion, Joveva advocated for clear EU-level rules and safeguards to ensure that the European Union genuinely demonstrates care for mental health — and, by doing so, care for its people.

Photo / EP: Fred Marvaux

/0 Comments/by

Always according to my conscience

According to my conscience. As always.

This time, the motions of no confidence in the European Commission came from both the far-left and the far-right ends of the political spectrum. Each side put forward its own.

If the real intention had been to remove Ursula von der Leyen, the approach would have needed to be very different. But let’s leave that aside. As the saying goes: their circus, their… well, let’s leave that too.

So, to the heart of the matter: why did I support both motions of no confidence?

For months we’ve been told that those of us in the political center must act “responsibly,” and that removing Ursula von der Leyen would plunge the institutions into chaos. That may be true — yet something is clearly wrong if we have become prisoners of our own processes. Prisoners of a center-right governance model in the European Union that sometimes holds the middle ground, but often doesn’t.

What ultimately guided my decision?

With the motion from the left, there was little room for doubt — the main accusations against the Commission President concerned the genocide in Gaza.

The motion from the far right was different. Although this one — unlike their first attempt — was more substantively grounded, I do not agree with them politically or ideologically. But you know what? I do not trust Ursula von der Leyen any more than I trust them. And that is what tipped the scale.

At the beginning of this mandate, I had a one-on-one meeting with von der Leyen. I told her very clearly what I expected from her Commission. Those expectations were not met — and clearly never will be.

Her “right-wing majority” won through rhetoric, manipulation, and, in many cases, outright lies — yet action and accountability remain absent.

They rose to power on anti-migrant sentiment, only to hand over billions in taxpayers’ money to Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, and Morocco — paying these countries to do Europe’s dirty work: to detain people using armed paramilitary groups, to beat them, drive them into the desert, rape them, and even sell them.

And let’s not even start on Gaza. It took von der Leyen two years to slightly harden her rhetoric — after the state of Israel had already killed at least 70,000 people, was firing on civilians, aid workers, and journalists, and starving the rest in what can only be called genocide.

In Serbia, in the name of “stability,” she supports a regime that unleashes its paid thugs on citizens who simply want a better future. With Trump, she bends on tariffs that damage the European economy.

My views on von der Leyen have never changed. Not once during this mandate did I support her. Nor did I oppose the first motion of no confidence before the summer. So I don’t understand why anyone is surprised now — calling my vote “bizarre.” Why? Because I gave her more than enough chances?

I know she’s not personally to blame for everything. I also know it’s unfair to those commissioners who genuinely want to do their jobs. But in the end, it’s precisely her style of leadership that prevents them from doing so.

Sadly, I cannot name a single concrete achievement from this Commission’s first year onward that deserves praise. And for that, regardless of all else, Ursula von der Leyen bears the primary responsibility. Despite the pressure to “act responsibly” and the argument that “there is no alternative,” my conscience would not allow me to vote otherwise.

I can make compromises — but there comes a point when enough is enough.

EP / Alexis Haulot

 

/0 Comments/by
, ,

Now or Never

On Tuesday, 7 October 2025, Member of the European Parliament Irena Joveva took part in the plenary debate on the European Union’s role in supporting the latest peace efforts for Gaza and the two-state solution. “Now or never. Not tomorrow. Not next week,” Joveva said, underscoring the urgency of establishing peace.

At the outset, Joveva stressed that the moment has come for the international community to move beyond mere expressions of condemnation and to take concrete action.

“Now or never. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Now or never,” she repeated, adding that this is also the moment for all those who continue to justify the atrocities committed by the Israeli state against the Palestinian people “to show that at least a spark of humanity still remains within them.”

Joveva went on to acknowledge the latest peace plan proposed by Trump, but cautioned that its relative moderation compared to the previous so-called “Middle East Riviera” plan did not make it acceptable. She explained that the new plan contains neither mechanisms to protect the Palestinian population nor provisions to prevent further displacement.

“Instead of safeguards against the annexation of Palestinian territory and the unification of Gaza and the West Bank, the plan effectively introduces their separation through the creation of parallel systems,” she said.

In Joveva’s view, plans alone do not bring justice; words do not stop bombs, and speeches do not feed hungry children. She argued that the international community failed at the moment when decisive action was most needed — and therefore must not fail now, when it comes to holding Israel accountable for violations of international law.

In conclusion, Joveva reminded that Palestinians are still dying under rubble and bombs, and children are dying of hunger. “I will repeat it: Now or never — let us prove that we are not just commentators and witnesses to tragedy. Now or never — let us stand on the side of humanity,” she concluded.

Foto/EP: Philippe STIRNWEISS

 

/0 Comments/by
,

Joveva for N1: “Politics is the art of the possible.”

In an interview with Serbian N1 on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, MEP Irena Joveva spoke about the situation in Serbia and how, although still too slowly, the EU’s attitude towards Serbia is changing. “Anything is possible if there is political will. There are mechanisms in the European Parliament and there are other things we can and will do,” Joveva was candid about the approaches available to the Union.

“I was not surprised that Ursula von der Leyen did not mention Serbia in her speech, because it was not expected. However, we need to look at the bigger picture and the circumstances. Von der Leyen has spent years building an image of a leader who can lead the EU through various crises, but now she has experienced a serious drop in credibility. For example, after 700 days she mentioned Gaza for the first time in her speech. So the reason for the drop in her credibility is also that she does not have a position on Serbia,” MEP Irena Joveva told N1.

However, according to Joveva, this does not change the fact that MEPs in the European Parliament, including Commissioner Marta Kos, will do everything they can for Serbia.

“The position of Commissioner for Enlargement Kos is her position. Marta Kos has, for legitimate reasons, intensified her rhetoric towards official Belgrade. If we look at the situation and everything that is happening in Serbia, and the statements of Marta Kos, it is clear that Von der Leyen knows very well what she is talking about. And besides the fact that Ursula Von der Leyen always knows what Marta Kos is going to say, this actually means that something is happening and that this is the beginning of a different official position of the European Commission towards Serbia.”

She said, that she is convinced, that von der Leyen would have to choose between economic and human, democratic interests, and that the fact, that she did not mention Serbia in her last speech, did not mean that her position was not changing.

“I think her attitude is changing, because Marta Kos would never make such statements about Serbia without Von der Leyen knowing about them,” the MEP was of the opinion.

When asked what was crucial and what influenced the change of direction of the MEPs and the European Commission towards official Belgrade, Joveva was clear:

“Things have gone too far in Serbia and it is simply impossible to ignore this anymore, even if it concerns high-ranking officials of the European institutions. All this has been going on in Serbia for a long time. Ursula said something about Gaza for the first time in 700 days, but when I say that, I don’t think she will need that much for Serbia. The fact is that something is changing, so our pressure and the pressure of the people in Serbia must not stop. When it comes to the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, the problem is not only that he cannot control his attitude towards the MEPs. A much bigger problem is the way he treats his people, and I think everyone in Europe is increasingly aware of this.”

Regarding the mechanisms that the European Parliament has to put pressure on the regime in Belgrade and help the students and citizens who are protesting, Joveva explained that she sees politics as the art of the possible:

“Anything is possible if there is political will. There are mechanisms in the European Parliament and there are other things that we can and will do. There will certainly be. Maybe a new resolution, some official mission of the European Parliament to Serbia, pressure or monitoring of the promises of the Serbian authorities, maybe it will be demands regarding financial resources, some form of sanctions, everything is possible. Some of these things are easier to achieve, some are more difficult because we have to get the permission of all 27 member states. But we have to do it.”

She went on to point out that the criticisms we hear from the European Parliament now, carry more weight, because the circumstances in Serbia have changed for the worse.

“We must now take clear steps, put our hands up and not allow the authorities in Serbia to use the EU as a cover. Economic values ​​are still more important than democracy for some individuals, and this is in the European Commission, but this is also changing. It is increasingly clear that Vučić is no longer a factor of stability, not even for Ursula von der Leyen. This is no longer the case, because he has become the source of all instability. Therefore, some economic values ​​are no longer so important. And even if von der Leyen may not personally want to change her attitude towards him, she will have to change that.”

She concluded by saying that she is confident that Serbian students will be included in the first three nominations for the Sakharov Prize. Although it is a proposal by the Renew Europe group of the European Parliament, she is confident that this group is not the only one to have nominated them for the prize, because what they are doing is not only important for Serbia, but for all of us.

The interview is available in full at the following link.

/0 Comments/by
, , ,

Chat control. Chat control. Chat control.

Chat control. Chat control. Chat control.

Have I got your attention? Good.

That feeling when manipulations and lies come back like a boomerang to those who manipulate and lie, because they don’t know how to do anything else anyway. That feeling when “your five minutes” come.

It would be a great feeling, if the topic weren’t really too sensitive for cheap political points to be scored on. I’m writing this because I won’t allow incitement, especially not the kind that is necessary, because it makes someone accountable for certain political programs. I’m writing this because I have never and will not ever deviate from my views, principles and tenets.

I’m writing this because one day I’m a disgrace who supports sexual predators and at the same time proclaims herself a great advocate for children, even publicly exposing my daughter for the needs of her candidacy, and the next day I’m… nothing. I’m nothing, while all of a sudden they’re all great advocates of the right to privacy. Even those who voted FOR the exception to the extension of the rules that allowed access to private – I repeat, private – communications. But wasn’t that “chat control”? It absolutely was. And I was absolutely the only one against it at the time.

You have the evidence in the photos. On one side, my statement, on the other, the bizarre claims of certain people, including politicians, who think they can say and write anything – and it doesn’t matter at all whether it’s true or not. Those who adapt their positions to momentary applause or – worse – their own interests.

So … yes, these are my five minutes. Five minutes that are actually eternal – because I am consistently against general surveillance of private communications. Consistently AGAINST the “chat control” regulation. Consistently FOR my positions, always and everywhere.

/0 Comments/by

Joveva advocated for a greater role of the European Parliament at the BSF

On 2 September 2025, MEP Irena Joveva participated in the panel Europe Chooses – creating unity or facing fragmentation at the Bled Strategic Forum, where she and other interlocutors discussed the future of the European Union in an increasingly divided world.

In her introduction, Joveva stressed that the work in this mandate is particularly challenging due to the rise of populism and the return of dangerous ideas that, she believed, belonged to the distant past. Although she agreed that a vision for the future of Europe exists, she is not convinced that it is truly shared.

”If that were the case, we would have enough political will to implement at least some of the necessary reforms within the European Union. But so, we see that even one member state or just one leader, and we certainly have at least one such leader, who does not share this common vision, can be enough to block or to a large extent stop or slow down positive changes.”

She thus highlighted the need for institutional reforms as one of the key challenges. “The paradox is that the European Parliament is the only directly elected institution among the three key ones, yet it has the least powers. If we want a Union that will function more effectively and democratically, a reform, that would give Parliament, as an institution where the majority rules, a greater role and weight in decision-making, is necessary.”

When asked about the power of young people, she pointed out that it is not necessary to choose between loudness and decency: “You can be loud, tell the truth decently and be heard.” She added that she is tired of the lack of transparency and when is not said how things stand and how much the European Union is concerned or how deeply it regrets a matter, as well as endless discussions without any real results. She criticized the EU’s passivity in the cases of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and the tragedy in Gaza: “If you proudly promote your values, principles and the rule of law on paper, but then fail to act when necessary, people rightly lose trust and the EU loses credibility.”

In conclusion, she emphasized that there is no better alternative than the European Union as such, but that it must prove that it defends its values ​​not only in theory, but above all in practice.

In addition to MEP Irena Joveva, the round table also included former EU Ambassador to the US Joao Vale de Almeida, former Foreign Minister of North Macedonia Nikola Dimitrov and ABP representative Aart Jan de Geus.

/0 Comments/by
,

Dignity

Dignity. What is it? Even more importantly: Where is it?

The basis of everything, the basis of man, but the first in line to be trampled on today. It is trampled on by people, who are not people. Those “people” who trample on people, who are people… but are dehumanized. What a paradox.

The world is running away. It is running away from responsibility, from common solutions, from order, security and stability, which we took for granted just yesterday. It is running away from dignity.

Dignity is the common thread of the jubilee largest Slovenian diplomatic event, and ‘The World Has Fleeed’ is its slogan this year.

This is not the first time I have been a part of the Bled Strategic Forum BSF, but this time is however special for me. Nine years ago, when I was still a journalist and panelist at the Bled Strategic Forum for Youth, I never imagined that I would one day be part of the big stage of the BSF. The world is running away and so is time. At tomorrow’s panel, we will discuss where and how to move forward, at a time, when Europe (again) stands at a crossroads.

Although there will be a lot of talk in Bled these days about strategic issues of the future of the world and Europe, this is not today’s biggest event. In fact, today is the biggest day for those who step over the school threshold. May their first step be brave, their path safe, and their curiosity boundless. May they be the ones from whom the world will not run away the way it runs away from us.

May they be the ones who will understand that dignity is not “something more”, but simply the foundation of a human being. Dignity can be a “nice dress” that is not necessarily special, or it can be an “ordinary” T-shirt that is anything but ordinary. I, for example, was both in Bled today.

/0 Comments/by
,

[CHAT CONTROL]

“The hypocrisy of the leftists cannot be hidden. The European Parliament member and leader of the Svoboda list, Irena Joveva, recently voted in Brussels against the extension of the measure to fight child sexual abuse online, while at the same time publicly advocating for children’s rights in Gaza. She herself “warns” about the rise of “right-wing populism”, while perversely “unnoticeably” voting for sexual predators, but in confrontations she presents herself as a fighter for human rights. Is the perverted LGBT agenda and the sexualization of children so important to the leftists that they would even allow child abuse and pedophilia?”

You read a part of an article by some “media”. You know, the first one in the service of “truth”. It was towards the end of May 2024. A good two weeks before the European elections. They never had any real arguments to slander, so they just made them up. Or manipulated them. It was easier to hit below the belt, saying “Joveva, a politician and mother, supports child sexual abuse”.

And today? Today, they suddenly understand that a real fight against pedophilia is possible without spying on absolutely everyone. Today, of course, they also suddenly do not mention that I was the only one from Slovenia who voted against it at the time. It was about relaxing the rules directly related to the CSAM regulation, which is known as “chat control” today.

At that time, I was even asked about it on our national television. I came to a youth event on the future of the EU, and I was asked if I had really voted against the fight against child sexual abuse. I admit that I was outraged at the time. Outraged that a certain propaganda machine – as it has so many times before – had succeeded again.

And today? Today, I am so very happy that I can share with you this very statement of mine from back then. Because today, it is just one more proof that I am not one of those people who decide as they see fit at the moment. That I do not say – or do – something just because it is popular at that moment.

And today …. when I receive dozens of emails a day from rightly concerned people, what do I think about the “chat control” legislation, I think to myself… good morning. Orwell would be proud.

I don’t. Can you imagine someone from Whatsapp, a third party, reading your messages, looking at your photos and recordings – just in case?

Can you imagine? A photo of your child in a swimsuit that you send to your grandmother ends up in some global “control archive”. Or an intimate message to your partner. And then some Facebook employee can see it. Or, worse, it ends up in the hands of someone you don’t even want to know. Or someone who then uses it. For revenge, for pleasure, for… whatever. This is not security, this is a recipe for disaster. This is the end of encryption, the end of privacy and the largest archive of intimate content on the Internet. Something that criminals and pedophiles can’t wait for, by the way! A measure that is supposed to protect children, would actually expose both children and all of us even more. Because, wait, it’s about child safety. Irony in all its glory.

Today we would read messages “for the protection of children”. Tomorrow they will be read “for the security of the country”. And the day after tomorrow?

Let me be clear as always. Pedophilia must be prosecuted without mercy. That is why we have already adopted stricter penalties in the EU. But at the same time, I am convinced that the solution is not algorithms that will simply comb through everything we privately send to someone. The solution is awareness-raising, education of children and parents, effective work of the police and courts, strict legislation. And of course – clear rules that also protect our privacy.

“Chat control”? “Chat control” is a dangerous farce and as long as I am in the European Parliament, I will do everything to prevent it.

Anyone who believes that mass surveillance will protect children, believes in fairy tales. And this fairy tale in particular, is one without happy ending. Privacy is our right.

Where are you now, those of you who asked yourself a year ago, who am I protecting? Now I ask you. Who are you protecting? Who were you protecting yesterday, who are you protecting today, and who will you be protecting tomorrow?

– Irena

/0 Comments/by

Irena Joveva on the panel about the political crisis in Serbia: It’s time for the European Commission to finally act

On Monday, August 26, 2025, at the Henry Jackson Society panel, European MP Irena Joveva took part in a discussion about the political crisis in Serbia following the tragic collapse of the canopy at the railway station in Novi Sad. In recent weeks, as Joveva pointed out, it has become more and more obvious that the government is losing ground under its feet. “They counted on the fact that the income of the summer would silence discontent and erase the memory of guilt, that people would forget about corruption and demands for responsibility, but the region underestimated the courage and determination of the people who would defend the rule of law in the country for months.”

Joveva emphasized that it has been a long time since the European Parliament called on the European Commission to take action against President Vučić’s regime: “I did not start to be loud only with protests or for the sake of the students as such – but for the sake of values ​​that they are fighting for and that they embody, because these are the same values ​​that the European Union represents.”

As she went on to assess, the system established by Vučić during his long reign has become dangerously similar to the one known in neighboring Hungary under Viktor Orban. In this regard, she expressed her disappointment that despite repeated calls to the Commission to make European funds conditional on respect for the rule of law, so far “nothing concrete has been done”.

Joveva drew attention to the geopolitical background that allows Vučić to maintain his power: “Vučić enjoys support not only in Russia and China, but also within the European Union, especially in France and Germany, whose leaders clearly prioritize lucrative economic and political interests over the rule of law.” But precisely because the fundamental pillars of democracy are failing in Serbia, namely freedom of the media, an independent judiciary and the police, which would have to serve the people, the European Union would have to play a much more active role, because in the case of Serbia, it is a matter of a candidate state”.

At the same time, she emphasized that the EU must not encroach on the right of the Serbian people to choose their own government. “Nor is it up to us, the European Union, to encroach on the right of the Serbian people to choose their own government. We must therefore support the values ​​and legally binding rules that must be implemented by every future member of the EU. Serbia is still oriented towards the EU – and that, frankly speaking, is its best alternative”.

Regarding Vučić’s willingness to engage in dialogue with students, Joveva emphasized that real dialogue in democratic societies takes place at pre-election meetings, where the arguments of both sides can be confronted openly and where the final decision on the future direction of the state will belong to the people. “In any democratic state, protests that lasted for weeks and a crisis that runs so deep would inevitably lead to early elections. But let’s not forget – those elections must be fair and free, otherwise nothing will change,’‘ she concluded.

In addition to European MP Joveva, professor Filip Ejdus and representative of the student movement Lazar Popović also participated in the panel.

/0 Comments/by
,

An attempt to criminalize collective memory

I am deeply disturbed by the consequences of Saturday’s events in Austria, where heavily armed Austrian special units – without having a court order and without any prior warning – stormed a symbolic site of remembrance. Uniformed forces, helicopters, drones, long-barrelled weapons and police dogs were deployed against the descendants of victims of Nazi violence, against students, lecturers, and workshop organisers who, as they do every year, had gathered to pay solemn tribute to those who fell in the fight against fascism.

The official justification for this excessive and wholly disproportionate use of force was alleged breaches related to camping and environmental protection. Yet the true motives behind this display of brutality were anything but environmental – and this was clear to all. This was an attempt to criminalise historical remembrance; an attempt to silence those who, with dignity, preserve the spirit of resistance of the Slovenian people in a place that stands among the most powerful symbols of anti-fascist struggle on Austrian soil.

In this painful irony, it is especially absurd that those who peacefully and respectfully honoured the memory of past atrocities are now accused of indecent conduct, while the actions of those who carried out this raid inevitably recalled that tragic April eighty years ago, when Nazi units, at this very site, murdered eleven members of the Carinthian Slovene community.

Tragically, Saturday’s events are not an isolated incident targeting the Slovene community in Austria, but rather a manifestation of an increasingly troubling attitude of the Austrian authorities – both at federal and local level – towards this national community. The systematic undermining of Article 7 of the Austrian State Treaty – above all through the deliberate neglect of the right to use the Slovene language in bilingual areas, reductions in funding for minorities, symbolic appropriation of Slovene territory, and now repression against the guardians of the anti-fascist legacy – all signal a worrying departure from European values.

From Austria – as a member of the European Union and as a signatory of the Austrian State Treaty, which underpins its post-war sovereignty and obligations, without which post-war Austria could not have been established – I expect the full and credible implementation of Article 7. This means ensuring the linguistic, cultural, and political rights of the Slovene national community, guaranteeing its equal treatment, and creating the conditions for respectful and dignified coexistence with the majority population.

I therefore fully join the Slovenian Government’s call for a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into this incident, for the identification of any abuse of power, and for appropriate accountability of all those involved. I also expect clear assurances from the Austrian authorities that such actions will never again be repeated – neither at the Peršman Farm, nor anywhere else.

/0 Comments/by