“The rise of illiberal democracies is one of the EU’s biggest challenges.”

On Sunday, 25 September 2022, MEP Irena Joveva attended the EUROPE 2050 event in Warsaw, Poland. In her speech, Joveva pointed out that illiberal tendencies are still very much present in the EU, and that in some places the situation is even getting worse. She added that illiberalism is one of the major challenges in the EU, which she illustrated, among other things, with the example of Slovenia between 2020 and 2022.

During this time, the Slovenian Government, headed by Janez Janša, has vehemently attacked the public media, and threatened and pressurised journalists in order to curtail media freedom and subordinate the media landscape to its arbitrariness. At the same time, it seriously jeopardised the existence of the Slovenian Press Agency and did many other things. According to the MEP, the Slovenian electorate finally stood up to this and gave the victory in this year’s parliamentary elections to a liberal party.

“I am incredibly proud of what we have managed to achieve. We have indeed won an important and much needed battle against illiberalism. But it would be foolish to believe that we have won the war and wiped out the illiberal tendencies of our extremist right-wing party.“

She pointed out that the consequences of the actions by the previous government are most visible in the current state of the Slovenian public service broadcaster RTV, where the largest opposition party has gained absolute control and can thus continue its attacks on media freedom, preventing critical reporting.

Joveva explained that the EU was founded on six values: human rights, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human dignity. “It is departing from these values that could potentially break the EU, as these values are becoming an increasingly popular target for attacks by leading actors of illiberal populism.”

Nevertheless, she is convinced that the Slovenian liberal bloc will remain united and do everything to ensure that Slovenia never sees another Janez Janša government.

Besides MEP Irena Joveva, the event was attended by other prominent members of Renew Europe, including Stéphane Séjourné, its president in the European Parliament, Szymon Holownia, President of the Polska 2050 party, and Thierry Breton, European Commissioner.

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A longer commentary on the annual address by von der Leyen

The speech by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the state of the Union was largely predictable. As expected, it revolved mainly around the current energy crisis resulting from the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The European Union has proposed a framework of measures, such as an electricity price cap, which will limit prices and ease the pressure on citizens and industry. I welcome this measure and would like to see it adopted as quickly as possible, as a coordinated response to the crisis will prevent differences from arising between Member States, which will be responsible for its implementation. What I regret in this area is the absence of more ambitious measures, such as a price cap on gas through joint purchases of imported gas. Even though an agreement has been reached among the Member States, there is no consensus yet on how the cap should be implemented. What is needed is a comprehensive and sustainability-oriented reform of the functioning of the Energy Union, which – also according to the European Commission President – is not working. I also missed a blueprint for more ambitious measures in the area of easing price pressures, mainly in the form of social measures for citizens or increased investment in the green transition, which could be done by setting up a dedicated fund (along the lines of the Recovery and Resilience Facility) or, alternatively, through the SURE programme or even a supplemented RepowerEU plan.

On the other hand, the President’s announcement of the creation of a new European Hydrogen Bank, to which €3 billion will be allocated from the Innovation Fund, is important, particularly from the perspective of achieving EU energy independence by ensuring sufficient renewable energy sources, as hydrogen can be an important tool to fill the energy and investment gap. The expansion of the hydrogen market will be based on matching supply and demand and is directly linked to the stated objectives of the RepowerEU plan.

The Commission President devoted a large part of her speech to the war, developments and the situation in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the Russian aggression, the European Union has taken a united approach to helping Ukraine and its people, as well as all those who have fled as refugees to safe havens in Member States. The extremely important message in this area focuses precisely on this solidarity, and the President has announced that the kind of behaviour we have now shown must be the new standard for future migration policy issues. The EU’s migration policy is poorly regulated and even the new 2020 Pact on Migration lacks a sustainable system in place that would work in a fair, quick and efficient manner. As I have often stressed, the Union’s migration policy must be impartial, fair and consistent with the respect for fundamental human rights, which is why I have high expectations of the announced legally binding solidarity in this area.

After the EU granted Ukraine candidate status in June this year, President von der Leyen announced Ukraine’s integration into the European Single Market and the area of free movement. This is a major and important step which – in the post-war situation and once normal trade has resumed – will have good economic effects for the whole Union. Still, I cannot ignore the bitter aftertaste of this positive news, thinking of the Western Balkan countries, which have held candidate status for many years without similar benefits. Despite being high on the priority list in the previous annual addresses, there has been no real movement towards the EU’s enlargement, and in this year’s address, the Western Balkans only merited a fleeting mention by the President. Mostly as a sign of courtesy. But repetition of empty promises only undermines the Union’s credibility further, both outside and within the Union.

The European Union, like many other countries around the world, finds itself in a situation of record low unemployment. Nevertheless, we are facing an unusually high number of job vacancies, which is a direct reflection of misdirected education systems. During the current term, we have repeatedly pointed to the need to overhaul both the general education system and vocational education and training, as well as to the need to acquire new skills for the professions of the future. I am therefore delighted about the announced increase in investment in vocational education and training, and I welcome the President’s decision to make 2023 the European Year of Skills. I hope that the already established Skills Agenda for Europe will be placed at the forefront of these endeavours.

In the area of health, where the EU played an important role in the efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic (notably by setting up a strategy for vaccine production and distribution and the COVAX Facility), very important strides have also been made in the functioning of the European Health Union, the EU4Health programme, the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, and in promoting the EU’s single market for digital health services and products through the creation of the European Health Data Space. It is also time to take important steps in the field of mental health, as mental health issues affect 84 million Europeans. It really is high time to create adequate, accessible and affordable support and help for all citizens, which is something the European Parliament has long been striving for.

Perhaps the most unexpected element of the address was von der Leyen’s strong message in support of a convention to reform the EU as such, including by amending the basic treaties on the functioning of the EU, which was, after all, one of the main conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe and therefore a citizens’ demand. In fact, as MEPs, we have been pushing in this direction for quite some time.

Another important item was the announcement of the reform of the Stability and Growth Pact, as the current one is outdated and unrealisable. In times of constant crises, countries need to be allowed a certain investment flexibility to respond effectively. I, for one, would have liked to see more flexibility in investments in digitalisation and the green transition.

I am pleased that the Commission President has reiterated her determination to uphold the rule of law both inside and outside the EU, and I sincerely hope that this will soon be translated into action. We have various mechanisms and levers in place to put pressure on Member States that do not respect the EU’s fundamental values, but we are failing to apply them consistently. I am referring in particular to the freezing of EU funds for Hungary under the triggered Rule of Law mechanism, and to the intransigence as regards the disbursements from the Resilience and Recovery Facility to countries that violate the rule of law or fail to meet the agreed milestones. I welcome the Defence of Democracy package, which could round off the mechanisms already in place and, at the same time, add new ones to focus on corruption.

To sum up: The President’s emotionally charged speech was not perfect and left many questions unanswered, but I am pleased that, despite the extremely difficult times in the face of the energy crisis, the President has not forgotten the objectives of the Green Deal. In her speech, she highlighted many of the right issues and proposed some good and extremely important solutions, which I really hope will not remain just that – proposals.

– Irena

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CEOs of Netflix, Amazon and Disney: Enable the use of Slovene!

Today, 15 September 2022, MEP Irena Joveva sent an open letter to the CEOs of digital platforms Amazon Prime, Disney+ and Netflix, urging them to make their services and content available in Slovene. European citizens deserve the right to use content in their mother tongue, regardless of the prevalence of a particular language, she wrote.

In her letter, she expressed her concern and disappointment with the situation, explaining that such practices are discriminatory and that multilingualism, both in the European Union and more broadly, is a value of which we can be proud and which should be promoted.

Special attention should be paid to less-spoken languages, highlighted Joveva in her letter, referring to the provisions of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the EU Treaty and Directive 2010/13/EU (Audiovisual Media Services Directive).

She said the content offered by these companies also plays an important role in the education, socialisation and upbringing of children who are not yet proficient in foreign languages. The content is also less accessible to all those who do not understand foreign languages.

The European Union recognises the existence of a multilingual digital single market where everyone deserves equal treatment with equal accessibility regardless of their location and start of provision of a digital service, therefore Joveva called on the CEOs of these companies to consider making all official EU languages equally accessible on online streaming media platforms.

The MEP also points out that although Slovenian legislation, specifically Article 20(2) of the Public Use of the Slovene Language Act, should be sufficient, problems arise due to the fact that the said digital platforms are not registered in Slovenia. Therefore, in her opinion, the Audiovisual Media Services Directive should be urgently transposed into national legislation, which would enable the introduction of precise requirements for such translations and to remedy the existing shortcomings.

“Let me remind you that we, as members of the European Parliament, like to say that we are united in diversity, and I firmly believe that this is something that we should very much promote, something that every European should fight for and, above all, something that every company operating in the single European market should respect. It is not so much a question of whether or not there is a legal basis requiring the use all European languages. It is about the right of each and every individual, and about the fact that it is our diversity and all of the beautiful European languages that shape our European mosaic. Let us give all Europeans the dignity and respect they deserve – in their mother tongue.”

The MEP sent the letter to the CEOs of the companies in question in Slovene. You can read it in full below:

Letter regarding the (non-)use of the Slovene language on your digital platforms in Slovenia (available only in Slovenian language)

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“No surprises in the European Commission President’s speech”

On the margins of the annual State of the Union address by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen – SOTEU 2022, MEP Irena Joveva attended the State of the Union debate at Hiša EU (House of the EU) on Wednesday, 14 September. In her opinion, von der Leyen’s address was predictable, or at least unsurprising. It contained some positive announcements, but also omitted many topics. Regarding the President’s mention of the Western Balkan countries, the MEP observed that the EU should finally stop giving false hopes and promises which it fails to keep.

According to Joveva, what we have been hearing much too often are merely wishes and ideas on how the Western Balkans should become a part of the EU. She believes that the Commission President is right to touch on the Western Balkans in her annual State of the Union address, but she is also convinced that without shifts in the EU’s decision-making system, no progress can be achieved. She criticised the system of consensus required in the Council, where some Member State leaders often pursue narrow vested interests, while the European Parliament and the European Commission have no competence to decide on the progress of the Western Balkan countries towards EU accession.

The MEP assessed the President’s speech as rather general, despite at times containing some specific announcements, where the biggest concern is their implementation.

Joveva opined that the Commission President had failed to sufficiently address social issues and the media, such as the European Media Freedom Act, which is to be proposed this week, and there was scant mention of the rule of law.

Nevertheless, Joveva praised the Commission President for highlighting in her speech the area of mental health, which does not receive attention it ought to. She expressed her satisfaction that the report on the impact of COVID-19 closures of educational, cultural, youth and sports activities on children and young people in the EU was expected to be adopted during this week’s plenary session, to which she contributed as a rapporteur on behalf of the Renew Europe group.

The speech by the European Commission President and MEP Joveva’s contribution to the debate can be viewed HERE.

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“Independence from all fossil fuels is essential.”

On Friday, 8 September 2022, MEP Irena Joveva attended a press briefing at Hiša EU (House of the EU) ahead of the September plenary session. The briefing focused on tackling the current energy crisis. Joveva stressed the need for a common response at the European level, and that independence from all fossil fuels is a must; not least “so that the Earth does not melt, and we or our descendants with it”.  She expects the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to elaborate on how the EU will address this in her annual State of the Union speech.

In this context, Joveva also expects President von der Leyen to make more specific proposals on how to better tackle climate change, and, in particular, how to prepare for periods of drought and fires. She added that she agrees with the proposal for a price cap on electricity and gas, as it is essential to reduce costs for domestic users and prevent businesses from running into difficulties or failing.

“There is also a need to reform the Union’s energy market in the long term, because unfortunately it is not fir for purpose at the moment. Above all, at this point in time, we should decouple electricity and gas prices.”

On the decoupling of gas from electricity, the MEP stressed that the electricity market must be designed in such a way that cheaper forms of energy production can continue to invest in cleaner production methods that are also in line with the Green Deal, and that she expects more understanding from the Council and the Member States in this regard. She underscored that the environmental crisis must not be neglected either.

Asked by the press how the current cost of living crisis will affect the implementation of the measures under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, the MEP replied that the Green Deal must not be allowed to disintegrate. The environmental crisis is as acute as the price inflation. And if we do not want the world to melt before our eyes, we need to act swiftly and decisively. That is why she is also in favour of making the use of the Recovery and Resilience Facility as flexible as possible.

“I would also like to see more ambitious and clear definitions from the European Commission President regarding the future of the EU and its institutional setup.”

At the same time, she underlined that during the next week’s plenary session, she will support both legislative proposals from the Fit for 55 package, as well as the proposal for a directive on minimum wages.

During the press briefing, Joveva also took the opportunity to mention the report on the impact of COVID-19 closures of educational, cultural, youth and sports activities on children and young people in the EU, where she acted as rapporteur on behalf of her Renew Europe group. She is extremely proud of the report and her work on it, and is therefore all the more looking forward to seeing it approved by the Plenary.

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A comment by MEP Irena Joveva at the start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania

Below you will find a short statement by Irena Joveva (Renew Europe), MEP and Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the EU-North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee, on the occasion of the agreement reached in the EU to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia.

“I could sum up the current developments in two words: at last! The decision to open accession negotiations has unfortunately come (much too) late due to a politicised process in which the European Union has lost a lot of credibility in the region and, most importantly, people have lost trust. However, as today is really not the day to dwell on the past, I only want to believe that this decision will put an end to the unfulfilled promises and vetoes that for several years have unjustifiably prevented the two countries and their citizens from taking a well-deserved step forward. I also hope that today’s decision will give new impetus to faster and more decisive reforms in the region, and it could also trigger reflection on the reform of decision-making in the EU. The assessment of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, that this is a historic decision is correct. I am hopeful that this decision will lead swiftly to the actual EU membership of North Macedonia and Albania.”

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An important report on the consequences of the coronavirus on young people has been adopted

Today the Committee on Culture adopted an important report, which I helped to draft on behalf of my Renew Europe Group.

The already much debated subject of the COVID-19 pandemic remains one of the most important issues on the EU agenda. And rightly so. Over the last two years, we have been actively trying to tackle the acute immediate problems we have been facing across the Union, but now the focus is turning to tackling the long-term consequences the pandemic is leaving in its wake.

Young people, who have been marginalised and, in some places, completely forgotten during the pandemic, will be the most affected by its long-term consequences. They are among the most vulnerable groups in our society, given the importance of this developmental period in an individual’s life. External factors have a profound impact on the physical, cognitive, emotional and social development of adolescents, and their effects are felt throughout life.

As such, young people have been hit hardest by the coronavirus, which was accompanied with the closures of educational, cultural and sports institutions. This obviously had a negative impact on their socialisation, the quality of their education and their mental health.

Therefore, in order to improve the situation, the Committee on Culture and Education has drafted a report on the impact of COVID-19 closures of educational, cultural, youth and sports activities on children and young people in the EU. It is structured around three key pillars: education and mental health, culture and sport, and digital literacy and digital inclusion. Below, I will highlight some key points for each of them.

Education and mental health

The report highlights the need to return to in-person learning, while remote education should remain an alternative when in-person education cannot be delivered in a safe manner. It also stresses the need to recruit highly qualified teachers and educators who will promote mental health literacy in their work.

It calls on the European Commission and Member States to break the silence on mental health issues and launch a Europe-wide mental health awareness campaign in educational and vocational settings, which must give young people access to relevant information on mental health. This is the only way to overcome the stigma attached to mental disorders. In the meantime, it urges Member States to develop national action plans to tackle mental disorders in children and adolescents through cross-sectoral investments, ensuring their implementation at the regional and local levels.

Culture and sport

As cultural institutions were the first to close and the last to open, young artists were deprived of opportunities to develop their careers. The report therefore calls on the European Commission to ensure that the Resilience and Recovery Fund provides young creators with adequate co-funding for projects and the appropriate conditions to develop their skills, and to support young artists’ entrepreneurship, including by granting them the professional status of cultural and creative workers. At the same time, the report calls for greater inclusion of all forms of creative expression in the educational processes of young people, as this has an important impact on the development of critical thinking and interdisciplinary skills.

Digitalisation and digital literacy

Technology and digital tools have – and will continue to have – an enormous impact on our daily lives. It is right that we use their potential to our advantage, which is why the report highlights that digital technology has great potential to support education as a tool for both teachers and learners, as it can provide accessible, open, social and inclusive learning pathways for all through innovative teaching methods. It can strengthen the role of teachers and equip citizens with key competences for later life.

And of course, the report does not ignore the need for adequate regulation to protect users, both in terms of personal data protection and in terms of controlling digital learning, which can lead to addiction and mental health problems. It also calls for digital literacy to be integrated into the educational process and for all pupils, especially those from economically vulnerable households, to be provided with appropriate digital equipment.

Unfortunately, as the full impact of the pandemic is still unknown, the European Commission is invited to carry out a study with a comprehensive assessment of the long-term effects of all pandemic-related preventive measures taken by Member States on children and young people. Such a study will allow us to develop appropriate and effective measures and to be better prepared in the event of future crises.

I have highlighted just a few important parts of the adopted report, which covers much more and is a good basis for developing concrete solutions through legislative initiatives or action plans. I am proud to have been involved in its preparation and am confident that the calls and solutions proposed will be well received and, above all, that they will make a real contribution to tackling the consequences of the pandemic.

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“As of today, I am a full member of a second European Parliament committee”

I am proud to announce that I am now a full member of a second committee in the European Parliament, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs!

So far, I have been a substitute member of this committee, as I continue to be of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, and have “only” been a full member of the Committee on Culture and Education. It is not often the case that an MEP gets full membership (with voting rights) of two committees, therefore I consider it a great honour and I trust that this, too, is a testament to my work so far.

This year, the committee will have a number of key social-affairs-related documents to deal with. The three most important ones, in my view, include the legislation on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work, the recommendation on minimum income, and a European strategy to strengthen long-term care and early childhood education and care.

Of course, several other legislative proposals are already in the pipeline, such as the one concerning the coordination of social security systems, which aims to further modernise the EU rules for coordinating social security systems to make them clearer and fairer. Coordination will not replace established national systems, but rather determine equal minimum standards of social security provision for everyone. And then there is the issue of an adequate minimum wage in the EU. The directive will establish a balanced framework for the provision, setting and updating of statutory minimum wages based on national criteria to promote their adequacy, and for the enforcement of measures to promote collective bargaining in wage formation. It also aims to reduce the gender pay gap.

And speaking of the latter, I simply must mention another proposal being examined, i.e. on equal pay for equal work between men and women. This principle has been enshrined in the EU Treaties since 1957, yet significant differences still exist. Thus, this legislative proposal establishes a transparency mechanism – access to information on pay levels, which is crucial for combating gender-based pay discrimination.

I am already looking forward to new challenges as I move from the bench to the pitch in my “new” committee.

– Irena

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“Volunteering organisations provide the lion’s share of aid during every crisis”

On Monday, 23 May 2022, MEP Irena Joveva attended the Studio Europe: Volunteers, Heroes of European Solidarity event, where she and the participants discussed the challenges of volunteering and addressed the question of its future, including in the light of the epidemic and the war in Ukraine. Joveva highlighted the fact that volunteering organisations bear a heavy burden of responsibility in crisis situations, and at the same time provide the lion’s share of aid, which must be acknowledged without reservation.

The participants agreed that in Slovenia volunteering has a long and strong tradition. This form of philanthropic assistance is especially visible in times of severe crises when the work of volunteers and NGOs becomes particularly important for the well-being of people and communities in need. Still, the successful operation of volunteering organisations also hinges on the financial and material support of the competent authorities, which must enable them to work as efficiently and smoothly as possible.

As rapporteur on behalf of Renew Europe for the European Solidarity Corps, Ms Joveva presented a few details about this programme, for which a separate budget line has been foreseen for the first time and much more funding envisaged than in previous years. The European Solidarity Corps allows young Europeans to volunteer or participate in projects in an EU Member State or a partner country. She called for a greater promotion of the high-quality and diverse programme that shows that the European Parliament appreciates volunteering and wishes to ensure that it is as inclusive and accessible as possible for those in need.

“Financial support for volunteering organisations may have decreased during, say, the financial crisis, but despite the obstacles, the human side of volunteering has been reinforced. In times of need, Slovenians will step together to organise help in any way we can. And often those who have less help more. The promotion of volunteering has also received a big push from the social networks.”

Asked by the moderator how best to strengthen the cooperation of volunteering organisations with the EU institutions and other Member States, Joveva said that crises know no borders. Therefore, in her view, it would make sense to introduce more coherent and integrated cooperation between all of the above, and to give volunteering organisations more space, as they know the problems in the local environment and are in daily contact with the most vulnerable.

“Cooperation needs to be strengthened at all levels, both in the volunteering sector as well as at the level of national institutions. This will facilitate wider European support for adequate funding for these organisations, as well as for their promotion.”

Finally, Joveva expressed her wish that volunteering should not be taken for granted, which might be happening under the influence of the growing individualism in society.

“Volunteers need financial and material support, but they also need respect and encouragement, because volunteering is the backbone of our society. Education of young people is also key, and I would like to see volunteering promoted in a way that gives up the patronising attitude towards young people, which can drive them away.”

In addition to MEP Joveva, the event was attended by Gregor Gomboši, Commander of the Ljubljana-Vič Volunteer Fire Brigade; Tjaša Arko, Head of the Volunteering Programme at the Slovenian Philanthropy; Sandi Curk, Commander of the Notranjska Regional Civil Protection Headquarters; and Miha Zupančič, President of the Youth Council of Slovenia.

Volunteering is not just about doing unpaid work. It is about contributing to the building of society, about a sense of one’s fellow humans, which we must value highly. That is why, on the occasion of National Volunteer Week, the office of MEP Irena Joveva would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to each and every volunteer.

You can watch a video of the event HERE.

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“Good technological gains should be preserved”

On Tuesday, 17 May 2022, MEP Irena Joveva was invited by Europe Direct Zasavje to participate in a discussion with young people on digitisation and distance learning during the COVID-19 epidemic. The event was organised as part of the European Year of Youth. Joveva stressed, in particular, that she would wish both the European Parliament and the Slovenian school system to preserve the good technological gains made over the last two years.

The young participants began by presenting their experience from the period and describing how they had managed to cope with distance learning. Asked about the advantages of distance learning, they pointed out that there was no need to travel to the place of study and that in many cases professors put more effort into lectures than they do in the classroom. Furthermore, distance learning has exposed young people to new online tools and ways of working that they were previously unfamiliar with.

On the other hand, the biggest disadvantage of distance learning was the lack of socialising and the inability to spend time together. They added that not all teachers and professors knew how to use modern technology, which meant that some lectures were of poorer quality and as a result they had to do a lot by themselves.

According to the young audience, the key factor underpinning the success of distance learning is a stable internet connection. They stressed that the lack of financial resources for IT equipment can leave many students mentally distressed because they are unable to afford it. This assessment of the situation was echoed by the MEP, who added that the epidemic had worsened the mental state of young people in general, and that this issue has only recently come to the forefront of various policy debates.

During the discussion, some young people pointed out that a lot of new equipment has been purchased for distance learning, which schools and universities could also use in the future. Joveva agreed, believing that the benefits of the technological advances made during the epidemic should be preserved to the greatest extent possible. She mentioned the example of electronic voting introduced in the European Parliament, which has made it possible to better monitor the votes cast by MEPs, making voting fully transparent. In her view, this allows for a more democratic and fairer approach.

Joveva also finds it unacceptable that so many young people still do not have access to the internet, computers and other basic IT equipment. The main actor in this respect is the state, as it has the power to regulate the school system.

“I want everyone to have access to IT equipment and other electronic devices by 2022.”

The young participants went on to express their wish to see the teaching materials converted into electronic versions, as this would make them more accessible to all pupils and students.

At the end of the event, Joveva thanked everyone for their comments and insights, and especially welcomed the concept of the event that was truly youth-centred and did not just provide a platform for the monologues of political decision-makers. She stressed that she would be happy to participate in similar events in the future and introduced the Ideas Transcending Boundaries website to the young participants.

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