The other side of the microphone

MEP Irena Joveva wrote an opinion for the Emerging Europe web portal regarding Slovenian and European policy and her future projects.

I have been a member of the European Parliament since July 2019. My previous career was in journalism; but, today, I am on the other side of the microphone.

Honestly, the choice to become involved in politics wasn’t easy for me. As I was a journalist, I thought I was going to be the first person to find out which names were on the European electoral candidates’ list, when I received an invitation to an interview from the Slovenian PM. Although I did find out the names, I was also puzzled to discover that they were planning to put my name on the list – as the lead candidate.

After some long consideration and a bit of back and forth, I decided to take up the challenge.

I didn’t accept because I wanted a higher salary or status, but because I felt a responsibility to those people like me, who were appalled by power-hungry politicians with no sense of reality. Instead of complaining about the situation, I had received the opportunity to walk the walk.

As a young politician – not only in age but also in terms of how long I have been actively involved in politics – I have a different view of how I imagined politics to be, and how I think it should be. In my opinion, politics and the policy making process are like a living, ever-changing organism; you are under constant pressure to adapt to current mounting issues.

Since Slovenia became an independent country, in 1991, many things have changed in our national politics. It all started well, with our having a solid groundwork for developing the country as a whole, but somewhere in between things got complicated. Slovenia has always had very fragmented political milieu. This fragmentation has escalated in the last couple of years. We have been faced with quickly-rising and quickly-fading political parties which occupied a significant number of seats in the national parliament. Due to the lack of a political desire to cooperate between parties, chaos was created.

Our adaptation to developing issues resulted in our adopting legislative changes, which meant we had the same issue regulated in several different laws, instead of creating much-needed structural reforms.

None the less, in 2004, Slovenia was the first ex-Yugoslav republic to join the European Union, and we have contributed to EU policies ever since. As we were once the same country, I am focusing my work on the Western Balkans and the promotion of EU enlargement. As a member of the culture and education committee, I will dedicate my work to improving conditions for the younger generations. As a substitute member of the environment and public health committee, I will focus on topics related to protecting the environment as well as cancer-related issues.

It is a real privilege to be able to change European legislation, but it is also a huge burden. My first legislative file is the European Solidarity Corps, which aims to offer opportunities to young Europeans to volunteer in the global solidarity sector.

As an MEP, my main goal is to do everything in my power to change things from within the monster of politics. This ambitious goal is one of my two main challenges. The other is to remain who I am and not to fall into indifference or to become somebody whom I find appalling.

Continue reading on Emerging Europe.

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Online platforms need to be more accountable for combating illegal content, hate speech and misinformation

On the 3rd of December MEP, Irena Joveva attended an event entitled Shaping the Future of European Union media policy in Brussels. The event started with introductory speech of European Commissioner for Values ​​and Transparency Vera Jourova, followed by four presentations of their visions by media representatives, and three panels on current issues of European media policy. In the first-panel debate Irena, along with Giuseppe Abbamonte (European Commission, Director for Media Policy), Mogens Bjerregård (President of European Federation of Journalists) and Ravi Vatrapu (Ryerson University Research Chair, Canada & Spokesperson for EU Disinfo Code of Practice Sounding Board) participated in a debate on fostering and promoting quality journalism.

Panellists discussed the pressing issues of journalism in the digital age. The development of online platforms and social networks is transforming media space. Traditional editorial and journalistic roles and their responsibilities are changing with online platforms, while at the same time presenting multiple new ethical challenges. Several pressing questions regarding the credibility of information, the manipulation with misinformation, and future of professional journalism are arising. Media freedom continues to be the cornerstone of quality and independent journalism. The EU has recently taken some measures to safeguard the fourth branch of government and freedom of speech, including the Directive on the protection of persons reporting on breaches of Union law and the introduction of so-called ‘ EU Code of Practice on Disinformation.

The main focus of the discussion were additional necessary steps to protect journalistic sources and freedom of expression in the digital age. Based on the continuous appearance of political manipulation, violence and terrorist contents, the current self-regulation of online platforms seems to be insufficient. Therefore, the European Union and the Member States require an additional legal authority to regulate hate speech, other illegal content and controversial political advertising. Speakers agreed the new legislation should create the conditions for the media to continue to play their crucial role in society and that online platforms should take more responsibility for combating illegal content, hate speech and misinformation.

You can read more here.

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Irena Joveva: Be honest, curious and be involved, be active!

On Thursday, 21 November 2019, MEP Irena Joveva gladely responded to a request from a second-grader, Žan Debeljak, from the EGSŠ Radovljica (High school of Economics Radovljica), school she once attended. Students in class 2.g participate as ambassadors of the European Parliament.

Email interview: Irena Joveva and Žan Debelak, 2.g.

1.How do you look at the EGSŠ Radovljica today and what are your memories of your school years?

If you asked me this question after finishing school and going to college in Ljubljana, I would probably – like any typical teenager – answer “finally over”. But over the years, you find that the memories of those times are truly beautiful. Every time I talk with my ex-class mates about our time in high school (yes I am still in contact with many of them), most of us say that we would be glad to go through everything again. Today I view the EGSŠ Radovljica as my ‘kremšnita’ (cream cake), from which I got what I expected and more; from subjects, professors to friends.

2. How did high school shape you?

The years we spend in high school are crucial to our development, although of course we are not aware of it. To be honest: When we had to decide in elementary school where to go next, I had no idea what to choose. I was more interested in social than natural science so I only knew that I wanted to go to high school. Therefore, a high school economics course was the perfect choice for me. High school has molded me into an individual who, in principle, stays on realistic ground but is at the same time a strong altruist. In high school you start to really grow up, slowly becoming independent. I began to appreciate more what I had, from family to friends, and after all, to value myself. The only thing that unfortunately I didn’t manage to transform either in high school or any time later, is that I am always nad still doing everything at the last minute. I guess I work best under pressure.

3. To what extent did this particular high school helped you on the path to the MEP position? What skills have you acquired at our school?

The role I am in right now is a intertwined result of everything. From school to work … Everything I have done so far has been a steping stone the way to here. It is difficult to highlight a single thing or a single life span. Certainly, the EGSŠ Radovljica also contributed significantly. Not only because of all the knowledge I gained there, but also because I doubt that I would have otherwise enrolled in the Faculty of Social Sciences and consequently would probably not be where I am. As far as skills are concerned, I gained a lot of them in high school. I will point out two: 1. writing essays where I learned more structured writing, and  2. learning foreign languages ​​(in my case, these were English and German) already gave me a great deal of knowledge then which later came to my advantage as well.

4. What message do you have for us who are still sitting in school bench?

Be honest, curious and be involved, be active! If you are interested, ask. If you don’t know something, ask. If anything bothers you, speak up. If you agree with someone or someting, say so. Even if you don’t, say so. But say it in a way that does not insult those who do not have the same opinion. Even if someone else is not respectful, do not go down to their level. Be better and keep in mind the following sentence, which is actually my motto: If you behave the way they do, then what is the difference between you two?

No matter where your life takes you stay true to yourself. Know that learning is a lifelong process, so never become ‘omniscient’ or ‘self-sufficient’.

5. What was your first experience as a MEP? What surprised, impressed or perhaps disappointed you?

There was a lot of everything from excitement to (unfortunately) disappointment. When I first came to Brussels as MEP, it had been barely two days since the election, I still had my head full of things. The first thing I thought of when I entered parliament was “how the hell am I going to find anything”. But not in the field of the content, not to be misunderstood, I was concerned about the building itself.  A maze, countless offices, corridors, elevators that take you somewhere else on the same floors… The Strasbourg building is even more complex. Well, now, after a few months there, I can already say that I find myself. Together with your team, of course.I was positively surprised that it is much easier at European level to talk to (and negotiate with) colleagues who are not from your political group. On the other hand, it is true that there are many compromises to be made. It’s just part of politics.At the moment, I would rather use the word expectation than any enthusiasm. It is hard to be impressed with everything that is happening in and around the EU, but I ended up running for the changes that I needed. So I expect them to happen, and I will do my best for that. Unfortunately, at the same time, I am aware that not everything is possible for one MEP (no matter which Member State he comes from).And that is precisely where these particular disappointments lie. Most European politicians still live in a bubble of their own and do not understand (or refuse to understand) the real needs and desires of ‘ordinary mortals’, who are not contacted by politics, which is why people themselves are disappointed. Justified.

6. In your opinion, what is the future for the EU and what should you do to further develop the EU in the direction of well-being for all its people?I hope and believe it bright. I believe there is no better alternative than the EU, but we should not take it for granted. Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of these self-explanations – because if legislative processes were not going so slowly, we would still not be dealing with Brexit or the increasingly real big delay in the next financial perspective… And I could list it. Politicians, decision makers are the ones who need to make sure that people feel the EU and feel that we are where we are, for them and for them, not for our own sake.The EU must become a global player in the true sense of the phrase. Where common European policies are necessary and necessary, agreement is necessary and necessary because too much time has already been lost. In particular, I am talking about an agreement on a common foreign, security and migration policy.An important aspect of achieving the policies outlined above, as well as the further development of the EU, is based on the perception of the EU both in terms of politicians and all citizens. Reinforcing the awareness that the EU is a united community within which we live and achieving a mental leap into internalizing European citizenship as our own will play a big role in the future. European citizenship does not mean a rejection of national consciousness or an attempt to unify cultures, but simply an awareness that we are acting for the common good; without overriding the interests of individual Member States.But even more crucial is what I have already mentioned. The EU needs to start responding faster and more specifically to what is happening. All politicians need to get closer to citizens, but to be honest. They have to go out into the field, talk to people so that they understand, not give them the feeling that they are ‘something more’. Once this is achieved, the EU itself will certainly develop towards a better life for all.7. Which of the EU’s strengths do you see as most important?That being said, of course, the EU is not perfect, this is clear, but there is no better alternative. Most important are the foundations on which the EU originated, but many in this community forget it; also on purpose. Peace is this key foundation, a value not taken for granted. Europe has fought too much bloody war – because of the idea that someone is better, more justified, more real. These ideas find their messengers again and again, which in my opinion should be unacceptable.The EU is our wider homeland, where we can move, move, work,… Being able to study abroad and work abroad is one of the most important advantages for me.Mrs Joveva, thank you very much for your comprehensive answers! We wish you much success and satisfaction! Jean Debelak, 2nd yrYou can read more at the EECS Radovljica website.

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