Dialogue with mentors of the Euroschool and EPAS project

Last Friday, 31. January 2020, was particularly exciting for MEP Irena Joveva. She met with representatives of the Association of Pensioners of Slovenia (ZDUS) at House of EU to discuss the challenges faced by the elderly, and then in a relaxed environment exchanged views with the mentors of the combined program Ambassador School of the European Parliament and the Euroschool.

MEPs discussed with the representatives of ZDUS the challenges seniors face, both at the national and European level. ZDUS representatives presented the project Elders for Elderly and Intergenerational Days, which they organize together with youth representatives. Long-term care, good practice examples, European funding of projects for senior citizens were a key points during the talks.

Afterwards, the House of EU hosted a second seminar for the mentors of the combined program School of Ambassadors of the European Parliament and the Euroschool. 60 schools and more than 150 mentors participated in the project this year. The mentors had the opportunity to exchange ideas and opinions on European and current topics with Slovenian MEPs. The discussion took place as part of five tables where Irena Joveva answered questions related to environmental policy. The mentors were interested in various issues regarding the future European environmental policy; from the environmental legislation, the mechanisms to achieve the very ambitious goals of the European Green Deal, the regulation of sustainable landfills, the fight against polluted land / air … to the position of the European Parliament and the Renew Europe Group to nuclear energy as a transitional energy sources until reaching full energy supply from renewable energy. Of course, just like any individual, the mentors were also interested in MEPs changed lifestyle, what do they do in the European Parliament, have they already had time to visit Brussels etc.

After the event ended, Joveva pointed out that she welcomes events like this one with mentors. She believes that all citizens should be able – through such events – to exchange views with MEPs, thus bringing European topics closer to the people. She also cannot wait to meet with mentors and students in the up coming coming months, when they will try to put into practice the proposals put forward in their schools within the Euroschool and EPAS project.

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Nothing about young people without young people

On Friday, 17. January 2020, a closing conference was held at the House of the European Union as part of the project VSI SMO EU (We are all EU) – Dialogue with Youth. In the first half of 2019, the project was primarily promoting dialogue with young people and maximizing their participation in elections, while in the second half of the year, the purpose of the project was getting to know the newly elected MEPs and creating proposals of young people to help them live and gain self-sufficiency.

MEPs Klemen Grošelj and Irena Joveva have participated in several meetings throughout Slovenia as part of the project. As they have said, they are extremely pleased with this kind of opportunity and project, which enables dialogue with young people. They are convinced this is essential to maintain and, in particular, to strengthen their relationship with young people. The key topics most relevant to young people and have been highlighted during the meetings are active youth participation and active citizenship, the youth sector, education, employment, and entrepreneurship, and last but not least digitization.

Especially in digitization, Groselj emphasized the importance of cybersecurity. The rapid advancement of new technologies brings new opportunities. Digitization and the Internet are also shaping alterations in lifestyle. Some professions, that are heavily present in the labour market, will also change. Namely, there is a need for new occupations and this is an opportunity for young people. On the other hand, digitization itself brings new risks: “We have to create a solidarity system that will enable young people to develop, while at the same time, through different processes, they will alert the elderly to the pitfalls that the Internet and digitization themselves carry. I am pleased that – when it comes to e-elections – you are also exposing the question of risks, which tells me that there is a high degree of maturity among young people,” concluded Grošelj.

Irena Joveva, on the other hand, highlighted the change, which can be sensed by young people with the exit of the United Kingdom from the EU. “The UK Parliament has voted that their negotiators will no longer have to (necessarily) negotiate with the EU on the full involvement of their universities in the Erasmus+ program.” She wants the negotiators to be able to reach an appropriate agreement in this area as well. “It all starts and ends with money. As a significant part of the EU budget will go to the Green Deal, it will be difficult to anticipate a large increase in funding for programs intended for young people.” Joveva expects the new Erasmus+ budget to increase as well. “I will do everything in my power to obtain as many finances as possible for the Erasmus+ project,” she concluded. Joveva added, that she will use her three questions which she can address monthly to the European Commission to shed light on the issues and challenges that young people face.

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Croatian Presidency of the Council of the EU: from words to action?

MEP Irena Joveva and Klemen Grošelj on Friday, 17. January attended a joint sitting of parliamentary committees – for the European Union (EU) and foreign affairs where they addressed the members of the Slovenian National Assembly. The focus point of a joint sitting of parliamentary committees was on presenting the priorities of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Why is it important for MEPs to attend sessions at the Slovenian ‘Temple of Democracy’, of course if time grants? According to Joveva and Grošelj, it is appropriate to inform the deputies in the National Assembly of the current developments in the European Union and, consequently, the Slovenian general public.

Brexit, the European multi financial budget, Conference on the Future of Europe, environmental legislation … Croatia has taken over the EU Council Presidency in a time of major change, and in the next six months will face these huge challenges. However, our southern neighbours have set some priorities themselves. Among them, MEP Joveva highlighted addressing demographic change, enlargement of the EU to the Western Balkans and respect for EU core values, such as the rule of law.

These days, namely, Croatian politicians and diplomats clearly and conspicuously emphasise that they will “safeguard the rule of law as a fundamental value”. Therefore, they can reasonably be expected to put this into practice, Joveva said at the January plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg and at last joint session of the relevant committees of the National Assembly. She added that she expects Croatia not only to respect the rule of law but also to respect the human rights of all people: “The Croatian Prime Minister had to defend himself against allegations about Croatia’s treatment of migrants in the European Parliament. Although he denied those allegations, most of my colleagues – with me included – justifiably do not believe him. In the meantime, it is quite clear that the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, is aware of some of the problems, which has announced control mechanisms in response to my question, but details are still a matter of discussions with the Member States.”

Joveva also expressed her expectation, considering the Green Deal has been approved by the European Parliament, Member States will also fulfill their words and commitments on environmental policy. She expressed the hope, that this was not just because green is modern: “Even though  this is very ambitious, I hope to experience a carbon-free society in 2050.”

The key challenges that will mark this year and thus the Croatian EU Council Presidency are outlined by MEP Klemen Grošelj. “With its departure from the EU, the United Kingdom is taking away 16% of its resources to EU, which means that it will either have to be partially compensated or reduced in the budget or inflows,” he said, pointing out that one of the leaver to solve this problem is certainly so-called a just transition mechanism (to a carbonless society).

“It is also a system that would prevent carbon products from being flooded in the European market from third countries under the free trade agreements we already have. The strategic issue raised by the budget is the relationship between traditional policies, such as cohesion and agriculture, and contemporary proposed policies on the other hand which comprise the Green Deal,” Grošelj said. According to him, we should be aware that the policy will only strengthen its credibility when the difference between the written directions, set goals or wishes and implementation is as small as possible.

Regarding the EU’s position on global stage, the MEP warned,we should stop thinking about the industries of individual Member States but of a common, European industry.

Joveva and Grošelj also recalled the planned conception of the Conference on the Future of Europe. A platform, on which the European institutions, and the citizens, are conjectured to participate. For such a platform, the most important thing is that: “We are not only talking and promising them endlessly but also prove that we hear them, listen to them and especially respect them.”

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European Parliament has given a clear signal to China by selecting the winner of Sakharov Prize 2019

The European Parliament awards the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to deserving individuals and organisations that make an outstanding contribution to the fight for human rights. This year the award was won by an Uyghur human rights activist and Uyghur minority rights activist in China, Ilham Tohti. On Friday, 10th of January 2020, the European Parliament’s Office in Slovenia prepared a round table on the importance of this award, this year’s winner and his fight. Following the screening of the documentary about the life and work of the activist Tohti, a round table took place with the keynote speakers being MEP Irena Joveva, the doyen of Slovenian journalism Branko Soban and a journalist of the Slovenian National Television Aleš Malerič.

China perceives any departure from the ideals of the Communist Party and the destruction of populations unity as a separatist act. The accusations of separatist activism sentenced Ilham Tohti to life in prison after a two-day mounted trial in September 2014. For more than two decades, Tohti has worked tirelessly for dialogue and understanding between the Uyghur and Han community. He has strongly advocated the implementation of regional autonomy legislation in China. Tohti created the “Uyghur Online” website where he regularly criticised the exclusion of the Uyghur population from China’s development and promoted awareness of the Uyghur community’s position as well as treatment of Chinese society. Despite Chinese reluctance, he received several awards for his work: the PEN / Barbara Goldsmith Award for Freedom of Writing (2014), the Martin Ennals Award (2016) and the International Liberal Freedom Award (2017). Furthermore, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.

“European Parliament has given a clear signal to China by selecting Tohti as the winner,” MEP Joveva emphasised at the round table. According to her, it is the so-called soft power that they have as MEPs. They sent a message making it clear that the human rights abuses of the Uyghur minority in China are unacceptable: “The sad and worrying fact is, there are so many Sakharov nominees today. Having such rewards is important because they raize awareness of the general public, which becomes more wary of serious human rights violations, as several remain un-exposed.”

Certain EU leverage could be used, said Joveva. For example, the 2019 Sakharov Prize, could be a stepping stone to the creation of an independent, international and unlimited EU mission. Similar to how the EU set up the identification of human rights violations mission in Myanmar in 2017. Keeping in mind that on the one hand, China is a very powerful geopolitical player; on the other hand, the EU has a problem of irregular performance. “We have heard and seen it many times, in many cases. Until we achieve a uniform foreign policy and a uniform approach by the EU Member States, individual countries will succumb to the pressure of Chinese capital,” Joveva added.

China is well aware of its economic strength and is taking advantage of its position in bilateral talks, especially when negotiating investment with the individual EU Member States. EU’s decisive demands for the respect of the human rights of all people in China in precluded by the fear of China’s economic retaliation and uneven behaviour of the EU Member States. EU action towards drastic sanctions, such as interruption of economic cooperation, is an entirely unrealistic expectation. However, according to Joveva, specific alternatives would be possible: rejecting senior officials’ visa applications, freezing property and not cooperating with business related to the operation of detention or even concentration camps for Uyghurs in Xinjiang province. Alternatively, a unanimous voice of diplomacy, profession and economy working together in demand for respect for human rights could make some progress, as in the 25-year’ three-track’ human rights negotiations with China we have yet to progress.

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A shared vision for health

On the 7th of January 2020, MEP Irena Joveva co-hosted an informal reception of the European Union health Coalition. It is a good starting point for a great beginning of the New Year and a solid foundation for joining forces between policy-makers and partners in the run-up to the second European Union Health summit, set to take place on the 4-5 May 2020. 

The EU health Coalition is addressing the challenges of the healthcare systems across Europe, currently under pressure due to an ageing population and higher prevalence of chronic diseases. The main goal of the Coalition is to tackle the emerging problems and ensuring to make the most of the latest advances in science with active collaboration and a common health strategy, joining the needs and priorities into one shared vision.

“What will happen on health in Europe this year? Well, my wish is that we here and everyone else would be healthy or at least with no serious problems… Yes, I know, it’s unfortunately not possible. So, my realistic wish list on health issues is long, but at this moment I would like to point out one most important health issue – The Europe Beating Cancer Plan – to create comprehensive plan on how to tackle this pressing issue with concrete legislative steps based upon impact assessment. This will be one of the main priorities in this mandate, including the European Parliament and the Commission. We know that 40% of cancers are preventable if we implement what we know already. However, we need a joint approach.

And the same goes to the multi stakeholders’ collaboration itself. Strong cooperation is the key. Not only for us, the politicians, not only for you, the partners, the researchers, the doctors… Primarily, it’s for the patients. You know, none of us is omniscient. We do not know everything, sometimes we learn from our colleague, from our subordinate, sometimes from an expert from another country, sometimes even from the patient him or herself. I know it’s not the same, but still: I definitely learn most from the ‘ordinary’ people.

Additionally, collaboration among policymakers, experts and general public is very much needed to tackle the challenges of our healthcare systems also because they are – as such – not under EU competence. We must not forget that and try to enhance cooperation between Members States and make most of European programs, mechanisms and tools to share our knowledge, good practices and data in our common goal. “

At the event, the EU health Coalition presented the set of recommendations addressing 20 most pressing health care issues, serving as an outline of a said vision, which were formed as a result of the first Summit in November 2018.

 

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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.

Emerging Europe is an intelligence and networking platform that translates the region to the world and the world to the region. Access to our unrivalled intelligence and global network of key individuals and organisations enable all those with a stake in the region to participate in shaping the prosperous future of 23 countries.

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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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