Dear reader, I know you must be asking yourself the same question. What could a commercial mechanical engineer be doing in the European Parliament? The answer is: a great many things.

“United in diversity” is the slogan of the European Union, and it can really be felt in the European Parliament, an intersection of diverse opinions, cultures and professional perspectives.

The idea of applying for a traineeship had long been on my mind. I had noticed various invitations on social media, published by several MEPs, but I had never found the courage to apply. Until I came across the vacancy with MEP Irena Joveva. A young, determined woman who stands up for her principles … Well, this is a person I would like to meet in person, I thought to myself. My finger continued to scroll down the screen and my mind wandered to an ideal world where every voice is heard and respected, irrespective of gender, race, nationality, or social class. In short, a world of equal opportunities.

As a woman in a “male” profession, I am often looked down upon: as a rookie – and a woman to boot – who certainly won’t boss them around, whose place is in the kitchen – I could write more, but I’d rather not. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, I try to console myself.

A few days later, I also receive an e-mail with an invitation to apply. That’s it, I think to myself. Why not? I draft a motivation letter and my CV, though being aware that as an engineer without formal education in political science my chances are close to zero. After a while I get a reply that I’ve “made it to the next round”. With a certain degree of suspicion, I look at my phone and analyse the message, OK, it isn’t spam. I draft two speeches on proposed policy issues as requested and wait again. I am invited to an interview, after which I shut down my computer, thinking: this was an interesting experience, nice people, and now back to reality.

People close to me know that I am a very self-critical person who likes to talk and is very down-to-earth. I see every opportunity as an experience from which I can learn. So I stop paying attention to the call for applications and focus instead on my master’s thesis, projects and other commitments. Life goes on… And then, a month later, a shock: I receive an e-mail with “congratulations, you have been selected as a trainee in our team”. “Yay! I’ll get to know Irena and her team, the mighty building of the European Parliament”, I imagine, while at the same time I fret about having to go abroad for two months all by myself.

I get my head straight and start preparing. I find an apartment, pack my bags and I’m off to Europe’s capital. All the way, I think about how I will be received – after all, I’m an outsider to “their profession” and the media often depict politicians as aloof, all-knowing and self-absorbed.

When I met Irena and her team, I quickly realised that I needn’t have worried – they are pleasant, smiling and open people. The European Parliament building is magnificent; endless corridors, meeting rooms…, even a shop, a post office, a hairdresser’s, a library and a dispensary – a real city in miniature. The Parliament is often compared to a maze, and not so much because of its complexity, but because it consists of multiple buildings and endless corridors. These can be somewhat chaotic, but they are well marked. Just as one solves a maze on paper by following the “right side only” or “left side only” rule, the Brussels maze is solved by following the “third floor” rule. This is the floor which connects all the Parliament buildings via glass or internal passageways.

When asked about my favourite spot in the Parliament, I answer without hesitation: it’s the glass dome, with its mighty metal structure (yes, engineers notice that too) and its magnificent view.

The Parliament is full of nooks dedicated to relaxing or socialising. Although it employs more than 8000 people, it does not feel overcrowded. Of course, when rushing from one room to another, you’re never alone, many people hurry from one meeting to another, with journalists often lining the corridors. Irena’s assistant advised: “Walk like you own the place!” And this advice proved to be very effective – thank you, Elma, I will definitely follow it in the future, too!

At this point, dear reader, you must be curious about the nature of my work there… I’ll explain!

The European Parliament is made up of 705 MEPs who, with the support of assistants, shape the future of EU citizens. Every MEP has assistants, and some of them – like Irena Joveva – give interested young people the opportunity to try their hand as a trainee.

It is varied and interesting; you meet new people, attend events, sessions and other meetings, and gain different perspectives on topical issues. Personally, I have most enjoyed attending working groups, following closely the debates in the Environment, Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and Culture and Education (CULT) Committees, noting down conclusions on the substance and studying acts in the field of industry and technology.

As someone who is passionate about development and innovation, the appointment of Iliana Ivanova as the Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth was particularly memorable. It was a privilege to be able to listen to the legendary Guy Verhofstadt speaking on the occasion of receiving the Lifetime Achievement award, and to the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo.

The opportunity to guide groups of Slovenians around the Parliament during their visit or participation in the media freedom event was an equally one-of-a-kind experience.

MEP Joveva’s office is bustling with activity, and as a trainee, you are not pushed to the side. One has the opportunity to get involved, develop their potential and contribute to the common goal.

Off to France…

On “red weeks”, as they are commonly referred to, the entire Parliament goes to Strasbourg for a plenary session. Once you have mastered one maze, there is another to tackle. Here, the “third floor” rule does not apply, so navigating the building complex is a little more difficult, especially because of its curved design.

The Parliament in Strasbourg is beautiful; the greenery, the marble and the glass crossing over the river… It matches the charm of the city, which many describe as one of the most beautiful cities in France. To me, it feels like a compact city, akin to Ljubljana.

A week in Alsace goes by in a flash. Negotiations, agreements, votes… and the cycle repeats. Observing the typically chaotic voting session from above the MEPs’ heads is quite a unique experience. Despite today’s digital world, it is still done by show of hands, with the chairperson deciding the majority. When this is not clear (as is very often the case), votes are verified electronically, which makes the already lengthy plenaries take even longer.

Plenary weeks are extremely dynamic, but you mustn’t leave Strasbourg without tasting a traditional Alsatian pizza (flammkuchen), taking a stroll around the city and consequently ending up with a gallery full of photos.

After a red week, a return to Brussels – the capital of the Kingdom of Belgium.

Baroque and Gothic architecture blended with the post-modern building style of the European institutions and numerous green spaces. The Manneken Pis statue as a satire of humanity. The Royal Gallery of St. Hubert – one of the oldest covered galleries in Europe and comic murals along the streets. The Grand Place, which is closely intertwined with the city and was even lit up in pink in October. The metal and glass structure of Old England (now the Musical Instruments Museum), the Royal Palace and the Royal Park with its bronze statues of cats. The Atomium – a metal sculpture erected for the Expo. The Cinquantenaire, a large park with arcades, numerous museums… All this is Brussels.

The settlement in the marshes (which was the meaning of the original name of Brussels) surprises at every turn, one just needs to observe. People often say; “Pah, you can walk round Brussels in a day”. Yes, you can, but do you really see it? Even after walking round it for two months, one always comes across something new, whether it’s architecture you missed the day before or street art. Which is there in abundance, and what’s even better – the artists are great. Singers, dancers, ball artists… The talent pool is diverse.

Being an engineer, it would be remiss of me not to mention Autoworld, the renowned car museum. The world of cars is where you can get lost in the splendour of four-wheeled masterpieces and forget about time altogether. It displays carriages, Ford’s Model T (the first mass-produced car) and modern luxury vehicles.

Another interesting fact. Were you aware of how the gentry in past centuries dealt with bumpy carriage rides without modern metal suspension? Well, visit the museum and search for the answer. To give you a hint: leather.

When visiting Brussels, one simply must try traditional Belgian waffles, chocolate and French fries. As to the latter, in Angela Merkel’s opinion, you will get the best at the Jourdan Square near the Parliament, next to Leopold Park. I checked it out and it’s really delicious.

Andreja, is Brussels safe?

That’s a difficult one. It is and it isn’t. I prefer to stick to the “better safe than sorry” rule and avoid unpleasant areas.

During my traineeship, there was a significant escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian situation, so it was not unusual to encounter a group of protesters. I support the free expression of will, but I do not support the scenes that I witnessed during my Sunday walk in the Cinquantenaire Park. A march in support of Palestine, which many families joined. On one side, children waved flags and mothers pushed their strollers, while on the other side, there were loud chants, pyrotechnics, and a police helicopter flying overhead. It is a scene you never forget.

I have also experienced first-hand the parliamentary security system. In the wake of the tragedy of 17 October, the Parliament in Brussels activated the orange security alert, recommending that staff work from home for the rest of the week. Inside Parliament, security is taken care of, but outside, one should avoid narrow, dark streets and areas around the main public transport stations.

Time to say goodbye…

Time flies, and this is a phrase that I became acutely aware of in Brussels. Two months passed in a flash, and my adventure came to an end. All good things come to an end, and everything must come to an end so that something else can begin. Maybe the end of this story is the start of a new, even bigger one – who knows?

“What now?” asked assistant Rok at the farewell lunch. Hmmm… a PhD, new projects and new challenges. What brings an engineer to the European Parliament? The pursuit of challenges.

Life without challenges is boring!

Thank you #teamJoveva, you are great, with feet firmly on the ground. With people like you, I needn’t worry about the future of the EU. Thank you, Elma, for all the encouraging words, for introducing me to the Parliament and for the time together. Žana, you know well enough how I always enjoyed debating with you. And thank you, Rok, for placing your confidence in my work on STEP (Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform) and the Net-Zero Industry Act.

Thank you also to local assistants Jasna and Samanta: Who would have thought that an engineer would dare take a peek into the world of social media, edit video content and have fun while doing it? Every field is a challenge to be embraced with open arms and an opportunity to broaden our horizons.

My biggest thank you, of course, goes to MEP Irena Joveva. I am grateful that you changed my perspective on politics, showing me that not everything is as the media portray it. Thank you for encouraging women, young people. For being down-to-earth, unpretentious and approachable. A person with a capital letter P who acts the same while having a simple lunch with a trainee and in a meeting room with “important” people. And thank you for, you know, giving an opportunity to an engineer.

“Don’t let them get to you!” Truly, Irena, I won’t! You managed to success as a “rookie from journalism”, and I hope that the “rookie from engineering” can do the same. It is time for Slovenia to form its opinion in the field of industry and technology.

I’m including a photo from the women’s empowerment exhibition to inspire all girls (especially in STEM) and remind them that we can do it. We “greenhorns” can co-shape the world!

– Andreja Kumer

On Thursday, 26 October 2023, MEP Joveva wrote to Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Values and Transparency, Thierry Breton, Commissioner for the Internal Market, and Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, making a public call for a revision of the European Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) in order to complement or extend the obligation of video-sharing platforms operating in EU Member States to provide their content with subtitles or dubbing in all official languages of the European Union.

The existing AVMSD currently enforces the principle of non-discrimination in commercial communications and includes provisions for ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities. However, Joveva believes that the principle of non-discrimination (on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, nationality, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation) should extend to all audiovisual content and that the prohibition of linguistic discrimination should be explicitly stated, while the accessibility requirements – to be met through subtitling or dubbing – should apply to the entire general population, i.e. to all speakers of all official languages of the European Union.

Foreign video-streaming providers such as Netflix or Disney+ are currently not obliged to comply with national laws due to the EU’s “country of origin” principle. This means they are registered in one Member State alone (e.g. Netflix in the Netherlands) to provide services across the European market and are therefore only subject to that country’s regulations. This allows them to avoid the legislation applicable in other Member States.

In order to tackle this issue, two new articles that focus on the coordination of national regulators have been incorporated into the European Media Freedom Act. However, to ensure successful implementation and fully address the problem, the AVMSD must also be supplemented.

After sending the letter, Joveva said:

“I have already directly requested video-streaming providers and their managements to respect all EU languages by translating, subtitling or dubbing (for children’s content) their content into Slovenian. Their excuses and delays have led me to take action with the persons responsible at the European Commission, as it is more than obvious that it is time to regulate the matter through EU legislation. Until language discrimination is officially banned in the EU market (including the digital market), companies will be inclined to move too slowly or not at all. Moreover, it is important to remember that Slovenian is not the only language that is discriminated against in this manner, and the platforms concerned avoid complying with national provisions, such as the Public Use of the Slovenian Language Act, which is currently being amended by the National Assembly. The European Union is committed to strengthening, promoting and maintaining linguistic diversity, and any discrimination on the basis of language is prohibited by fundamental treaties, such as the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. I insist that private companies conducting business in the EU internal market and providing services throughout the EU should comply with this, and it is the EU’s duty to explicitly state this in its legislation. Respect for linguistic diversity is a bare minimum that should be self-evident. In practice, however, large US corporations in particular discriminate against less-spoken languages, which – incidentally – I also see in other areas, such as with content moderation rules on online platforms. At a time when the internet plays an increasingly important role in our daily lives, we must all work together to ensure that all EU languages are treated equally, as this is essential for their survival and continued existence, including for Slovenian. The legislative process in the European Union is usually lengthy, but this does not mean that we should sit idly by and wait forever for multinationals to move, which they will not do without concrete, especially legislative pressure. I am convinced, including on the basis of the informal talks we have had so far, that we will be able to regulate these matters at EU level in the foreseeable future.”

For your perusal, please find attached the original letter in English (Letter to European Commissioners) and Slovenian (Evropska komisija revizija AVSMD).

 

On Wednesday, 18 October 2023, MEP Irena Joveva addressed the European Parliament during the Strasbourg plenary on how disinformation in times of conflict can be countered with the Digital Services Act. She started her speech by saying that any war takes a devastating toll on innocent people and the truth.

She went on to say that we are all aware of the validity of this statement, especially these days when videos, photos and comments are posted and shared across the internet at an unprecedented speed:

“But do we all, as a society, really appreciate how much manipulation is taking place there? Lies? Deliberate – serving the interests of certain people, some government, geopolitics, some aggressor, terrorists, or occupier? Disinformation, manipulation and fake news intensify divisions and fuel hatred. Towards the ‘other’.”

She expressed her approval of the Digital Services Act, but also stressed the need for proper implementation. The limits have been clearly defined, the positive benefits of the web must be preserved, harmful content must be limited and illegal content must be removed, she added.

It is imperative that the European Union take measures to guarantee that social media companies are fully compliant with the law, she stated.

“People need to know all the pitfalls of the web, but ultimately it’s always up to them who they believe. Yet … it is the truth that requires defenders. Especially in times like these.”

You can watch the full address here.

BACKGROUND

In early October 2023, Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, wrote to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and X (ex-Twitter) CEO Elon Musk cautioning them that failure to remove illegal terrorist and hate speech content from their platforms could result in a violation of the new EU digital services regulation. The European Commission has detected a rise in illegal content and disinformation spreading in the EU related to the conflict in Israel, as well as manipulated content, so-called deepfakes, ahead of the recent elections in Slovakia.

Under the EU’s newly adopted Digital Services Act, tech giants such as Google, Meta, X and Amazon are responsible for monitoring and removing illegal content, such as terrorist content or illegal hate speech, posted on their platforms. Failure to comply with European rules on removing illegal content can result in fines of up to six per cent of a company’s annual revenue.

Photo: EP – Genevieve ENGEL

Here we go.

Letters. Appeals. Requests. Meetings. Explanations. Invitations. Coordination. Demands.

Preparations. Amendments. Changes to the law. Process. Procedure.

Competencies.

Time.

Persistence.

We are not giving up.

If we don’t defend our language, who will? But together.

Why don’t we tell this to those who discriminate against it? But together?

I have launched a very special website. With a very special purpose. And name.

Saying that Slovenia is a “small country” is just an excuse. Saying that it is “not worth it” for multinationals to offer their services in the language of the market (whichever it be) in which they are present is also an excuse. Nor do we agree that they are not explicitly obligated to do so by legislation. This concerns the basic respect for both the European Union’s motto of “united in diversity” and for one of its fundamental values: equality. In this case, linguistic equality.

Everyone should have the right to be able to use content in their mother tongue (at least) in their own country. Both in the physical and digital world. And this should apply regardless of the prevalence of a particular language or the size – or tininess, if you prefer – of a particular market.

Let us not stop here. We need binding solutions. At the European level, some of the amendments have recently been incorporated into the Digital Services Act, while others, even more crucial, are foreseen by the Media Freedom Act. I was actively involved in the drafting of both of these acts as one of the Parliament’s negotiators.

Meanwhile, at the national level, the authorities are working on amendments to the Public Use of the Slovenian Language Act, and I will turn my attention to the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. It will clearly be necessary to include in the text and among the requirements an explicit reference to the prohibition of linguistic discrimination, next to all its other forms.

The European Commission, whose task it is to undertake changes or revisions, is already aware of my plans. I am in the process of working on concrete proposals. Unfortunately, this cannot be done overnight. Procedures at the European level are lengthy.

But … we’re not giving up. It’s important that you don’t either. Your voice should be heard as well. Your direct support for the Slovenian language, with clear messages for the multinationals concerned, will add value to all efforts and, above all, add to the pressure.

All the relevant information can be found at www.poslovensko.si

Finally! We’ve got it!

The text of the European Media Freedom Act “is a wrap” in the European Parliament. What is in it?

– It prohibits all forms – political, ownership and business – of interference in editorial decisions.

– It safeguards journalists from being coerced into exposing sources, being spied on, etc.

– It ensures public disclosure of information on the ownership and state funding of a media outlet. The same applies to online platforms.

– Any acquisitions of media companies will be preceded by an assessment of the impact on editorial independence.

– It sets up an independent European Board for Media Services, which will in essence monitor the state of the media in the Member States.

– The Board will be complemented with the creation of an independent expert group representing the media sector and civil society.

With this Act, we are essentially establishing fundamental principles, a legal basis. A European acquis that will protect journalists and media outlets. It will guarantee media pluralism and independence.

The state of media freedom varies significantly across the European Union, yet no Member State is immune to pressure and attempts to undermine it. The public media, a pillar of credible information for the people, are in many places – though fortunately no longer in Slovenia – at the very least subject to subjugation attempts. And I am not merely referring to Hungary and Poland. Or to Slovenia under the previous government. Unfortunately.

Greece. The Prime Minister’s Office was exposed spying on journalists.

Austria. The former Chancellor resigned after an investigation was launched into suspicions that his team funnelled money to the media. For favourable coverage.

France. The owner of a (once) prominent newspaper turned billionaire, known for promoting far-right ideology through the media. He handpicked the editor. I assume there is no need to elaborate on the resulting new “standards” of reporting.

…

It’s up to you to decide who you trust and who you don’t. Which media you will or will not follow. The Act does not interfere with that. But it is, of course, right that you get transparent, credible, professional information. Without lies and conspiracies. Just as it would be right for a faction of politics to refrain from every attempt to seek control over the media or manipulate people.

But rather than changing course, this same faction – and their die-hard supporters – maintain their tactics of propaganda, intrigue, artificial divisions, vested interests. Continue to mislead.

Incidentally, they are doing the same with my plenary address (see link below). I wouldn’t mind substantive comments on it, but there are none. Because it is easier to criticise my background, gender, while at the same time fabricating additional “facts”. Also about RTV Slovenija, by the way.

This is their classic strategy, and I couldn’t care less. What I do care about is what will happen to the European Media Freedom Act in the end. The final step awaits: negotiations with the European Commission and the Member States. I believe in success and in good compromises, because no one has to fear this legislation … except those who seek to undermine media freedom.

– Irena