What do Eu think? Young people confront MEPs

On Friday, March 15, 2024, the event “What do EU think? Young People Confront MEPs” took place at the Polo delle Scienze Sociali in Florence. Democracy and the rule of law, climate change and environmental policies, foreign policy and the international situation, as well as energy and migration policies, were among the topics addressed by questions posed by students from the Schools of Law and Political Science at the University of Florence and researchers from Ponte Europa to three Members of the European Parliament.

I collaborated to organize the event together with colleagues of the Schools of Political Science and Law of the University of Florence, EUROPE DIRECT Florence and Siena centers, the University of Siena, the European Documentation Centers of the University of Florence and the European University Institute, and Ponte Europa, with the support of the European Parliament Office in Italy and the Representation of the European Commission in Italy. Francesca Peppucci (Forza Italia – EPP), Beatrice Covassi (Democratic Party – S&D), and Nicola Danti (Italia Viva – Renew Europe) responded to the organizers’ invitation and made themselves available to answer the multitude of questions within a limited time frame. This event, organized in anticipation of the upcoming electoral appointment in June, where European citizens will head to the polls to renew their representatives in Parliament, underscores the significance of discussing European elections, promoting awareness of their context and importance, and encouraging citizen participation, particularly among younger individuals, through initiatives like the one held last Friday and others scheduled leading up to June 9. For those who missed the event, the live stream is available on YouTube.