The Model European Parliament is a debate format where 16- and 17-year-old students debate along the same lines as in the European Parliament. This last week, on January 29, 30 and 31, around 60 students from 13 schools in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands had the opportunity to become European parliamentarians for a few days and discuss issues of parliamentary agenda and vibrating topicality such as the challenge of migratory flows, the 32-hour working day, disinformation as an attack on democracy and the new European Bauhaus.
For a few years now, the Lleó XIII School has participated in the MEP, a project organized by the Singularity Foundation in collaboration with St. Peter’s School and the Abat Oliva University that this year has celebrated its 5th edition. This initiative aims to bring together the values that define the project of the European Union, as well as the knowledge of its institutions. To this end, the discussion procedure used by parliamentarians, defined by the codecision between Parliament and the Commission to reach resolutions affecting Community issues, is replicated.
5 students from our school: Damián, Úrsula, Elena, Teo and Pau were the representatives of our school as part of the territorial delegation of Palma. And we couldn’t be prouder of their participation.
How does the European Parliament Model (MEP) work?
Students are initially grouped into four committees, corresponding to one of the following topics: the challenge of migratory flows, the 32-hour working day, disinformation as an attack on democracy and the new European Bauhaus (Committee on Human Rights, Occupation and Social Affairs, Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and Development). The work of the commissions was carried out on January 29 and 30.
On January 31, the commissions had the opportunity to present their conclusions publicly in front of the rest of the participating students. Having set out the broad outlines of the committee’s proposal, delegations made comments and arguments.
The European Parliament model is an educational program that aims to foster in young people the awareness of European citizenship and the culture of constructive parliamentary debate. Thanks to this project, students have the opportunity to research on different current European issues, give their opinion and become parliamentarians for a few days. Students develop and show their degree of understanding of the functioning of the EU institutions, of the topics proposed for discussion and of their skills in presenting and defending their point of view.
The most outstanding students will be selected to participate in the State Session of the Model European Parliament. But we won’t know this for a few days.
We’ll keep you posted!
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