Use your vote – was the message to the graduates of High school Mate Balota in Poreč!
“Use your vote” in the elections for the European Parliament on June 9, 2024! That was the message to the graduates of High school Mate Balota in Poreč during the day that Lidija Pavić Rogošić from ODRAZ, but also as a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) spent with some 75 young people.
Prof. Davor Ban, school’s ambassador of EU institutions in cooperation with Lidija Pavić Rogošić organized on May 2, 2024 an interactive lecture to try to encourage young people to exercise their right to vote and participate in the EU parliamentary elections.
After the opening the event with listening Ode to Joy, the anthem of the European Union, democracy and the European elections were at the center of the discussion, because it is high time that the youth of Europe integrate more into society and democratic processes.
Topics discussed:
- EU institutions and their role
- What the EU is doing for young people and for their cities and regions
- Why vote in the EU elections
- The future of sustainable development goals after the European elections
- What students expect from the EU after the elections.
Students got an insight into the importance of participating in the European elections and learned more about the role of the European Parliament in making decisions that affect their everyday life. They were also informed about other EU institutions, with an emphasis on the EESC.
The connection between EU policies and the Global Sustainable Development Goals was highlighted, and key documents such as the European Green Deal, the Paris Agreement and the European Pillar of Social Rights were presented.
Students had the opportunity to learn more about specific EU initiatives and projects that offer them opportunities to improve their lives and create a more sustainable future.
In order to interest and engage the students, they had a short quiz at the beginning with several questions about the EU, which they answered via Mentimeter. After the interactive lecture, students split into smaller groups to discuss:
– What do they expect from the EU in the future?
– What do young people need, what are their priorities?
At the end, via sli.do, they expressed whether they would vote in the EU elections.
What do young people expect from of the EU in the future?
High School Mate Balota educates students in four-year programmes: grammar and language high school, economic programme and agrotechnics.
In the discussion with the students from 4th grade that will have a chance to vote for the first time, they expressed what they expect from the EU after the elections, what their priorities are and in which areas they want to be more involved.
The introductory part of the lecture started with an interactive questionnaire in the Mentimeter tool, so that the students could refresh their knowledge about some key facts about the EU. To the answers about the EU, students mostly answered correctly, which, unfortunately, is not often the case with young people.
The introduction to the discussion, was the presentation of the “What Europe does for me” portal. Young people are satisfied that there is a portal that presents all areas of EU activities, especially those in their area of Istria and those related to their lives.
Young people are familiar with different programmes in which they can participate, f.e. they participated at YEYS, they visited EU Parliament on the invitation of one MP, and similar. They expressed the need to participate more in such events, including Erasmus+ in which they were not included till now.
When asked about their plans for the future, most did not have any concrete ideas, although they expressed plans for further studies. However, they do not have a clear picture of where they see themselves in the future.
Speaking about the problems they see in their surroundings, they touched on excessive tourism, especially during the season, and the problems that tourism brings. They believe that some tourists should behave more appropriately and respect the area they come to.
They also touched on the problem of waste, which needs to be disposed and managed properly, including the need for more municipal wardens to warn citizens and tourists about appropriate behavior. From the future in the EU, they expect an increased involvement of young people in decision-making, good possibilities for studying and later for employment.
We used sli.do to gain insight into their views on participation in the EU elections: 54% of them declared that they will vote, 29% have no intention, and 17% have not yet decided.
#EUElections #UseYourVote #EESC