And that wraps up BETA Slovakia’s first ever Model European Union, in Košice and made for sixty ambitious high schoolers! What a ride!
In collaboration with my former high school Futurum Košice, we organised a complex simulation of the triangle of the core EU institutions, made to promote the shared European identity while simultaneously building their confidence in their communication, critical thinking and debating skills. Students had the chance to take on the role of either a Minister in the Council of the EU or a Member of the European Parliament, where they would go on to negotiate and create amendments on the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement and the Green Claims Directive on corporate greenwashing — two very relevant topics in today’s day and age.
To make this an even deeper learning experience, we invited Slovak MEP’s Katarina Roth Nevedalova and Michal Wiezik to give insights on their work in the EP, as well as how to get more involved in politics and international relations. We also had a great discussion on the meaning and future of EU-Mercosur in today’s global order with Ambassador of Brazil in Slovakia Gabriel Boff Moreira and Honorary Consul of Brazil in Košice Daniel Sajták. Thanks to another very successful collaboration with the Liaison Office of the European Parliament in Slovakia (Európsky parlament - Kancelária na Slovensku), Jan Haraslin and Rebeka Kubovičová brought insights to students on how to get involved in the European Parliament, what kind of traineeships and internships they can apply for, and what the EP and the EU do for its citizens.
A huge thank you goes out to all of our partners and sponsors. Without them, Model European Union would not have been this fun and successful. Another round of applause and thanks go to my organising team, especially Johanka and Alexandra Drozdová, for bringing this whole European project come to life, along with my wonderful extended team: Agata Z., Eleni Psatha, Felix Moore, Paulína Bieleschová, Julia, Yuulia, and Samuel, for being a fantastic part of the whole project and teaching students how the EU works. An extra special thank you to Johanna and Jakub for creating two amazing proposals for students to work on and help them prepare!
For me personally, as Director-General, I learned about myself more than ever, that all of the hard work over the years truly does pay off. I’ve realised that my confidence in speaking publicly, presenting in front of a large audience and passing on the MEU to the new generation has grown to the point that it all comes naturally now. Not only that, but I’ve quickly learned how to give interviews and write press releases to national and regional television (there were too many of them to count). Something that I find is more than valuable in my field.
Once again, thank you to all of our partners, colleagues and co-organisers — even those behind the scenes — without whom this MEU would not have turned from an idea into reality. 🇪🇺🫶🏻
