What is that ?
This year, we were 6 high school students to participate in EUROmad 2022.
EUROmad is a European Council modeling organized for the 4th time by the Madrid high school. This is the second time that the LFO has taken part.
The modeling took place over 3 days, from April 25 to 27, with the closing ceremony taking place on April 29. We also had an ice-breaking session on April 24 to get to know the other delegates.
Indeed, part of the modeling was taking place on Zoom because of the health situation. We therefore lived this experience remotely, which did not prevent us from having fun and making the most of this enriching experience.
What are we doing there?
During the modeling, we each took on the role of ministers in commissions chaired and arbitrated by the commissioners, students from the Madrid high school.
We were about twenty per commission and each represented different countries. Issues (one per commission) were given to us before the modeling. Before modeling, we wrote each of the TPG (General Policy Texts).
We had to explain the position of the country we represented in relation to the theme addressed by its committee. These one-page texts were then published on the EUROmad website, which allowed everyone to discover the opinion of other countries. This information was useful to be able to establish alliances and strategies. It was also important to be well informed about the subjects covered in order to be able to speak in the debates.
At the start of the debates, the Commissioners submitted a draft legal text to us. These 3 days of modeling consisted in modifying this bill in order to arrive at a more detailed final text. This text had to satisfy the majority of countries because it had to be voted on unanimously at the end of the debates.
Through long formal and informal debates, we therefore discussed at length. We sometimes had to fight to defend our position and learn to compromise! The breaking news, which consisted of unexpected information intended to destabilize the commissions, made it possible to relaunch the debates and spice up the discussions.
Who did you represent?
We were representatives in different commissions:
- Pauline Guillard represented Spain in the parliamentary committee which discussed relations between the EU and Ukraine and Belarus.
- Gaëlle Dequaire represented Germany at the summit of Ecology and Technology Ministers which discussed artificial intelligence and new technologies
- Marcus Moulia represented Portugal at the summit of environment and innovation ministers trying to figure out how to ensure a stable and efficient ecological transition through the transport sector
- Barbara Lays represented France in the culture and youth forum which worked on a cultural revival for young people
- Clara Lardin represented Austria and Emilie Josefsen Romania on the Trade and Industry Committee which was trying to find a way
How did you live this experience?
For us (French school of Oslo students), unfortunately we couldn’t make it to Madrid, but the experience was still memorable.
We were at the CDI of the LFO, all together, which made the experience even more fun. We were in committee from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., which allowed us to get to know each other better and to share good times, both serious and funny, together.
The students also took part, at the end of the day, in a gossip box, which brought them together through challenges, each one funnier than the next, from a pear tree to marriage proposals, including a Macarena dance and a challenge to eat a raw egg !
This modeling also allowed us to meet students from many other different countries, such as Morocco, Belgium, Reunion, and of course Spain and France.
This enriching experience allowed all of us to put ourselves in the shoes of a real minister, to teach us to speak in the third person of the interests of our country, but also beyond the live modeling to learn the position of a country on several aspects and also to discover other more unknown countries of the European Union through other ministers.
It also allowed us to meet people, and to strengthen the bonds between us.
Nous voulons remercier Mme Houseaux et Mme Mendola, qui ont encadré ce projet.
We would like to say thank you to Ms. Houseaux and Ms. Mendola, that were here to supervised the project.