The importance of the European elections, which will be held in Spain on June 9th, and the challenges facing the EU in the next legislature have taken centre stage in the debate of the 'mUÉvete, es tu EUropa' cycle, a project organised by Europa Press in collaboration with the European Parliament. The spokesperson and Director-General of Communication of the European Parliament, Jaume Duch, the director of the Royal Institute for European Studies, José María Beneyto, and Lorena Pérez, a student of the master's degree in International Relations at the university, were the participants in this meeting, moderated by the Director of Management and Institutional Relations of Europa Press, Candelas Martín de Cabiedes.
More than 370 million Europeans are called to vote in elections in which an estimated 64% of Spaniards and 68% of Europeans are expected to participate, according to the Eurobarometer published in December 2023. According to this same index, 57% of the general population is interested in the elections, a percentage that only reaches 50% in the case of young people. In the meeting 'European elections: together we decide the future of Europe', the speakers have highlighted the importance of electoral mobilisation, as voting allows the voice of every European to be heard in EU institutions. Furthermore, participation provides the opportunity to chart the course of Europe and decide the role the EU should play in the world.
The European Parliament is the European institution responsible for legislating on issues affecting people's daily lives, such as the environment, migration, or consumer rights. Thus, in recent years, it has addressed such crucial regulations as the Nature Restoration Law or Artificial Intelligence (AI) Law. With an eye on the future, the meeting addressed the challenges that the 720 Members of the European Parliament who will make up the next European Parliament will have to face. Predictably, energy autonomy, EU enlargement, Europe's role in the world, or defending the bloc will be some of the topics that will shape the European agenda in the near future.
What is 'mUÉvete, es tu EUropa'?
'mUÉvete, es tu EUropa' is a project that focuses on raising awareness among young people about the work of the European Parliament and on disseminating how the decisions made in Europe ultimately affect citizens' daily lives. The cycle consists of a total of six meetings, held at six Spanish universities, addressing topics of special interest to young people, such as green policies, the advantages and risks of artificial intelligence, or difficulties in accessing employment and housing.