As part of the Bratislava Region's pre-European elections information campaign, Bratislava region organized a panel discussion for secondary school students. This EU Local Dialogue provided an interactive platform for students to engage with candidates for Members of the European Parliament.
The format of the event included contributions by six speakers from different sides of the political spectrum, aided by a moderator, and interactive polls with direct engagement of the students.
The president of Bratislava Region Juraj Droba (HR/ECR) welcomed MEP Ivan Štefanec, MEP Katarina Roth Neveďalová and candidates for the membership in the European Parliament Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová and Vladimíra Marcinková, to highlight the importance of each vote in the upcoming European elections. The event touched upon the following themes:
- What does the EU do for our region?
- What does the EU do for young people?
- The EU as a leader in the fight against climate change
- The EU as a global player - priorities in external affairs
The event aimed at raising young people's awareness about the EU policies, thus contributing to the decentralisation of the EU elections information campaign.
By the end of the dialogue, certain main proposals were indicated and proposed for future actions:
- Increase awareness of the significance of voting in the European elections and enhance young people´s understanding of the EU.
- Motivate and encourage young people to actively participate in the upcoming European elections.
- Showcase EU initiatives and successful projects funded by EU grants in the regions and cities to highlight tangible benefits of EU membership.
- Promote EU programs targeted at youth, such as Erasmus and DiscoverEU.
- Propose the expansion of decentralized EU information campaigns to ensure broader outreach and engagement.
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