Model European Union Warsaw (MEUW) is an annual international conference where participants from all over Europe gather to simulate the ordinary legislative procedure based on two proposals. There are two chambers - European Parliament and the Council of the EU, where participants are randomly allocated fractions and countries. There is also a Commissioner who presents the proposal and Presidency who facilitate the discussion. Participants have to debate the proposal from the perspective of a fraction or a country, propose amendments which align with their assigned position, and vote. Participants learn how the EU makes the decisions and how it passes a bill. They get familiar with the OLP, and with different countries or fractions and their positions in certain topics. It is crucial that young people understand the processes in the EU, as we believe it encourages them to actively participate in the EU, including voting in the EP elections. For many of our participants it will be the first EP elections they will vote in. After they get to know different fractions in the EP, they also better understand them and can make a more conscious choice. It also encourages them to take an active role in all other forms of democracy. We believe that our simulations have an important role in shaping more aware EU citizens. Moreover, in Poland, in the latest elections, the youth turnout was the highest in history. We would like to see it again in the EP elections! MEUW also helps participants with their public speaking skills, as well as negotiation and debating skills - the soft skills schools and universities have issues in teaching. However, soft skills and public speaking are desired capabilities in the EU job market. Often, participants have to defend a point of view opposite to their own, which helps them in understanding different opinions. It helps people with critical thinking and with holistic thinking and exposes them to different world and EU problems. Model European Union Warsaw is one of almost 20 simulations of policy making processes in the European Union. MEUW team has a great experience in liaising with representations of the EU institutions as well as the Embassies. This year’s conference is taking place on the 11th-14th of April at the University of Warsaw, in a collaboration with the Scientific Society of International Organisations (Kolo Instytucji Miedzynarodowych) of the University of Warsaw and the Polish Robert Schuman Foundation. The event has been awarded patronages by the Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, Voivode of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, the Mayor of Warsaw, and the Collegium Civitas.
© Patrycja Kluch