MEU Mainz 2023 Blog Post

SPark

SPark in front of the House of European History in Brussels, Belgium.

This July, I was able to participate in a Model EU simulation and visit the EU headquarters thanks to the generous support of the EU delegation to the US. Visiting Brussels and witnessing the inner workings of the EU was an enlightening experience, particularly in seeing the history of how the EU’s systems of multilevel governance came to be, and the future of the EU as Spain assumes the EU presidency and the Irish language transitions into full status as an EU language. Furthermore, the Model EU simulation provided first-hand experience of the legislative and deliberative processes of the European Parliament, including insights into how different states within the EU are perceived by my fellow participants who are from the EU.

Left: SPark at the Hemicycle of the European Parliament. Right: SPark in front of the European Commission.

These insights continued long after the debates and panels had completed — being able to connect on a personal level with peers of so many differing backgrounds truly led me to understand the varying perspectives of EU citizens of my own generation. In Brussels, I was even confronted by a stranger at a bar who had an anti-EU perspective, and I was fascinated by how other patrons seemed to genuinely take issue with his anti-EU sentiment just as much as his disorderly behavior (I was also pleasantly surprised that my French language competencies held up in the rapid-fire conversation). The opportunity to connect with a wide range of real perspectives outside of formalized structure was the most valuable experience of this journey, and I am grateful for the chance to have experienced it.

Exhibit at the House of European History.

This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of UNC, Pitt, and FIU, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.