The departmental youth advisers of the Côte-d’Or were able to discuss with the MEP on Wednesday May 12, echoing Europe Day and in a way closing a citizen consultation entitled “Imagine the Europe of tomorrow”.
In August 2020, the youth departmental advisers of Côte-d’Or had affirmed their attachment to Europe until writing an open letter to the President of the Republic. This Wednesday, May 12, 2021, only a few days after May 9, which is Europe Day, it is not Emmanuel Macron that they received at the Hôtel du Département in Dijon but the European deputy Arnaud Danjean, from region and sitting in the European Parliament since July 2009.
For three hours in the session hall, the young people – about fifteen present due to health restrictions – and the MEP spoke about Europe. Of what it represents as an entity, as an institution, but also of what it could be, defend or embody in the future.
In their “Europe of tomorrow”, the young departmental advisers addressed nine themes: agriculture and food, the economy, health, democracy, defense, the environment, Europe and globalization, regional policy and cohesion, migration. Nine themes that the young people elected by their college colleagues to the CDJ have declined in questions, put to the MEP.
To develop this work, the young elected representatives, starting from the observation that “many decisions which concern our everyday life are taken at European level”, exchanged their ideas with the House of Europe to develop their questions on this issue. Europe in which they are citizens.
“The European Union was built on values”
After setting out the framework for what the European Parliament deals with, the exchanges began to the rhythm of questions and answers, substantive and detached from the political opinions that Arnaud Danjean may display in other circumstances.
To Mohamed-Amine wishing to join the army later and wondering if the creation of a European army would be possible, the deputy replied that he did not think so, referring to the history of each country for explain the constitution of different national defenses, in their composition but also in their way of being mobilized. But for the MEP, the absence of a European army does not mean that of a European spirit to be preserved, to be strengthened.
“The European Union was built on values,” Arnaud Danjean reminded Leïla. Is European democracy in danger with the rise of nationalist parties? “You might think so. These parties have the right to express themselves in a democratic system, but there is always a risk. Hungary and Poland are under surveillance today, ”the MEP replied in particular, noting that sanctions are possible against states that do not respect Europe: withdrawal from the country of its right to vote in the European Council , budget restrictions.
The “right balance” of the European framework
Having reviewed the different themes and having taken the time to focus on each question, the youth departmental advisers and the MEP found themselves on a Europe that must remain strong, a Europe through which we will not settle everything but in and around which it is possible to think about further orientations.
“Can we do without nuclear power in Europe?” Arnaud Danjean does not respond directly to Perrine’s question, “worried about the environment”, but he reminds us that the European green pact, containing in particular the objectives of decarbonization of companies can lay the foundations and then encourage several countries to make efforts. constant in this sense. This instead of forcing them to do so and having to compensate for the social cost of their transition with tens of billions of euros.
On migration issues, the debutant defended a Europe “generous despite the clichés”. As for globalization on other aspects, in particular that of consumption, Arnaud Danjean does not hide that it would be complicated to rely only on 100% European products while not excluding to temper globalization exacerbated by a fair balanced.
That said, the question of the taxation of products arriving in Europe is described as thorny by the MEP, “because to introduce higher taxation on these products is to be exposed to the same thing for our products at the export ”.
Appointment made in Strasbourg
The next meeting between Arnaud Danjean and the CDJs is taken this fall at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The MEP left the meeting at the Departmental Council of Côte-d’Or with a manifesto submitted by the young people.
The citizen consultation of elected officials of the CDJ “Imagine the Europe of tomorrow” results in the production of an internal document for educational use produced by the Department of Departmental Services of National Education of Côte-d’Or, in collaboration with the young people elected themselves.
In the presence in particular of its vice-president, also president of the CDJ, Catherine Louis, but also of Pascale Coq, academic director of the services of the National Education of Côte-d’Or, the president of the Department François Sauvadet greeted the young elected officials. for their reflective work, “young people open to the outside world and looking to the future”.
It was then in private that François Sauvadet spoke with Arnaud Danjean, no doubt to discuss issues of a more local and political content.
Alix Berthier
Photos: Alix Berthier
–
