Honorable Members of the Model European Parliament,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the 20th national session of the Model European Parliament. We are delighted to be hosting this session in digital form in Klagenfurt from 26th to 28th February.

Within those three days not only will you have the opportunity to engage in interesting discussions, go beyond what you thought you were capable of, get a glimpse of what it means to be a delegate in the European Parliament, work tirelessly drafting the committee resolution. But most importantly you will get to meet many brilliant young people from all over Austria.

Carinthia has always been a hub of multiple cultures; this has in the past lead to conflict. But similar to European countries overcoming their differences to form the predecessors of the EU, those disputes were also put aside, and the so-called Alps Adriatic region today enriches not only Carinthia but also neighboring regions in Slovenia and Italy, benefit from the cultural, culinary and economic exchange. Furthermore, the many famous lakes, such as the Wörthersee and mountains such as the Grossglockner are a sight to be seen. For the gourmets among you Carinthia offers a selection of regional dishes. Some of my personal favorites include, Reindling and Käsnudeln.

Last year, MEP-Austria through the hard of work of the brilliant Phillip Markopulos, we were able to hold the international MEP session scheduled to take place in Stockholm, from the comfort of our homes, as we could not travel due to the Covid-19 imposed lock-down restrictions. Phillip’s concept of the digiMEP combines several teleconferencing software solutions and adapts our formal MEP procedures to be Covid-19 safe. In my opinion this shows the ingenuity and work ethic of those coming out of the Model European Parliament, the ability to overcome obstacles is what separates success from failure. This year more than ever we as the Model European Parliament need to view those truly difficult times as an opportunity to emerge even stronger, therefore, the EU needs you as interested, engaged and active future leaders, now more than ever.

I hope you will enjoy this year’s national MEP in Klagenfurt, despite the current circumstances very much, try to gain a lot of new experiences and make many new friends.

Lucas Wernig – President –
of the 20th MEP Austria session

See Downloads section

1 Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL)

The question of digital answers to an ageing population:

Faced with an increasing median age and prospects of over 15% percent of the EU population being above 80 in the year 2100, what can the EU do to keep the economy strong despite a shrinking workforce? How can digital innovation reduce the impact of an economic decline, a collapse of the pension system and minimise old-age poverty, especially for women?

2 Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE)

The question of (social) media freedom and democracy

In light of recent developments across Europe and the USA, what can the EU do to promote media and social media pluralism and protect its democracy and political institutions? To what extent should the EU regulate mediadis/misinformation leading to the polarisation of politics and society. How can the EU ensure media freedom without infringing on the freedom of speech?

3 Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET)

The question of Sino-European relations

In consideration of the latest developments in China in terms of human rights violations and increasing surveillance, how should Sino-European trade relations look in the future? Are sanctions the only way the EU can influence developments? Which diplomatic actions should the EU take and to what extent should the EU increase its (economic) involvement with China?

4 Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI)

The question of a Circular Economy

With climate change continuing to be one of the most important issues both in the EU and worldwide and about 7 billion tons of garbage estimated to be dumped into oceans annually, what can the EU do to improve the implementation of a more circular economy? How can the EU promote climate-friendly behaviour from multinational companies whilst still maintaining economic growth? Which measures can the EU take to resolve this global issue?