On 25 August 2018, the College of Europe in Natolin hosted the official gala of the Model European Union (MEU) Warsaw. MEU is an annual simulation of European politics, held all over Europe and beyond by a network of young European enthusiasts (students and young professionals).
The gala started with the welcome by Ms Yana HUMEN, Deputy Director General of Stowarzyszenie BETA Polska. The first speaker, Envoy Martin HERMGES from the Austrian Embassy in Warsaw, talked about the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Subsequently, Stowarzyszenie BETA Polska was presented by its President, Ms Aleksandra PIKUS. Lastly, she gave the floor to Mr Mattia FILIPPIN from the Communications and Recruitment Office, who presented the College of Europe and its academic offer.
MEU participants get the opportunity to experience the way representative democracy works in the EU. Parliamentarians have to find a balance between the interests of their home country and their respective party, while members of the Council must build alliances, and journalists have to tackle everything that concerns the release of a newspaper and learn about the role of the media in general.
MEU Warsaw is the Polish part of the international network supporting simulations of EU ordinary legislative procedure in cities such as Strasbourg, Granada, Tallinn, Glasgow, Vienna, Brussels and Zagreb. The network includes 12 partner organisations.
MEU Warsaw is organised by Stowarzyszenie BETA Polska, and this year’s edition was the 5th simulation they hold in Poland.