The EU must find a common European mechanism to ensure climate solidarity on the continent and beyond, MEP Irena Joveva underscored for the French newspaper l’Opinion. The discussion focused in particular on the need for a new system of solidarity between Europeans in the face of climate disasters in Europe, including the recent catastrophic floods in Slovenia. The article was published on Thursday, 10 August 2023, and you can read a summary below.

The French newspaper reporter observed that the devastating and tragic floods in Slovenia have captured attention across Europe. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Slovenia on Thursday, 9 August 2023, and pledged support and financial assistance for the affected areas. L’Opinion reported how this year, northern and central parts of Europe are experiencing overwhelming floods, while the southern half of the continent is battling unrelenting fires after the warmest July on record, both on land and in the Mediterranean Sea.

“We need to find a common mechanism for climate solidarity in Europe. My country’s disastrous event should serve as a reminder to those leaders or decision-makers who are against augmenting financial aid, since there will only be more such incidents in the future. We need to be better prepared and not just accept the status quo by saying: ‘This isn’t my problem, so I don’t have to help. Climate change affects all Member States in one way or another,” Joveva told the newspaper.

During her visit to Slovenia, Commission President von der Leyen promised an advance payment of €100 million this year, and next year Slovenia will be entitled to another €300 million. In the medium term, Slovenia could potentially receive up to €2.7 billion more under the European Recovery Fund for national reconstruction and climate change adaptation. The EU is also ready to reprogramme up to €3.3 billion of Slovenia’s cohesion funds intended for economic development.

Given the increasing number of natural disasters across the Union, the Solidarity Fund of €1.2 billion per year is proving insufficient and will require a new strategy for better preparedness in the future. During her visit to Slovenia, the Commission President also praised the enormous solidarity of the Slovenian people.

“The swift response of the EU and our allies is testimony to the fact that the EU is genuinely based on solidarity,” Joveva affirmed to l’Opinion.

Read the full article in French here.

Just before the summer break, MEP Irena Joveva gave an interview to Liza Maja magazine, which was published on Thursday, 3 August 2023. In it, she touched on reconciling politics and family life, her insistence that companies respect the Slovenian language, the soon-to-be-adopted European Media Freedom Act and her other priorities. If you want to know what motivates her, what her approach to work is and who she has most in mind when fighting for a better future for the coming generations, then read the summary below.

”All three of them, always. All of them have shaped me and fulfilled me, allowed me to do what I love doing, what I believe in,” Joveva responded to the initial question of which of the careers she would put first: that of a journalist, a politician or a mother.

”In journalism, I loved getting to the bottom of a story, but now I’m pushing “from the inside”. With legislation, amendments, public appeals, like the one in the letter to the CEO of Apple.”

When asked how she juggles work commitments and family, she said that she takes it one day at a time, underscoring that that she is neither the first nor the last politician with a family and that this should not be deemed unusual in 2023.

”I don’t want this to sound trite, but in everything I do I always have her future in the back of my mind. I cannot fix everything that is wrong with this world as an MEP, unfortunately, but I can and I do try to change it for the better at least in some areas. Hoping that one day my daughter will be proud of everything I do.”

Regarding her latest initiative to fight for the accessibility of Slovenian in the digital world, she explained that things are moving forward. She pointed out that it is not only speakers of Slovenian who are being ignored, but especially all blind, visually impaired, deaf and hard of hearing people who continue to be marginalised through linguistic discrimination by multinational companies.

“And in the end: those of us who speak a foreign language… So what if we do? It is our right and our choice to use our mother tongue. This is why I wrote to the big companies present on our market, and did so in Slovenian. People supported my initiative, including Slovenian professionals in the field.”

The MEP met with respective company representatives and declared resolutely that she will closely monitor the progress – that she will stay on their case  and at the same time propose specific legislative solutions. She acted on her promise as a Renew Europe rapporteur on the European Media Freedom Act, where she advocated that a provision be added to the text to govern streaming content providers operating in the EU market.

”We cooperate in different fields, why shouldn’t inspection services cooperate as well? The idea is that an inspector in Slovenia could ask their counterpart in another Member State, where, say, Netflix is based, to resolve an issue. This would result in the legal transfer of competences, to put it simply. Slovenian is and will continue to be one of the official languages of the European Union. If it cannot be done the easy way, then we will have to use pressure and legislation to ensure that our language is respected by all companies present in our country.”

She emphasised the significance of this act for public information, as well as the media’s role in holding up a mirror to politicians so that they act responsibly. She stressed that she was not talking about the outlets engaged in propaganda, but the credible and objective ones.

”If the freedom of the media falls, democracy falls. And when democracy falls, we are in trouble. Unfortunately, this has already happened in several countries, including in Europe. I have personally met representatives of both the government and the media in, say, Poland and Hungary, and believe me when I say that we do not want to live in a society of enforced conformity.”

Finally, she touched on her activities within the Renew Europe group and in the European Parliament in general, where she sits on a number of committees. These include the Committee on Culture and Education, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. Within the latter, Joveva recently became Vice-Chair of the new Subcommittee on Public Health, where one of her priorities is mental health.

I’m sitting on the sofa thinking. I’m thinking about the experience that has just come to an end, yet is constantly on my mind. My two-month traineeship has gone by in the blink of an eye. Not long ago, I was standing in front of the main entrance of the European Parliament in Brussels, where I was “picked up” by Irena’s assistant Žana, who led me through a maze until we arrived at the offices where I settled in comfortably and familiarised myself with my new working environment. The initial week was rather calm and I used it to get to know the city in miniature, as I like to describe the Parliament, as well as my new colleagues.

I was a bit nervous before arriving in the European capital, as it is not every day one embarks on a traineeship in an institution like the European Parliament.

However, I soon realised my unease had been completely unnecessary as I very quickly found my place in the team, who are relaxed and always ready to help. And so began my work, which has been fascinating and highly dynamic from start to finish. There were days or weeks when there was a little less work, but this was soon evened out by another week when the workload was significantly higher. This variation is closely related to what is going on in the Parliament. During the ‘green’ weeks, when MEPs are generally in their respective countries, there is not as much work as when, for example, they are attending committee or political group meetings in Brussels, let alone during plenary weeks. But not to worry, I always managed to get all the work done. Being a trainee in Irena’s office doesn’t mean you are chained to a computer. I have had the opportunity to follow political group and committee meetings and, of course, plenary sessions. Through this process, I became familiar with the contents of many different documents, which covered topics such as the media, environment, and health, to name just a few. I also had the opportunity to listen to important guests from other European institutions, as well as heads of state and other distinguished personalities. My work included preparing content for social networks and assisting in the official photo-shoot of the MEP. I even took some photos of Irena myself as she was attending meetings or giving a speech at a session. Another memorable experience was when representatives of the European Roma Community visited the Parliament for a meeting with the MEP. I welcomed them and accompanied them to the meeting, and later I escorted them to the European Commission premises, where I assisted with translation during their discussion. As you can see, the work is never monotonous and as a result of the variety of tasks I was been given I have gained a broad spectrum of knowledge and skills.

Walking through the Parliament’s corridors on my way to a meeting or simply to have lunch in the canteen, I was captivated by the sheer number of people of many different nationalities speaking many different languages, which I tried to recognise and understand. On one such occasion, I had a pleasant surprise. I was walking past the media centre, which is available for Members to record statements, and I ran into a huge crowd of people. Bigger than usual. I successfully made my way through and then I noticed that it was the Parliament’s President, Roberta Metsola, who was recording a statement. That was the reason for all the commotion. Prior to my traineeship, I would never have thought that I would have a chance to stand less than a metre away from the President. This is just one of the thrilling things that can happen in the Parliament, and such coincidences make the traineeship even more exciting. But the Parliament is not merely a place for political muscle-flexing, for meetings and office work. On the ground floor of the main building, you can find all kinds of services. Next to the canteen and other food shops, there is a dry cleaner, a hairdresser and a newsagent where you can buy postcards or drop off parcels. In fact, this floor looks more like a shopping centre than a European institution.

Just before the end of my traineeship, I got to attend a Strasbourg plenary. I must say, it was a remarkable experience, quite distinct from the rest of my traineeship in Brussels. In France, the nature of the work is different. Not so much in terms of my duties as a trainee, but with regard the whole dynamic of everyone there. The corridors of the Parliament’s building in Strasbourg are even more vibrant and confusing and even more packed with people rushing to political group meetings or to voting sessions in the plenary chamber. There really is not much time to rest, because the agenda is full of thought-provoking debates. If, despite the signs, you get lost as a trainee, don’t worry. Most of the people I spoke to assured me that they still manage to get lost, even after repeated visits to the institution. Despite the long working days, there is time for a visit to the city. Strasbourg captivated me completely and is very different from the Belgian capital. It is smaller, more homely and, above all, much cleaner. The little houses in the heart of the city are quite charming and the huge baroque cathedral is breathtaking. It is a must-see during the day and in the evening when the lights of the city come on, which adds to the charm. There is a river boat from the city centre to the Parliament several times a day. I also recommend tasting a traditional tarte flambée.

And if I return to Brussels for a while, it is evidently not only home to European institutions and the political wrangling. Even though not many will agree, I find the Belgian capital just as beautiful and interesting to explore. It is true that it has a reputation of grey and sour weather. That is why it is all the more wonderful making the most of every ray of sunshine on a work-free day. Apart from all the famous landmarks such as the main square and Manneken Pis, I was struck by the abundance of parks, where I often went for a stroll or spent time socialising with other trainees I met while in Belgium.

The regional cuisine may not be extraordinary, but there are plenty of restaurants from all over the world to fill the stomach. Did you know that French fries supposedly originate from Belgium rather than France as the name suggests? You will be able to savour truly outstanding French fries, often paired with a vast selection of sauces all of which you cannot sample in only two months. And heaven forbid I should omit to mention the excellent waffles and Belgian chocolate. Other than that, I preferred to stick to the tried-and-tested dishes. Brussels is also a great starting point for day trips/. The public transport permits you to escape and explore other, more idyllic cities around the country over the weekend. I would suggest Brugge, Ghent and the less familiar Dinant which nevertheless deserves a visit. There is never a dull moment in Brussels, and the decision about how to spend free time depends purely on one’s interests.

I would like to use this opportunity to express my appreciation to everyone who kept an eye on my work and put up with my queries and lack of knowledge. My sincere thanks to MEP Irena for the opportunity and the warm welcome to her team. Even though I was certain that Irena is a laidback and amiable person, I was positively surprised by her humanity. She and all her colleagues really made me feel equal, as a full member of the team.  Thank you to the assistants Žana and Rok from whose invaluable knowledge and familiarity with the legislation I was able to constantly learn something new. Last but not least, a big thank you to Elma, who let me share her office, for all her good humour and positive energy and, of course, for all the advice, guidance and suggestions she was most happy to share during my two months on the job. Thank you, Elma, for keeping a watchful eye on me and making sure that I fitted in smoothly and without any difficulty. Thank you also to the local assistants Jasna and Tilen. If it weren’t for you, my experience would have been much less exciting and insightful, so thank you all very much, you really are a great team.

Finally, this experience has been unparalleled and unforgettable. It was an adventure that will stay with me forever. To all of you who may be thinking about applying for a traineeship, I urge you to do so. Forget about fear and uncertainty, be bold and step out of your comfort zone – you won’t regret it.

– Domen Bajde