“Can a person get used to war? Of course, they can. I got used to it. I don’t like it, but I did. I live according to the existing conditions, I work, think, eat… But – can a person get used to it and remain normal? That’s a more difficult question. A kind of Friday decided about Irma. I had long forgotten that there is such a thing as Friday, then the weekend, then holidays and similar things, and the month of August is ideal for sunbathing, swimming and similar joys of carefree people. For us, this does not exist. They assigned us another kind of sport. A game with death. Yours or someone else’s, but in the game there is always only one thing – to exist or not to exist. As if that is something. What is important? To survive at all costs? That is not important either. It is important to live as a human being, but if it doesn’t work, then nothing else matters. Not even to live. So go and do what you can to remain human. Otherwise, nothing will matter.”

You have read a passage from a book that I have been reading for months. Not because I could not spare those few minutes before going to bed, but because the personal story of the author of The Sarajevo Princess, doctor Edo Jaganjac, is so deeply moving that …

… it is difficult to comprehend. Is it really so difficult to be human in inhuman conditions? How is it possible that nothing is sacred, not even the lives of children and young people?

And today, when many – especially young people – are courageously standing up against autocracy, against the falsification of history and against dehumanization, it is crucial to understand that the crime in Srebrenica has a name. Genocide. This is not an opinion, but a fact confirmed in the courts.

With the responsibility of individuals – not of a nation.

This is a demand for responsibility – not collective guilt.

This is respect for the victims – and for all those who, within Serbia or anywhere else in this world, want a society without denial, without manipulation and without glorification of criminals.

This is a demand that heads not be turned when international humanitarian law is only valid on paper.

When even hunger is a deadly weapon.

When a child in Gaza, seeking only a sip of water, does not know if he will survive.

When a hospital or a refugee camp is no longer a protection or a refuge, but a potential trap.

When the international community is too late to prevent these atrocities. As it has been so many times before. As it was 30 years ago. Again.

The international legal order is collapsing not only under the weight of bombs, but also under the weight of indifference. Dehumanization. And with looking away.

“So go and do what you can to remain human. Otherwise, nothing will matter.”

 

12 plenary sessions. 21 plenary speeches. Hours and hours of voting, meetings, debates. Finding compromises. Insisting on things that I knew had to stay or be accepted in the texts. Dozens of amendments and appeals tabled or co-signed. No less important coordination within committees and in the framework of trilogues, which often dragged on late into the night …

…and another calendar year has passed. I hope you had a great time celebrating the start of a new one. I am opening these doors for another year, more experienced, but no less driven. I remain firmly grounded, while remaining true to my principles, to myself, and – to you.

I became Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Public Health. For the first time in the European Parliament, we really, honestly and loudly spoke about the importance of mental health, and advocated for the elimination of stigma and the promotion of the normalization of help-seeking in our society.

I was appointed as the Parliament’s lead rapporteur for the revision of the legislation on population and housing statistics. As rapporteur for my political group, I also played a significant role in shaping the European Media Freedom Act. In the adopted text, we stipulated for the first time at EU level that Member States should not interfere in editorial policy. The act also ensures sufficient and predictable funding for public media and measures against surveillance of journalists.

I continued – and continue! – to fight against discrimination against the Slovenian language in the digital world. I met with representatives of multinationals, addressed a written question to the European Commission regarding discrimination against the official languages of the Union, initiated negotiations with them on the revision of the relevant European legislation, and participated in the Culture Committee of the National Assembly, where I received unanimous support for my efforts in this area.

With combined efforts of my Renew Europe political group and the challenging search for compromises within the European Parliament, we have voted and adopted important measures for the future of the Union, sometimes with only a narrow majority.

Achievements in the field of the environment include the Nature Restoration Act, which will cover at least 20 percent of land and sea areas, the Renewable Energy Directive, and the establishment of a carbon border adjustment mechanism.

The only predictability of nature is its unpredictability. This summer we experienced the worst natural disaster in the history of Slovenia. With the European Union Solidarity Fund, we provided money for the reconstruction of critical infrastructure.

We have taken steps to reduce the use of plastic. I know that some measures are annoying many people in their daily lives, but in this case, something is better than nothing. Unless we really want seas of plastic instead of animals in them. Truth be told, we are already not that far from that. With the Packaging Regulation, we intend to reduce the amount of packaging and encourage the reuse of materials.

As regards job creation, I was actively involved as one of the parliamentary negotiators in the adoption of the report on job creation for a just transition, which aims to transform existing jobs into green and sustainable jobs. We voted on the Pay Transparency Directive and the Platform Workers Directive, which will – I hope – contribute to creating safer working conditions for many workers.

In the field of culture, I was one of the parliamentary negotiators when it came to the social and professional situation of artists in the cultural sector. We confirmed their position with the legislative framework, as they need to establish (at least) minimum standards for working conditions.

When it comes to consumer rights, we have taken the necessary steps. By introducing the right to repair, repairs will be more affordable compared to buying new goods.

We have actively sought more opportunities for young people. In the report on the implementation of the European Solidarity Corps programme, as one of the negotiators, I called for more engagement when it comes to young people, following the principle of nothing about young people without young people. I advocated for an increase in funding for the programme in question, as well as for the Erasmus+ and Creative Europe programmes.

With the legislative resolution on quality inernships, we have finally (!!!) put an end to unpaid internships for young people. We have called on the Commission to propose a directive on quality internships, which will ensure adequate compensation for interns. I push the boundaries where I can, which is why last year we continued the practice of paid internships in our office, giving five young people a multi-month internship experience that will be very useful when entering the competitive job market.

Meanwhile, technology is advancing at such an incredible speed that it is really difficult for a human – let alone legislation – to keep up. However, the use of artificial intelligence will now be regulated by the historic Artificial Intelligence Act, which is the first comprehensive legislation in this area in the world. With the act, we ensure safety, transparency and environmentally friendly artificial intelligence systems.

Although in the field of expansion we seem to be operating on the principle of two steps forward and one step back, the European Parliament has called on the Union to start accession negotiations with Moldova and Ukraine. The same applies to Bosnia and Herzegovina, provided that this country implements certain reforms. However, I would like to draw attention to double standards once again. At the November meeting between MEPs and members of the Macedonian Parliament, I stressed that North Macedonia in particular, as well as the Western Balkans in general, deserve a better fate. And a fair, honest relationship.

Throughout the year, I spoke about my work and current European issues and opportunities for young people with young people from Domžale, Kranj, Ljubljana, Logatec, Murska Sobota, Nova Gorica, Novo Mesto, Portorož, Velenje. In the special “MEP Shadowing” programme, I participated in the voluntary work of learning the Slovenian language for participants from Ukraine. Through the story of a young Palestinian man whose house was invaded by the Israeli army, I took to the stage in the play “Without Hope, with Hope”, which was performed in the European Parliament.

Unfortunately, a few months later, this staging turned into an even sadder and more tragic reality on the ground. Sanctions against Israel should have been inevitable, as should the advocacy of a policy of peace. Meanwhile, the War in Ukraine entered its second year. We have been following the rise of illiberal democracies after the elections in Slovakia and the Netherlands. I do not want such a Union, such a world.

As part of my international activities, I visited Poland as part of a parliamentary delegation of the Committee on Culture and Education, where I learned about the state of the country in the field of freedom of the media, culture and education. A closer look revealed that in Poland, law and justice operate exclusively according to government criteria, led by the ironically eponymous party.

I also participated in the Internet Governance Forum meeting held in Kyoto, Japan. As a panelist, I spoke at the discussion on the fight against disinformation and hate speech.

Despite some opposition, we secured an additional, ninth Slovenian seat in the European Parliament, which will increase your representation, the representation of Slovenian citizens in the Union.

None of the above would have been possible without your valuable support. Your advice, praise, and even criticism… you are the driving force behind my efforts. That is why this year, as every year, I will make every effort to ensure that your voice is heard in the European Parliament – for you – for your and our shared, better future.

– Irena

Photo: EP/Alain Rolland

It’s November 29th.

No, I won’t write about the holiday of the former commonwealth, which some of you may have thought of now.

I will write about today’s international day, which is marked by uncertainty, worry, pain, death, injustice, but also by tenacious determination and hope for a better tomorrow.

Today is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Already marked in the past by violent unilateral actions by Israel, which have led to forced evictions, demolitions of Palestinian homes, restrictions on movement and deadly attacks. Already marked in the past by a longing for an end to the occupation. Segregation. With the hope that the international community will finally take action.

Today is also the day when – unless otherwise agreed at the negotiations in Qatar – the six-day ceasefire between Hamas and Israel expires, and the related exchange of hostages and prisoners.

But what will happen tomorrow? What will the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People be like next year? What kind of solidarity is that?

Today is marked by the United Nations. If, under the cloak of patronizing solidarity and fine slogans, there are real efforts for justice and peace, the same United Nations should at least consistently respect its adopted resolutions. Especially the one that envisages the establishment of two separate states in the area of the former British mandate.

The only guarantee for the safety of all civilians and lasting peace in the Middle East lies in a permanent ceasefire, a sincere return of the State of Israel to the peace process, and the formulation of a peace plan that will lead to the final establishment and international recognition of yet another state that has the right to exist: the State of Palestine.

– Irena

Photo: – EP Alexis Haulot/EP

1592 + 193 = 53.

I knew that the wording of the legislative act was in urgent need of improvement.

I knew that some people would want to weaken it. Destroy it. Tear it apart.

I knew that many people –including at the negotiating table; I’m sorry to say – did not have the interests of the media and, consequently, the public at heart.

So I knew that… someone simply had to do it. Had to make the first sentence of this article a reality to the biggest extent possible. And so I did.

Had anybody asked me what the final text of the European Media Freedom Act would look like in early June, when the parliamentary negotiations started, my reply would certainly have been very cautious, and probably anything but optimistic. The situation was indeed dire, time was not on our side. First of all, we lost precious weeks of negotiation as the committees squabbled over who should be responsible for what. When it was finally agreed that the lead committee would be our committee, the Committee on Culture and Education, the attempts to dilute and undermine the text began. What followed was a month of extremely difficult negotiations, and I actually didn’t think that we would succeed. At least not sufficiently.

But we did. “We” means first and foremost my team: my assistant Rok, and my policy assistant Joanna. And yes, me too. Now I can safely say that we are the ones who have made the text better. We made it more ambitious. All of our amendments have been incorporated in one way or another into the text that was approved in the committee this morning.

If I were to explain everything we have achieved, it would take you until tomorrow to read it all. If not longer. So I have decided to take you through the key details in a bite-sized format over the coming weeks, and today I will focus very briefly on “just” the one that I personally consider the most important – especially in my own work.

Transparency.

The situation in the media is not ideal, not even close. It has been proven that journalists are being spied on, the public media are being dismantled and subjugated, some sort of quasi-media (i.e. propaganda machine) are being set up with murky funding, and media companies are being bought by individuals. Again, with (occasionally) murky funding. For political or economic interests, obviously.

With the current text of the European Media Freedom Act, every euro allocated to the media will be publicly disclosed . How? The transparency requirement of government funding of the media was extended beyond advertising – to all services, including to online platforms. In addition, any acquisition of a media outlet will have to follow a clearly defined procedure, during which the (potential) impact on editorial freedom and pluralism will be evaluated.

Finally, we will have comprehensive legislation at EU level that establishes a legally binding framework for the operation and governance of the media.

Finally, we will be able to prevent harmful practices that have taken place thus far, both by the authorities and the private market.

Finally, we will be able to do more than say merely that “we are concerned”.

Democracy does not work without a free media. The European Media Freedom Act is not, and in all likelihood will never be perfect, but it is the most decisive step we can take at the moment to ensure exactly that. Freedom of the media.

In the meantime, there are still a few hurdles to surmount before the process is over. In less than a month, the act will need to be adopted by the plenary of the European Parliament, and then the main challenge awaits: the inter-institutional negotiations on a truly final text.

Today, a total of 1785 (1592+193) amendments would have to be voted on, had no compromises been reached. But they were. 53 of them.

And these compromise amendments incorporate the vast majority of the 193 amendments  tabled by us. By me and my team.

And that is why…
… 1592 plus 193 equals 53.

Greetings from Brussels!

– Irena

A social label attributed to someone for being different, usually unjustified: stigma.

A state of physical and mental well-being, non-impaired functioning of the body and mind: health.

Unfortunately, stigma also affects health. Especially mental health. Stigma discourages people from seeking help in time. It leads to social exclusion, which worsens an already alarming situation even further.

Due to stereotypes about mental health issues and disorders, mental health is kept hidden and isn’t talked about. However, as the definition states, health not only signifies physical, but also mental well-being. This is not something we are sufficiently aware of, and the fast-paced, crazy world of (too-) high expectations and filters is not doing us any favours in this respect either.

This is where (co)decision-makers have to step in too. As Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Public Health, I am advocating for two key issues:

– to ensure that all young people with mental distress or disorders receive accessible, free and timely help, which is a crucial first step in successfully tackling their difficulties;

– to ensure that both the authorities and all other stakeholders raise the level of awareness about mental health issues.

It is critical to talk about mental health and thus shatter the stigma that is still associated with it. Each of us has difficulties in our lives, we all experience and deal with them differently. What is important is that they are actively addressed.

– Irena