MEP Irena Joveva addressed the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on the topic of the 2022 United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (also known as COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

She began her speech with the slogan ‘We Are Running Out of Time‘, under which the climate relay is currently running from Glasgow, Scotland (the host of last year’s COP26) to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, the host of COP27 in November. The MEP added that tackling climate change requires all individuals acting at all levels.

In her speech, Joveva warned that despite the Paris Agreement, we are not close to meeting the commitments we made and that countries need to make new commitments to reduce emissions and stick to those already made. She also said that the sheer number of natural disasters already experienced should have woken us from our slumber.

Joveva ended her speech with the thought that we should have realised by now that we are running out of time.

You can watch MEP Joveva’s speech here.

On Wednesday, 5 October 2022, MEP Irena Joveva attended a meeting between the European Parliament delegation and the North Macedonian Parliament (the Sobranie) and spoke about the state of the media and civil society in North Macedonia. First, she expressed her satisfaction at the unblocking of the accession negotiations and then, among other things, congratulated Macedonian civil society for acting as a guardian of society, protecting human rights and fighting for a better and fairer country.

During the two-day exchange of views between the two Parliaments, MEP Joveva, as Co-Chair, started her address in Macedonian and then focused on the state of the media and civil society in North Macedonia, which she follows closely. She praised the improvement in terms of media freedom in the country, which has progressed to a better level compared to other countries in the Western Balkans region. She added that the country still had some way to go in the area of fighting disinformation and ensuring transparency of state institutions.

Joveva also touched on the European Media Freedom Act. She said that the act was necessary to protect media freedom in the European Union, as political interference and government control should have no place in journalism. She stressed that media freedom is of the utmost importance for a functioning democracy.

To continue, Joveva welcomed that the accession negotiations were finally opened after they had been blocked for a long time by some EU Member States. In her speech, she also mentioned young people, who suffer the most from environmental, political and economic impacts. Other topics discussed by the participants included the energy crisis, the environment, the rule of law, good neighbourly relations, and cooperation in the region.

Referring to civil society organisations, she said: ‘They must be involved and consulted at all stages of decision-making, especially at local level in the policy-making phases.’

In conclusion, Joveva expressed her wish that the strategy for cooperation with North Macedonian civil society be implemented in a timely and transparent manner. She concluded her speech with the thought that the North Macedonian leaders should continue on the path of improvement strengthening an independent media, protecting journalists as well as the environment.

The delegation to the EU-North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), vice-chaired by MEP Joveva, met with members of the European Parliament and the Sobranie in the presence of representatives of the European Commission. The delegation meets in person twice a year to discuss the work of the two parliaments, their cooperation, joint activities and the approximation of North Macedonia to the European Union. The two-day exchange of views was followed by a vote on recommendations.

Today, during the plenary session in Strasbourg, MEP Irena Joveva addressed the European Parliament on the Health Union.

In her contribution, she pointed out that health is a sine qua non and that the quality of treatment and access to medicines should not depend on a person’s country of origin. She added that the mandate of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) should be strengthened and stressed the importance of successfully managing cross-border threats and public health risks.

Strengthening the mandate of the ECDC will enable the European Union to be better prepared and to coordinate its response to any future health crisis. Better cooperation between a wide range of authorities at all levels, the collection of timely and comparable data across the EU, and more accurate monitoring of national health systems will make it easier to fight disease outbreaks. The Health Union will ensure a stronger EU response to public health emergencies.

Here address can be viewed here.

On Tuesday, 17 May 2022, MEP Irena Joveva spoke at the Committee on Culture and Education on the progress of the report on the impact of COVID-19 closures of educational, cultural, youth and sports activities on children and young people in the EU, to which she contributes as a rapporteur on behalf of the Renew Europe political group. She said, among other things, that children and young people need to be educated about mental health.

In her introduction, Joveva praised the current draft report, not least for including the importance of the educational, environmental and interpersonal aspects for the physical and psychological development of adolescents, which is then reflected throughout their lives, as well as the significance of sufficient financial support for educational institutions to adequately support pupils, students and teachers from a mental health perspective.

“It is also great to see the integration and mutual cooperation between the Union, Member States, local authorities and youth organisations to alleviate the impact of the epidemic.”

The MEP went on to point out that the draft report should also mention activities to supplement curricula with content that would teach children and young people about mental health. She also drew attention to the negative aspect of the use of digital education, which has also been evident among young people over the last two years. She explained that her main wish was to destigmatise mental health and, at the same time, to normalise help-seeking of all those in need of support. Joveva announced that she would also submit amendments to complement the report with an initiative to increase the number of appropriately trained staff to support young people in need.

“The report should also better address the problems of young artists who have abandoned their artistic projects, some even their artistic careers, because of the closure of institutions and the uncertainty created.”

On Tuesday, 8 March 2022, MEPs discussed the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina at a plenary session in Strasbourg. MEP Irena Joveva drew parallels between Dodik’s destruction of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Putin’s actions in Ukraine.

Joveva began by pointing out that, unfortunately, in the 21^st century, autocrats and democracy destroyers still exist on European soil, threatening peace, human rights and fundamental freedoms:

“Thirty years after the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik is destroying the country and its institutions. He denies genocide. As if what the people there have been through were not enough. Thirty years after the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a new war begins in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin is branded a criminal. And rightly so, because that is exactly what he is.”

Despite the EU’s immediate response to Putin’s actions, Joveva expressed concern that those of Dodik are noticed much less: “How can anyone fail to condemn his moves? Does his affiliation with some parties make him any less evil? The citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina are no less deserving of a better life and leaders who care.” In her opinion, the citizens of BiH should be supported on their path to the European Union. “In the meantime, we must stand up – just as loudly –to all autocrats and criminals, because we have long seen too much hypocrisy of the European Union in this respect. Even within our own ranks. The methods are very similar. Unfortunately,” she concluded.

Joveva’s contribution to the plenary debate can be viewed on the link below: