It was a great pleasure for the EucA students, and two participants from the EGD project to meet the newly elected President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola on 17 March 2022, in the Parlamentarium, the brand-new Visitor Center of the European Parliament.
The President invited personally students for a short discussion on the current situation in Ukraine, and on topics such as the value of education and how digital transformation is essential in our society. A topic raised by the questions addressed to the President by Ana Leticia and Monika, two of the participants of the Idea Challenge on Cybersecurity that took place in Szeged (Hungary) part of the Project “Europeans Go Digital”, co-funded by the "Europe for Citizens" Programme of the European Union and led by EucA.
The two students highlighted the importance of digital citizenship and projects in which students have the opportunity to speak up and advocate for change.
The importance of the dialogue with new generations has been at the center of Roberta Metsola's speeches and actions since she assumed the presidency of the European Parliament last January.
Particularly inspiring her remarks on how to be active citizens in the EU: “No matter where you come from and no matter how big is your country, we all can #makeachange visible, effective, and tangible for the next generations!"
Being an active citizen and standing up for our European values and Europe is essential to build the future of our nations, and this enriching experience has proven it.
Knowing that our representatives in the European Parliament are open to discussion and hearing from young people is what we need to keep the democratic trust alive. It is our responsibility to remind them of our power as citizens and their commitment to listening to our voices!
One of the participants shared her thoughts in a “Thank you” post: “I want to share some impressive words of the President that stuck with me: “Do not wait until someone changes something that bothers you, no! Do not be afraid! Speak up and make the changes yourself!”
A reminder for all of us who want to aspire to become #changemakers!