EU institutions open doors to the public to raise awareness about elections – World

European Union institutions are opening their doors to the public in Brussels and other cities, with exhibitions and special visits, to showcase the work of the last legislature and mobilize participation in the June elections.

The objective is to mark Europe Day, which is celebrated on the anniversary of the Schuman declaration of May 9, 1950, when 74 years ago, the then French Foreign Minister and future president of the European Parliament, Robert Schuman, proposed the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which paved the way for what would later become the European Union of today.

At a time when the European elections are about a month away and 45 years after the first of these elections were held in 1979, the message is clear and all EU institutions have carried out pedagogical work aimed at bringing citizens closer to elections often highlighted by political representatives and institutions as one of the most important since the founding of the European Union.

Under the motto “Use your vote or others will decide for you”, the European Parliament presents a program aimed at a wide audience to bring them closer to the legislative work of this chamber over the last term, in which around 450 laws were approved.

The European Parliament has focused on providing visitors with an experience of the European elections, ensuring that people who visit leave better equipped to participate in this electoral event and with a broad knowledge of the seven political families that currently make up the parliament, as well as the respective electoral proposals.

The communications director and spokesperson for the European Parliament, Jaume Duch, told Efe that “compared to five or 10 years ago”, the public today has “a much more real perception of what it means to be a member of the European Union”.

“These years have seen the European Union working on issues that are very close to them, such as the vaccination campaign or what was done by many Member States to welcome Ukrainian refugees”, said the same official.

Jaume Duch also noted that polls “say that the EU’s visibility is greater than ever, that its credibility is also higher and that more than 70% of Europeans already know that what is decided in Brussels or Strasbourg has an impact in their lives.”

Last year, the European Parliament received around 13 thousand visitors for Europe Day, an event that usually attracts around 16% of the monthly average of visitors in a single day, according to 2023 statistics, cited by the Efe agency.

The European Parliament also hosted a parallel program made up of 30-minute sessions where different speakers spoke on topics such as disinformation, the role of women in politics or the key aspect of multilingualism in the institution, where all approved legislation must be translated into the 24 languages officers.

In addition to Brussels, Parliament also organized events in other places where it has official headquarters. In Luxembourg, the open day will be on May 9th, with concerts and dance shows planned. In the French city of Strasbourg this open day was last Saturday.

Europe Day will also be celebrated this Saturday in the other institutions based in Brussels and gathered in the Schuman roundabout, known as the “Heart of the European Union”.

Among its activities, the European Commission highlights the 20th anniversary of the EU’s enlargement in 2004 and the 25 years of the euro, while at the European Council visitors can follow the journey taken by European Union leaders upon arrival at European summits and Observe the different stands that highlight the traditions of each Member State.