Hi all!!!! Yesterday, the four PP&E (Politics, Philosophy, and Economics) students on the Paris Venture traveled to Brussels, Belgium, to visit the EU headquarters, meet with staff of the World Youth Alliance European division, and discuss the wild and wonderful jungle more formally known as the European Union. Now, if you studied the inner workings of the US Government, and you’re like me, you probably found it rather confusing. Imagine that confusion times 10 and you get the average explanation of how the EU works. It is a veritable maze of checks and balances, appointments and popular elections, expert positions and rotating presidencies, currency caveats and union-wide regulations. Freddy (Frederica), an intern from Italy, managed to get it in simple enough terms for us to understand, given our limited time for discussion.
There are actually 7 key institutions belonging to the EU, but for our trip, we focused on the European Parliament, which is based in Brussels. It is the legislative body for the Union, made up of popularly elected representatives from each of the 27 member states. They have a similar level of authority as our Congress does in America—to pass laws and regulations over the member states.
Well actually, in case that last statement caught you by surprise, like it did me when I heard it from Freddy, there are three types of laws they can pass, varying in intensity. The first is like a suggestion, the second a recommendation, and the third a requirement. And while the EU has authority to make these types of laws (if they can actually be called laws) they aren’t supposed to legislate on any issue that the member states can ‘handle on their own.’ And if you’re looking for a way to differentiate between the two, you’re on the own. Come to think of it, so is the EU.
As Parliament holds their court regularly, WYA is always kept on its toes. World Youth Alliance is one of the many lobbyist organizations scattered across Brussels in hopes of catching the ears of a legislative member or two. While not expressly Christian, their mission is to uphold and transform policy within international legislative bodies to protect the dignity of the human person, and consequently, the rights of the human person. And what’s the best way to do this? Advocacy!!!! The interns and staff members of WYA, wherever they are (there are branches all over the world now), focus on developing relationships with the legislators. These politicians have so much to do that they simply don’t have the time to research issues thoroughly during their long work days. So they rely on lobbyists to provide them with clear, concise, and accurate research to inform their vote. By maintaining a professional image, strong work ethic, and reputation of trustworthiness, the staff at WYA have worked wonders in policy formation throughout the world, from abortion regulations to health care reform, human dignity resolutions to women’s rights.
Unfortunately, both Freddy and her boss Marie, the head of the WYA European division, were extremely busy. So Alexandra, Sarah, Kristin, and I finished out the day with a tour of the EU legislative assembly, sightseeing in the historical district, and one of the most epicly speedy lunches of all time. As we caught the train back to Paris, we couldn’t help wondering what these connections—seeds, if you will—might blossom into for next year’s team to Europe. Perhaps shadowing YWA members in their work? Perhaps working alongside with their research? No one can know for certain. But surely, the groundwork has been laid.
That’s all for now! Thanks for keeping up with the blog; it has been a pleasure relaying our experiences back to y’all. Peace out,
Greg
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