Interview with the Minister of France

The first interview of mine shows us a really motivated member of the Council who strongly believes that the MEU is one of the best places where we are able to share our opinions of the most important issues between the countries because it depends on our generation what the future will be.

First of all I would like to ask you the following. What was your motivation to apply for this Minister position?

Ok. We’ll start with the beginning. I was at a conference of Sustainability last April in Scotland where I met Daniel (one of the organizers of this conference) and I was totally inspired by this invitation. I wanted to apply for it. The problem was that I was doing an Erasmus during this October so I wouldn’t sure if I could come but then they shifted the conference from October to December and this was a great opportunity for me to apply for the Minister of the Council. I wanted to have the experience of the Council because I did already participated in a conference where I was representing the European’s People Party in the Parliament. And therefore I wanted to look at the other side of the medallion.

So it was not just the first time for your membership of this kind of simulation.

The topic was the same. We simulated the decision making but it was called ‘Eurocosmos’ (its bases is in Nancy, France by the Politic Science Faculty) and they invited us to come there because we had some relations of my home University. But it is my first time here at the MEU organized by the BETA and I am really impressed of how they organized it in a why that we have huge support of the institutions of Granada and also an overwhelming support of the BETA.

But now you are the Minister of France. Where have you been searching for the information which was needed for the Council for the discussions?

I think one of the challenge in a conference like this that you sometimes have to talk against your own personal goals concerning with the issue of Serbia. I think France nowadays has quiet defensive and radical attitude about this topic. I am of the opinion that France but also among with the other member states right now are trying to bind Serbia really into the EU. Which means that you should gain influence of the Balcans and this is also an issue of geopolitics because conflicts right now are happening in Ukraine and more or less reflecting right now to the issue of Serbia. As we all know the conflict with Ukraine is a part of it because the EU did this negotiations with Ukrania.

What is your real nationality? What do you think of your country situation in the EU?

I am German. I study Political Science in the University of Constance and right now I am doing Erasmus so I have really the outstanding opportunity to get in contact with people from all over Europe and of course we concern and young people are concerned the conflict and the situation with Eastern Europa and that is why we also talk about this. My opinion is that my country of origin, Germany should take over the leading role in this conflict because Germany balanced relation with good relations with both of the Eastern and Western Europe. It is a legend that a lot of European countries want Germany to take over the leadership in this relation because of the “double history” and therefore I’d say that Germany should go for an establishing political dialogue with Russia and also with Ukraine of this discussion.

What do you think about the yesterday’s discussion?

It is a good question indeed. I think that some delegates of this Council weren’t focusing on this issue what exactly Stabilization and Association Agreement means. We could argue that Stabilization and Association Agreement means that the EU wants to due to politically bind countries and gives them at least a chance to be a member but we could also argue that this policy of the stabilization only aims at everything for the countries but membership. So basically we think that the Stabilization and Association Agreement it is not enough for encouraging Serbia to really have this opportunity to become a new state member. Because we think that a lot of member state are a bit hippocratic about this issue because they have promised a lot that they really want to bind Serbia into the EU but they are not really appreciate Serbia as a full member of the EU.

What is your own opinion?

My own opinion is that the agreement is a basis where we should established this dialogue and also gives us a formal rule but I am of the opinion that the whole processes becoming a member of the EU means that once if a country or the government decided to become a member state of the EU they should take account on this then they should quickly start a dialogue with the EU. If the EU is capable to welcome a new member state firstly we have to talk about this and then we should really seriously talk with the new member state.

One last question what is your plan for the future?

It is difficult. I study political sciences and basically I am really inspired in the EU idea. I think EU is the best place where we should discuss issues that concern Europe. We have to come into a discussion and open a dialogue and also we have to exchange our ideas we have to do conferences like this because we all see that Europe the EU has serious problems. Some states are in a really bad conditions. I want with all of the young people that our willingness of a corporated European identity together so that is basically by motivation. I am really keen on working on the European issues. And more MEU conferences more beneficial friendships and relations with all over the Europe for my future.

By Boglarka Olimpia Burkus