After a little over three weeks in Brussels, I feel like I have definitely learned a lot. Of course I have learned theories, current events and a ton about the European Union (maybe more than most citizens of the European Union know), but I’ve also learned many important life lessons. Here they are:
Month: June 2015 (Page 5 of 6)
With another week gone, I’m starting to get comfortable in Europe and can see more of the benefits this program has to offer.
The site visits from this week really put into perspective how much more I will learn here than I would have in a traditional classroom. MEP Corbett was a very insightful speaker and the topics he touched on provided a unique internal perspective of British politics and the UK’s relation with the EU. The fact that the parliament is conducted in each of the 24 languages of the European Union is really something to appreciate. The parliament represents the people of Europe and it is beautiful that the Union preserves the diversity of Europe. I also enjoyed the lecture on climate change, particularly since it is something I studied from the perspective of the UN last semester. The EU’s decision and ability to ratify the Kyoto Protocol without US support was something I was aware of, but did not fully appreciate until I learned of the details of the agreement. It legitimized the power of the EU as a global power in non-military matters. It also highlights a large cultural and political difference between the US and Europe. Global warming is accepted for the science it is in Europe while a significant portion of our country dismisses it as a myth and ignores hard science. In my opinion, this is due in part to the power corporations hold in American politics and the belief of many voters that government should not be allowed to regulate the market.
Today we took a trip to the Strategic Headquarters of the Allied Powers in Europe, or SHAPE. The 8 am departure time for our bus was a cause for groans from the class, but after all was said and done, I think we all agree it was well worth the trip.
The SHAPE military base in Mons, Belgium serves as the military HQ of NATO and the home of the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (SACEUR). As such, security was very tight (although somehow we were allowed into the military base of NATO but not its political center) and we were handed passes on the bus by our guide, a political action officer from Poland. When we walked into the main office building, we were immediately surrounded by soldiers from every NATO member country. They were all wearing their country’s camouflage or dress uniforms, and the only way to distinguish between a French naval officer and an Italian air force commander was the flag on their sleeves. With this mixing of nationalities, I would have expected that communication would have been difficult. I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when we figured out that everyone there spoke English.
The second week of the program has opened us the doors of one of the three main European Union Institutions: the European Parliament. We have spent a considerable amount of time there, and it has proved to be a useful and eye-opening experience. Eye-opening in different senses: firstly because of the immensity of the modern infrastructure that it is, and thanks to the internal visits of the infrastructure, especially the hemicycle, that we had the privilege to see with our own eyes. In fact, I have been very impressed by the hemicycle, since it is something that I have seen quite often on television, on the news, so being there myself was simply sensational. Secondly it was eye-opening thanks to all the knowledge that we acquired during those visits. In fact, not only did we visit the empty hemicycle of the European Parliament, but we also had the opportunity to witness a Parliamentary Committee Hearings live, on Wednesday afternoon. This, coupled with the explanations that we had received the day before by a Portuguese delegate on the functioning of the European Parliament, proved to be a major source of learning and an interesting experience. For instance, we were taught, during the visit of the Parliament, how, in the Parliamentary Committees, speakers had a limited amount of time to make a point for the chairman on an EU issue; then, it was possible for other MEPs present in the Hemicycle, to raise a blue card in order to ask a question to the other MEP who had just made the point. I had the chance to witness this process in action in the Parliamentary Committee on Wednesday.
The Hemicycle of the EU Parliament