Model European Parliament 2009 - Cyprus

It was such a relief when after what seemed an interminable 15 minutes of passport scrutinizing and visa issuing by the airport police officer, we finally set foot on Cypriot land. We made it… at least that is what we thought at the moment. But arriving in Cyprus was only the ticket to the fun ride called the Model European Parliament.

On the 29th of March – 5th of April this year, a delegation from our school, of which I was honored to be a part, represented Macedonia on the 30th international session of the Model European Parliament. Iskra Dzundeva, Ana Angelovska, Mina Netkova and myself, accompanied by our Public Speaking teacher Mrs. Irena Filkova, were the first international delegates on behalf of our country at MEP, this year held in Nicosia, Cyprus.

The session was attended by delegates from all the European Union member states and the candidate countries Macedonia and Croatia. We were all divided into 10 committees, each concerning current and ongoing issues such as the present economic and financial crisis (my committee) or the Middle East conflict (Iskra’s committee). Working with young people with similar interests and ideas from all over the EU in order to build a new, better world and sharing our opinions and youthful ideals was a unique experience for us. We have had previous debates in our school during the MMUN (Macedonian Model of United Nations) meetings, but none of the same format. Imagine our puzzlement, and later agitation, when the committee presidents explained us the entire process of writing introductory and operative clauses and casually dropped into the conversation that we need to do all of that in 3 days, and then defend the resolution and answer questions in front of the General Assembly, a gathering of all the delegates in the Cypriot House of Representatives.

This trip was a great opportunity for us not only to learn a lot about international politics by actually experiencing it, but also to explore a completely different country independently. We uncovered the mysteries and hidden charms of the legendary island of Aphrodite – Cyprus. While experiencing the life of the Cypriot families during our stay with our kind hosts, we also got acquainted with the division of the small island. Participating on such a gathering in the last divided capital has made us all eager to bring effective solutions to the problems we were addressing. And the fact that 8 out of the 10 resolutions of the separate committees have passed on the General Assembly was a proof enough of our arduous work the passed couple of days.



The General Assembly per se, was perhaps the most interesting part of the whole process. All delegates were seated within their delegations in the House of Representatives and were given signs with their country’s name to hold up when they want to pose a question. We were also given red cards, which we got to know as ‘points of privilege’ and could be raised whenever the speaker was not clear enough in order to rephrase his/her statement. The examined committee was seated in the front, on a platform facing the assembly. Scary. Especially if it is your first time and you need to give a speech or present the entire resolution on behalf of your committee. The tension and agitation were growing as they called on each of the committees to the platform. I can only remember the feeling, the feeling of excitement, yet uneasiness and anxiety when I stood up there and read through our resolution. I have never had stage fright in my life, still my hands were trembling before I began talking into the microphone. Luckily my voice did not give away these feelings, as Ana told me that I seemed quite confident. I can only suppose she and Iskra felt the same when they passionately gave their opening speeches. After we got used to the procedure and the formal address, we were free to ask questions and openly debate even the other resolutions. The uneasiness faded away.

On this one-week trip we have made many friends, from different nationalities and origin, but all keen on debates and discussions. When the schedule allowed that, we had fun in some of the cafes and clubs in Nicosia. I am sure that we will meet them again and that these friendships will last for life.

I would like to point out what I, personally, found best during our stay in the sunny Cyprus and our partaking in the simulation of the European Parliament. The mere opportunity to voice our thoughts and opinions on important topics, such as the global economic crisis, and to discuss and debate them in a manner similar to that of great dignitaries is something I regard utterly precious.

Whenever I ponder about the resolutions we have made and how they will be sent to the real European Parliament this is what comes to my mind: I contributed to the writing of that resolution, my thoughts will be read by our counterparts in the real European Parliament, a place where we might one day work and discuss issues as passionately and as fervently as we did the past week in Cyprus.