“Let’s talk together about Europe” — Didier Reynders

Besides the coordination of Belgium’s European policy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plays also a role in informing the public and raising its awareness regarding the European integration project. It is in that framework that Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Minister of Defence Didier Reynders launched in 2015 the initiative “Let’s talk together about Europe”. The 8th edition of this event took place today in the Egmont Palace in Brussels.

For many of us, Europe has become evidence today. The durability of the European project lays however on the confidence of the people. It is therefore essential to encourage everyone – and certainly the adults of tomorrow – to appropriate it, to realize what it brings in every day’ s life and to forge one’s own opinion on the Europe in which we want to live and flourish.

Conceived to be as interactive as possible, the day brought together last-year school students coming from 25 schools around Belgium. After weeks of preparation in their class, they participated in thematic workshops on topics of their choice, such as enlargement and the management of Europe’s border, climate, terrorism or migration. Each of this workshop was animated by a trainer from the European Youth Parliament Belgium (EYP) and an expert from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The workshops gave the opportunity for intense exchanges, not only on actual policies but in particular over the students’ expectations and preoccupations.

As in the 7 previous editions, students had the opportunity to exchange with Minister Reynders, who answered their questions in the course of his presentation of the great challenges of European policy.