Athens 2017

35th National Selection Conference

Fri, 7 April 2017 – Mon, 10 April 2017


Debates

AFCO

Strengthening European Democracy: Citizens' Political Participation. With the EU failing to convince large parts of the European population about its merits and by taking into account people's disenchantment with politics, what more can the EU do in order to increase the political participation?

CULT

What is 'Europe'? Is it a (sub)continent, a way of living, a concept, a myth, a dream, or hope as Jacques Le Goff stated? With the far-right and extreme circles being more popular than ever, in the European Union where to be European or not be a European is a choice and not an imposition, how should the EU build a strong model for the 21st century citizenship?

DROI

An equal chance at love: Same-sex marriages in the EU. While considering the different perspectives and legal practices of the marriage between same genders in Member States, how should the EU deal with such disparities this yet very controversial topic while safeguarding the fundamental rights of LGBT people?

EMPL

Matching economic migration with the needs of the EU labour market; How can the EU absorb enough immigrants to counter growing labour shortages in an ageing Europe?

ENVI

The ongoing war on drugs: with drug use not only affecting the health but also amputating socially a large part of the population and the illicit drugs market constituting a major element of criminal activity across Europe, can a common and less repressive drug policy succeed in eradicating the clandestine market and also integrating addicts back to society?

FEMM

The slippery slope: Prostitution policy in Europe. In consideration of the statistics that majority of the sex workers, either by coercion or consent, are women and girls; with different legislative approaches to prostitution in Member Sates, how should the national governments review their prostitution policies to reduce the negative consequences of prostitution?

INTA

While Brexit and the Trump administration's 'America first' economic policies are pushing new trade deals up the EU's list of priorities, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is being presented as the answer to recession in Europe and the US with promises of growth; major protests in France and the UK imply this might not be the case. How could the EU ensure that it reaps the advantages of free trade, whilst protecting the interests of domestic businesses and especially SMEs?

LIBE I

Unity within diversity: the issue of freedom of religion and multiculturalism in Europe. While aiming the multicultural community aiming sharing set of universal values and considering "democracy, tolerance and human rights" as the main identity characters of the EU, what should Member States do to ensure the integration of minorities whilst respecting religious values and protecting their fundamental rights?

LIBE II

Failing attempt of the EU: Integration and Inclusion of Roma People. Whilst Europe's largest minority group is still living below the levels of the poverty line in their country of residence and highly discriminated across all Member States, what can the EU do to end the exclusion and ensure the integration of Roma people while protecting their social and economic rights?

SEDE

With incidents of terror attacks in Europe for the last 2 years increasing and the evolving nature of acts of terror, what measures should the EU take, as a whole, to best defend its citizens while not betraying its core values?

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