The European Universities Community launched the third edition of the European Student Assembly (ESA). From January to April 2024, selected students remotely researched a chosen topic, drafted recommendations, and then convened in Strasbourg, France, from April 10th to 12th to propose concrete solutions during a 3-day event. Jarno Meul, a student from Saxion University of Applied Sciences, represented the E³UDRES² Alliance at the event. He shared his experience during the event, why his group was able to bond quickly, and how the European Parliament left a lasting impression on him through an interview.
How was it when you arrived in Strasbourg, France at the ESA?
Jarno: At the start of the ESA2024 we gathered in the European Parliament, and after all the security checks and registration, we were in, in THE European Parliament. Even just the experience of being in the parliament was so cool! We were greeted by members of the European Parliament who wished us the best of luck in the upcoming week. After this it was back to work because on Friday we were voting on all the policies that we had been working on for the past month.
After a lovely dinner and a few glasses of wine in the evening sun, it already felt like such a tight group which was amazing!
Sounds like a good day full of new impressions. And how was Thursday? Because that's when you really had to get to work, right?
Yes, that’s right! Thursday was a workday. Most of the day we were finalizing our policies. It was also the day of the inter-panel discussion where other parliament member could give feedback on the proposals, which most of the time resulted in even more work. We ended the day again with a dinner and late night talking with our panel group.
So Friday was the day you found out if your proposal was accepted or rejected? That must have been quite an exciting day, I can imagine.
Well, this last day was a very important one. It was the day we were voting on all the policy proposals. If it gets accepted it will go to the European parliament, if rejected it went straight into nothing. So as you can imagine I was pretty nervous!
But luckily the proposal of your panel got accepted with 86% of the votes!
After this intense week, it was time for a party. We started off with a wine reception in the hotel and went on to a few bars and clubs deep into the night. Exploring the city with people you only met for 3 days who felt like you knew them since you were a kid was an amazing experience!
Congratulations, well done! Good to hear that the evening was also very successful. How do you look back on your participation?
The overall was experience was so cool! Being with all these open-minded and proactive people gives me a lot of energy. So if you are ever in the opportunity to take part in a E³UDRES² activity, you better take it!
Links
➝ Saxion UAS
➝ European Student Assembly
