MEP experience - english version

The Model European Parlament

Hi guys,

I want to explain you what we did during last hellish weeks.

Since November our teachers talked us about our involvment in MEP progect, which is very important, hard but useful... but what is it?? Until three weeks before do it, we didn't know anything about it.

MEP means „Model European Parlament“ and is the simulation of a european parliament assembly. All the students of the third year become parliaments and do a proper conference under the supervision of a president. He, teachers and chairs (which are students older than us that have already done MEP years before and help us with committee work) give to best students points and the 10 best ones of the school get through next level and participate to an other conference with students from all the schools of Emilia Romagna's region.

The best students of this second conference will go to the national session, where partecipate students from all over Italy. Finally, just 10 will go to the international session but, ovviously, only the ones who are able to speak very very well english, can.

When our teachers explained us how does it works, we didn't ask anything more. The biggest mistake ever! We didn't have any idea of how much work was waiting for us and, in addition, we had some problems in our school which made us come late, so we had a really few time to prepare us.

We were divided in 6 committee and each of them had the task of writing a solution of a set topic. A solution, in this case, is a bill and, to make it, you must have a lot of information about your topic, work and learn.

We must remain at schools during a lot of afternoons and work on this progect. Our italian teacher helped us a lot, giving us many advices and correcting our texts. We had to rewrite our documents at least for three times! Then when it was everything ready and there were still three days left to the conference, some of us had to stay at school again and write opening and final speechs.

Finally here we were, it was the day of the parliament session. We met at 8 o'clock, we were all very excited and well-dressed: guys were wearing a suit and tie, while girls were wearing skirt or pant suit.

Finally we started, we took place into a very big room divided in committee. Our teachers had a brief opening speech and she introduced us the president of that session, who marked us. I don't remember his name, but he was unpleasant and always squinted.

My committee (industry, research and energy) was the first one and i was very nervous! A guy read the solution, then one of my school-friend had an opening speech where he explained how we worked and which principles we decided to underline in our solution. Later, a debate was opened and all colleagues could ask us questions about the topic and improve all the lacks so, obviously, we had to answer them and defend our ideas.

At the end, I had to make a final speech where I seconded all the criticized points. I hope it has been a success because i was really excited! In conclusion we had to do the passing of the bill to know if our solution was appreciated or not. With also 40 positive votes, it has been one of the few passed. We were unbelievably pride!! This prooceding has been repeated for every committee and I could ask some questions and that really entertained me!

At one o'clock we were ready to come back home. We were all very happy that everything was over because of the stress of last two weeks, that we spent always at school. But the other way, it was a great experience: there we could have been, just for once, important people of the parliament, we learned a lot more about Europe and we met many new school-friends of other classes.

Now we have just to wait and learn who has been chosen for the regional session, who have to it all again!

Probably you also have this progect, do know you it?

p.s: can you translate the word “ in rot”?