Author: YDE

Hongrie : un nouveau coup dur porté au pluralisme et à la démocratie !

Nepszabadsag, principal journal indépendant en Hongrie, a récemment été racheté par une entreprise appartenant à un ami et protégé du Premier ministre Hongrois, Viktor Orban. Le journal avait suspendu sa publication il y a plus de deux semaines officiellement en raison de  problèmes financiers et selon l’équipe éditorial, à cause de pression du gouvernement.

Cette opération va nuire un peu plus à la diversité de la presse dans le pays et renforcer le contrôle du gouvernement Orban sur les médias hongrois. C’est un nouveau coup dur porté au pluralisme et à la démocratie, deux valeurs menacées depuis que Viktor Orban est arrivé au pouvoir en 2010 en promettant d’instaurer une démocratie “illibérale”.

Pour l’Europe, et en particulier pour les partenaires de Viktor Orban issus des rangs du Parti Populaire Européen, il est temps de réagir et d’exprimer clairement leurs critiques envers la politique rétrograde que celui-ci impose à son pays. Il est temps de défendre les valeurs que nous Européens mettons au premier plan de nos Traités fondateurs, la démocratie, la diversité et le pluralisme, à un moment où ceux-ci sont attaqués à travers le continent.

Pour nous, Jeunes Démocrates Européens, l’Union européenne ne doit jamais être et ne sera jamais seulement un club d’intérêt économique, mais un engagement vers toujours plus de démocratie et de protection pour les citoyens dont le pays tente de restreindre les libertés fondamentales.

YDE
Communiqué de Presse

Hungary: A new blow to pluralism and democracy!

Nepszabadsag, the main independent newspaper in Hungary, has just been bought by a company linked to a friend and crony of the Hungarian Prime minister, Viktor Orban. It suspended its publication more than two weeks ago alleging officially financial problems whereas the editorial staff of the newspaper claimed government pressure.

This deal will harm press diversity in the country and increase the control of Orban’s government over Hungarian media. It is a new blow to pluralism and democracy, two values under strain since Viktor Orban came into power in 2010 pledging to establish an illiberal democracy.

For Europe, and especially Orban’s partners of the European People’s Party, it is time to react and to voice their criticisms towards the path backward that Orban is imposing to its country. It is time to defend the values we put at the forefront of our founding Treaties, democracy, diversity, and pluralism, at a time where they are being attacked across the continent.

For us Young Democrats, the European Union shall never and will never be only a club of economic interest, but a commitment towards more democracy and the protection of the citizens whose country is depriving them of their basic liberties.

Update – 31/10: clarification on the reason of the suspension of publication

YDE
Press Release

Free InterRail passes for the European youth: a misguided proposal

Following the European Parliament support this week for an European People’s Party amendment to the long-term budget of the European Union securing funding for the initiative, the Young Democrats for Europe express their position on this misguided proposal

Violeta Bulc, the Commissioner for Transport, recently told the European Parliament that she was ready to carry through an old idea of offering free InterRail tickets to all young adults turning eighteen, sparking a wave of enthusiasm among MEPs and Brussels officials. These tickets enable their holders to travel by train freely through Europe for a certain number of weeks and has quickly become a masterpiece of the young European tool-kit. The aim of such a measure is clear: enhancing youth mobility and fostering the European feeling among new generations. However, if on the face of it, the plan may sound appealing, we Democrats consider it as neither a legitimate policy instrument, nor an efficient way of fighting Euroscepticism and increasing mobility.

First and foremost, this idea will be costly, tremendously costly. Estimates vary from 1,5 to 3 billion euros, between 1 and 2 % of the EU budget, at a time when this budget is precisely subject to fierce negotiations and is put under stronger pressure due to the financial impact of Brexit. Which program is going to be trimmed in order to pay for this generous plan? Which other source of financing is available? These remain open questions.

We do not mean to say that building a European sense of belonging is not worth a couple of billions. It undoubtedly does. But it is doubtful that offering InterRail passes is the best way of reviving the love for the EU among youngsters. Frequent trips throughout Europe are already a reality for many young Europeans thanks to InterRail and low-cost carrier flights. Alternatively, this money would be better employed to fund the Erasmus programme whose financing has been put under threat for the last years and which still remains inaccessible for many students. This money could also be provisioned for the programme of an apprenticeship Erasmus, put forward by our MEP Jean Arthuis.

This idea is also problematic on a political point of view. Is it really the role of a government to offer free journeys with taxpayer’s money? And even if it were, i should this be the role of the European Union? If something needs to be done to help the least well-off to discover their continent, it seems that national governments are perfectly capable, and better suited, to conduct such a policy. At a time where resentment for the Union is at a record high, when it is regarded as an out of touch and wasteful institution, it is not the moment to make its detractors right.

Moreover, the EU has better tools at its disposal to make travelling easier and cheaper for all European citizens. It could carry on with the opening of the European rail network to competition, especially international lines, currently in limbo. If the EU seeks to increase mobility as a whole, it should continue to break down barriers on the continent, a task it has been very good at for the last decades.

Simply, this plan is demagogic and clientelistic. It is just wrong to buy the love and support of the voters with gifts. It is ridiculous to expect to get the respect of young people by offering them a trip to explore Europe’s wonders. Youngsters are perfectly capable of rationally understanding why the EU is so important in their lives and for their future.

The EU is an extraordinary journey that has done more than any other institution to connect the European peoples, and this is precisely why it should give up this idea that undermines its credibility and will do nothing to improve it. We believe that long-term solutions and deep changes in EU policies are the only way to bring the necessary means to the European youth to gain its autonomy and embrace its European identity

Vincent Delhomme

This article was originally published on the College of Europe blog : https://blog.coleurope.eu/2016/10/14/free-passes-for-interrail/

Picture: MSc Utrecht

YDE
Feature Article Press Release

Noví Mladí demokrati!

Nadväzujúc na kongres, ktorý sa konal v Paríži 1. okóbra 2016, si Young Democrats for Europe zvolili novú radu desiatich členov, vedenú prezidentom Antoinom Carettom, generálnym tajomníkom Vincentom Delhommem, hovorkyňou Begonou Garteizaurrecoaovou a pokladníčkou Bettinou Schwarzovou.

Hosia a delegáti z viac ako 15 európskych krajín diskutovali o potrebe podpory silnejšieho zapojenia občanov na úrovni EÚ a o možných dopadoch Brexitu na Európsku úniu. Antoine Carette, novo zvolený prezident zdôraznil, že: „Európske voľby by mali byť zhumanizované a kľúčom k tomu sú nadnárodné zoznamy, ktoré Guy VERHOFSTADT podporuje“.

Pri tejto príležitosti, sa nová, grécka organizácia pridala k mladým európskym demokratom: Únia mládeže centristov (alebo Νεολαία Ένωσης Κεντρώων v Grécku), ktorých strana sa nedávno dostala do gréckeho parlamentu. Young Democrats sú teda teraz zastúpení v 9 krajinách v rámci Európoy.

Young Democrats for Europe sú mládežníckym krídlom Európskej demokratickej strany (EDP-PDE) a jedným z mládežníckych krídel europarlamentnej skupiny Aliancia európskych liberálov a demokratov. Európska demokratická strana je jednou z oficiálne uznaných európskych strán v Európskom parlamente.

So vznikom v roku 2007, Young Democrats for Europ sa v prvom rade usilujú o silnejšiu a integrovanejšiu Európu a o posilnenie základných hodnôt Európskej únie: demokracie, slobody, rovnoprávnosti, účasti, udržateľnosti a solidarity. Našou misiou je taktiež podporovať väčšiu politickú angažovanosť európskej mládeže a zvýšiť povedomie o mnohých problémoch, týkajúcich sa mladých, ako napríklad vzdelanie, mobilita a nezamestnanosť.

YDE
Tlačová správa

Junge Demokraten verzeichnen Zuwachs!

Die Jungen Europäischen Demokraten wählten im Rahmen ihres Kongresses am 1. Oktober 2016 in Paris einen neuen zehnköpfigen Vorstand für die kommenden zwei Jahre. Er wird geführt von Antoine Carette als Präsident, Vincent Delhomme als Generalsekretär, Begona Garteizaurrecoa als Sprecher und Bettina Schwarz als Schatzmeisterin.

Delegierte und Gäste aus über 15 europäischen Ländern diskutierten die Notwendigkeit einer stärkeren Einbindung der Bürger auf europäischer Ebene und die möglichen Folgen des Brexits für die Europäische Union. Der neugewählte Präsident Antoine Carette hob hervor: „Europäische Wahlen sollten menschlicher werden und transnationale Listen wie sie Guy Verhofstadt bewirbt, sind der Schlüssel sie zu erreichen.

Bei dieser Gelegenheit trat auch eine neue Mitgliedsorganisation aus Griechenland der Jugend der Europäischen Demokraten bei: Die Jugend der Union der Zentristen (Νεολαία Ένωσης Κεντρώων), deren Partei kürzlich ins griechische Parlament einzog. Die Jungen Demokraten verfügen nunmehr über elf Mitgliedsorganisationen in neun europäischen Ländern.

Die Jungen Demokraten für Europa sind die Jugendorganisation der Europäischen Demokratischen Partei und eine der Jugendorganisationen der ALDE-Fraktion. Die Europäische Demokratische Partei ist eine der europäischen Parteien, die offiziell vom Europäischen Parlament anerkannt sind.

Gegründet im Jahr 2007, streben die Jungen Europäischen Demokraten vornehmlich die Errichtung eines stärkeren und integrierteren Europas an und machen sich die Grundwerte der Europäischen Union zu eigen: Demokratie, Freiheit, Gleichheit, Partizipation, Nachhaltigkeit und Solidarität. Ihr Auftrag ist es auch, den stärkeren Einbezug der europäischen Jugend zu fördern und das Bewusstsein für die vielen Probleme zu schaffen, denen sie gegenübersteht, etwa Zugang zu höherer Bildung, Mobilität und Arbeitslosigkeit.

YDE
⁠⁠⁠Pressemitteilung

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YDE is the youth wing of the European Party.We embrace the key role of democratic principles, underlined in the Lisbon Treaty and shrined in our political belief: democracy, freedom, equality, participation, sustainability and solidarity.

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