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FIRST EUROPEAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

Date

27 Apr 2014 22:00

Section

EU Elections 2014

Event Location

Netherlands

Event Description

BACKGROUND OF THE EVENT

Since 1979 the European Parliament is the only directly elected parliament beyond the nation-state. Every five years, the citizens of the European Union elect the now more than 750 members of the EP – the legislature of the European Union that has over the past two decades become a powerful institution on par with national government who are represented in the Council, with equal say in all legislative matters and budgetary issues.

In 2014, the European electorate will go to the polls on 22-25 May, and this time – due to the changes that came with the Lisbon Treaty – there is an important new development: following the elections, for the European Parliament will for the first time elect the President of the European Commission, the EU’s executive.

For this reason, all the main parties of the EP have nominated leading candidates who are competing for the office of Commission President, making this election the first public race for a high office in the EU. The debate in Maastricht will be therefore be the first ever occasion on which all candidates come together to debate their ideas and answer questions from the public.
 

MODALITIES OF THE DEBATE: A FOCUS ON YOUNG VOTERS

The debate, organised by the European Youth Forum, City of Maastricht, Maastricht University, and Connect Limburg, will see the candidates for the presidency of the European Commission battle out key issues on the future of Europe. 
 
Hosted by Euronews’ lead presenters Isabelle Kumar and Chris Burns, the debate will cover a range of issues, with particular focus on the perspective of young voters. The questions asked will be the result of a month-long participatory process, in which young people were asked to submit their questions to the candidates through 50 partnering universities, or on the website of the League of Young Voters (www.youngvoters.eu). A selection of these questions will be put to the candidates during the debate, covering a whole range of European issues from foreign policy, the future of the EU, and youth employment.
 
The debate will take place in front of an international audience of more than 500 students, will be broadcasted live on Euronews and will also be livestreamed on www.eudebate2014.eu.

You can register for the event here, follow the debate here, and join the discussion here.

 

EurActiv is an official Partner of the 'First European Presidential Debate.

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