Making the European Parliament young!

This week at the European Parliament in Brussels, the League of Young Voters and EU40 (network of MEPs addressing those under forty years) and the Center for Creative Leadership held a first training session for young candidates (aged under 40) for the upcoming European elections in May 2014.

The training session comprised five different workshops that aimed at providing young candidates with tips to be fully armed for the upcoming campaign. The young candidates worked on topics including leadership, communication, management, ideas promotion, campaigning tips, web presence, social media and practiced being interviewed. Trained by campaign and media professionals, the young candidates also learnt how to sell their ideas, to communicate with their audience, control their media coverage and how to deal with various tricky situations that they may face during the campaign.

The League of Young Voters will host a second training session in June to prepare newly elected MEPs under 40 for their new roles during the next legislative period of the European Parliament, and to bring them together as young representatives.

The European Youth Forum, through the League of Young Voters, hopes that this training will produce significant benefits and that the next European Parliament will include a higher number of capable young Europeans, fighting for youth rights.