For the second time, Luxembourg has hosted a session of the Model European Parliament (MEP), bringing 88 students from eight EU member states to Kirchberg for a week-long simulation of European Union politics.
Among the participants were 19 Luxembourgish students aged 15 to 19. Over the course of the week, they took on the roles of Members of the European Parliament, working through the same legislative process used by real MEPs.
In the European Parliament, draft laws are first drawn up in specialised committees before being debated during one of 12 annual plenary sessions, each lasting four days in Strasbourg. There are 20 committees covering policy areas such as the environment, the economy, and foreign affairs. During last week’s simulation, students occupied one of the EU’s plenary halls in Kirchberg to debate and draft their own resolutions.
The event was organised by six teachers from the Lycée Aline Mayrisch, who spent six months preparing. Their tasks included booking venues, arranging host families for the visiting students, and coaching the young participants in their parliamentary roles.
Luxembourgish MEP Tilly Metz attended the closing session. She stressed the importance of introducing young people to EU politics at an early age and said it was “wonderful to see so many engaged students.” The resolutions drafted by the participants will be forwarded to the EU institutions as food for thought.
Model European Parliament sessions are held once or twice a year across Europe. This edition brought together Western European countries.
