The Warsaw High School Times

A recap of a study trip of Słowacki students to the European Parliament

Graphic by Rita Pasiewicz

‘Every citizen of the European Union has a significant influence on the functioning of Europe. The thing that is only required is action’ – said Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, member of the European Parliament during a lecture with youth – in other words the future of Europe. That is why our students, from the VII LO im. Juliusza Słowackiego in Warsaw, headed to Strasbourg and the European Parliament – to discover new possibilities and to look at the work being done by the EP.

Our English teachers had selected ten students who were active in fields such as politics, the work of the student council, and generally speaking in organizing the school life. On Monday that group, including me, showed up in front of the Palace of Culture, and from there we set off on a twenty-hour journey to France. We were travelling by coach with other young people – to be specific students from high school in Milanówek and young activists of the Nowa Lewica political party. We were all enthusiastic about the upcoming visit to one of the capitals of political life of the EU.

Tuesday, 21.11

On Tuesday morning our delegation finally reached Strasbourg. We were able to get an idea of how the city looks like due to a sightseeing tour organized for us. First, we toured the city by coach. We were shown where the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights and the European Parliament are. We also learned a bit of history regarding the city itself, for example that Strasbourg was constantly contested between Germany (previously Prussia) and France.

Then we got off our coach and went for a walk around the historic centre of Strasbourg. We saw the well-known gothic cathedral, the Petite France district, Gutenberg Square, Kleber Square, Lafayette Gallery, and we walked along the boulevards. We also saw the preparations for the globally renowned Christmas Markets. The heritage and wealth of the city stunned us, and our tongues were delighted by local pastries.

Later, we went to our hotel in Andlau – a small village placed among the vineyards. What a stunning view there was to observe and enjoy! We took our suitcases and headed straight to our hotel rooms. There, we had about an hour to take some rest before the next activity. Controversial as it may soun, but the next activity we had was… tasting of Alsatian wines in the Wach family winery.

Our guide to the world of wine was Mrs. Marta Wach, the wife of the winery’s owner. She introduced many useful and interesting facts about the production of wine, for example the difference between the sparkling wine and champagne. We have also learned that the names of the wines come from the grape variety used in production. Then came the time to taste the goods. We tasted four types of wine and the juice from grapes, which is later fermented. All of us agreed that this juice was the best from all the drinks we’d tasted. Luckily, there existed a possibility of buying wines and this grape juice.

After the tasting we went back to the hotel for dinner, and we prepared ourselves for the next day.

Wednesday, 22.11 – Can we shape Europe?

Wednesday started with an extraordinary sunrise ideal for a photoshoot with friends. We ate a quick breakfast (obviously containing fresh croissants and hot beverages) and prepared ourselves for the visit to the European Parliament. We went to the EP with our reliable coach, carrying gifts for Mr. Cimoszewicz and his assistant Mrs. Wyżycka.

On the way there we stopped to take a look at the building of the Council of Europe. We took there several photoshoots due to the ideal weather conditions and light.

Then came the time for entering the European Parliament. We had to undergo a safety procedure similar to one at the airport, and after leaving the cloakroom we were guided to the lecture room, where we met with Mr. Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz.

Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz is a member of the EP since 2019, and his political affiliation is the S&D group (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament). He was also the Prime Minister of Poland during years 1996-1997. It was him who signed the Treaty of Accession of Poland into the European Union in 2003 in Athens.

The parliamentarian, despite the lack of his time, showed us around the current situation in the EU. He introduced us to the NextGenerationEU plan, which is a recovery precaution including environmental protection, stronger governments, and economies for, as mentioned in the name, the next generation of Europeans. Cimoszewicz noted and discussed the topic of cooperation of the EU and China, and the difficulties arising from the cultural and social differences between them.

But there was an issue that was most important during our meeting – do we feel like we (as adolescents and ordinary citizens) have any influence on the European Union? Can we shape Europe according to our preferences? Surprisingly, according to the former Prime Minister, we do! The only thing required is a real action. So, what is ‘hidden’ under the word ‘action’? It can be a petition, letter, etc. – containing our idea(s). For example, one man wrote a grievance regarding the differences between the sizes of hand luggage between airlines. What is the result, you may ask? The EP is working on the unification of the sizes of the hand luggage in the EU!

After the meeting, we were quickly introduced to the procedure of adopting the EU law, political groups, and the work of simultaneous translators. Without them, the EP would be completely shut down and blocked!

Then, we quickly took photos in front of the flags of the member states of the EU, and we ran to the plenary hall. We were going to be the witnesses of the voting procedure, as that day there was very significant for the future of the EU – the voting would concern treaty changes, as the last changes were provided 16 years ago, in the 2007 Lisbon Treaty.

The plenary session was the experience that changed our view on the EP. We sat down quietly, wore headphones, and listened in to the proceedings happening below us. We were terrified and surprised about how quickly the voting was going on. We also had the opportunity to watch the members of the EP from our country, for instance Beata Szydło, Patryk Jaki, Leszek Miller, Robert Biedroń, Ewa Kopacz and many other famous individuals. Unfortunately, we had only 30 minutes in the plenary hall, so we had to leave quite early.

Then, we had a quick lunch in the EP canteen, and we left the place. To be honest, I would love to stay there for longer.

We went with our coach to the city again, and were given four hours worth of free time just to visit the places we hadn’t been the day before. We tried roasted chestnuts and bought magnets for the most liked teachers in our high school. In the evening we ate dinner in the regional restaurant Le Gruber, where they served us Tarte Flambee – essentially French equivalent of pizza, but without tomato sauce.

After such a productive and hard-working day, we went to our hotel to get some rest before our return journey to Poland.

The explosive comeback

We left the country of France in the morning of Thursday, with unforgettable memories and awareness of our rights as members of the EU. As a group of students, we were inspired by this trip to spread the awareness within our high school and beyond. We are planning to organize events such as fake/”model” EP elections, which will be held in 2024, and will be a simulation of the voting in the EP.

And what about you, dear reader? Did my article convince you that the European Union is about people and their welfare instead of the fight between the politicians? And that we also have right to speak up, even though we are young, and (most of us) not politically-oriented individuals? We can change the world, and, as Mr. Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz said, ‘The thing that is only required is action’.