A Student Will Deliver the First Speech in the European Parliament

The honor of delivering the first presentation in the European Parliament after Croatia’s accession to the European Union will not go to any of the twelve politicians selected as representatives, but to young Antonija Nišić, who will represent the team that made it among the top twenty in the competition organized by the European Policy Center (EPC).

In addition to Antonija, the team includes Maja Šeat and Rea Rajić, all three fourth-year students from the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb. Their work was selected in a competition organized by the EPC in collaboration with the European Parliament. The task was to present what the European Parliament means to the contestants in the form of an essay, image, mobile application, or something similar. The three-member team decided on an image that, in their opinion, best depicts the European Parliament and the Union.
– This institution is still being built and is being upgraded and improved every day. It is not yet perfect; something is being refined all the time. We tried to depict this in our image: the outlines are here, but it is evident that the work is not yet finished, that the picture is not complete – Maja Šeat told us.

Starting is the hardest part The work in the team was divided into three parts, and each girl took her task seriously to give the team the best chance of winning.
– Maja was responsible for preparation; she also discovered the competition organized by the European Policy Center. I took on the task of making a drawing. To conceptualize and create it, I worked for about ten days. Once I finally understood what exactly I wanted, it was easiest to draw it. Antonija will be responsible for presenting us in the best light in the European Parliament from July 8 to 11 and trying to convey the goal and meaning of our work – said the author of the images, Rea Rajić.
The Belgian capital and the center of the Union, Brussels, will host representatives of twenty selected teams. All of them will present and explain in the European Parliament why they see the European Union in that way. Antonija also explained the goal of the competition.
– They want to reach out to young people to increase their interest in the work of European institutions. And in the Croatian example, we saw that voter turnout for the European Parliament elections was very low, so this is one of the ways and actions to change that – Antonija added.

mn: Young for Young
These friends from high school have always been interested in politics and European institutions, and they regret that many in Croatia do not understand their importance for the daily lives of members, which we will soon become. Therefore, they believe that such competitions can raise citizens’ awareness of that importance.
– The European Parliament does not tolerate the interests of individual states. All representatives, including ours, must unite around common themes and interests. Perhaps this is not the ideal process and way to make important decisions, which we decided to depict in the image. All 27 member states are still working on improvements, and Croatia is just arriving in that society to contribute with its knowledge – Maja said.
The competition lasted from early March to April 11. The evaluation was set up so that 35 percent of the points were awarded for content and how well it ‘hit’ the topic; another 35 percent was based on the potential reach of the proposed solution, i.e., how usable it is and how many other people can see it. The remaining 20 percent of the score was based on creativity and originality, and 10 percent on clarity of expression. Individuals and teams from EU countries and Croatia could participate. Everyone between the ages of 16 and 30 could apply for the competition.
– We decided on an image because Rea is exceptionally talented at drawing and because the image has the greatest reach. With a very simple drawing, we depicted a lot. Our idea is to use it as a ‘cover’ photo on social media and in other communications aimed at reaching young people – Maja explained.

Nothing is rigged Although the competition ended on April 11, they had to wait for the results until almost mid-May. They had almost forgotten that they had applied, and then one day they were greeted with a surprise on their computer.
– We still do not know which works, besides ours, have progressed further, nor how many teams applied. It was a surprise for us because we thought that, given the long silence, the work might have been too simple for them, but it turns out they took a long time to decide. This is proof that the stories about these competitions being rigged are falling apart; we managed to get among the top twenty without any connections or acquaintances, which makes us very happy – Maja said.
The girls, as they admitted, worked in ‘great’ secrecy, so friends and family only learned about the application and the competition at a later stage.
– My parents found out only when they accidentally came across the sketch. They really liked it; they were supportive – Maja emphasized, while Antonija added that her father is very proud of her for this award.

Contacts for the Future The project did not require much free time or separation from academic obligations.
– Oh, that was not a problem at all because it does not take more than a few hours to conceptualize and create something like this; you just need to have the will and decide to apply. Competitions are not complicated, and you can learn a lot about EU institutions from them. And the prizes are attractive; my trip to Belgium is covered. We will probably also have workshops, which is another big plus because I will gain contacts for the future – Antonija highlighted the advantages of the competition.
The girls are not giving up on further competitions and are actively searching for new competitions on the pages of European institutions to which they could apply.
– You just need to be persistent in searching because you never know which institution will announce a competition. Their goal is to involve more and more young people to raise awareness of the role and importance of the European Union. We hope that we will not be the only ones in these competitions, but that our story will encourage others to apply. It is not complicated; you just need to start – Antonija, Rea, and Maja concluded in unison.
After their first victory, the girls expect academic obligations, but Antonija’s thoughts are already lightly in Brussels and on presenting her idea – Europe in the making as envisioned by young girls, future members of the European Union.

Do not give up before applying, it is worth trying! Antonija, Rea, and Maja particularly noted that there has not been much talk about this competition in the academic community. They do not know if there are any other applications from Croatia, but they hope that their entry among the twenty will improve the situation.

– Many give up because they think it is arranged for large countries, and we have proven just the opposite, that success can come from small Croatia. You just need to start and not give up before applying. This competition did not take much of our time, and we have multiple benefits – Maja Šeat said.
They particularly emphasized that most competitions are simple and that it does not take much time to create a work and apply for the competition. The girls agree on the message to everyone: ‘It is worth trying!’