Dr. Philippe Perchoc who is a researcher at the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) and I had a really good time in Riga fews weeks ago. In December 2018, we organised with the support of the French Embassy in Latvia, the Institut Français, the Latvian Institute of International Affairs (LIIA) and the University of Latvia, a simulation of the Commissioner designate for Energy and Climate’s audition. Objective? To use an innovative pedagogical tool to learn how the European Union (EU) institutions work in practice.
About twenty (Latvian, Russia, French and Spanish) students took part to this simulation as members of the European Parliament elected in May 2019. Each of them represented one country (Estonia, France, Germany, Sweden) and one political group (For Solidarity, The European Tree, The Global Europe and Make Europe First).
Then, the Commissioner designate for Energy and Climate, Jamel Delor-Debourg gave a speech inside the European Parliament to present his ‘Green Contract for a Sustainable Europe’. Nevertheless, he didn’t convince the MEPs (euphemism #LOL) who decided not to confirm him as the new Commissioner for Energy and Climate.
After the simulation, we had a drink at the French Embassy to share feedback together.
Samuel B. H. Faure 