The European Union through the eyes of the students of Cyprus and Rhodes First time voters!Online Event with the PARALIMNI HIGHSCHOOL and the GENERAL HIGHSCHOOL OF KREMASTIS RHODES.

The importance of young people participation in the European Elections, using their vote to determine the common European future of Cyprus and Greece, was discussed in an online meeting with OPEK “We Together” programme by students from Paralimni Lyceum and the General Lyceum of Kremasti Rhodes.

The online event took place on Wednesday 17 April with the active contribution of MEP Elena Kountoura, the head of Europe Direct South Aegean, Filia Papasavva and the teachers of the two

schools, Emilia Patsalou of Paralimni and Anastasia Divani of Kremasti Rhodes in view of the Europe Day celebrations. The Vice-President of the EP Dimitris Papadimoulis also gave a visual greeting. The two schools cooperate with each other and participate in the European Parliament “Ambassador Schools”

Use Your Vote!

MEP Elena Kountoura outlined the activities of the EP with an intervention on issues related to equality, the fight against discrimination, the efforts against violence against women, the upgrading of digital networks and the regulation of artificial intelligence which is rapidly penetrating the lives of European youth.

MEP Dimitris Papadimoulis called on young people to vote and promote their positions through their active participation.

In Greece young people vote from the age of 17 and in Cyprus at 18.

In their statements, the students developed their views on European values with an emphasis on democracy and human rights and raised questions on the need for further individual protection, effective management of migration and strengthening solidarity between Member States.

We – Together!

On behalf of the We – Together programme, the journalist Kyriakos Pierides, member of the OPEΚ Board, referred to the 20th anniversary of Cyprus accession to the EU, the importance of further

developing – within the strengthened EU framework – the relations between Greece, its island regions and Cyprus and the rapprochement of relations with Turkey in order to end the anachronistic

occupation in Cyprus and develop cooperative relations between all the peoples of the region.

The students of the two Lyceum schools presented the videos they have made to promote the idea of youth participation in the European Elections of 9 June 2024 and encoded with spontaneous answers the importance of making the most of their vote as follows:

Four reasons why it is worth voting?
“Influence the decisions of those who will be elected
Criticize the wrongdoers
Demand that those I voted for do what they promised.
Not have others decide for me…”

MEP Elena Kountoura added metaphorically:

!No to give someone else the key of the house of democracy”!

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