# Welcome! Are you ready to share some #JEFSpirit at the #EUCO2023 this November? Get all the latest updates about everything Congress-related here! This space is here to collect all information about the XXVII European Congress in Madrid, in the most user-friendly way possible. On the left, you can see all the different sections related to your participation in the Congress as well as the candidates contesting JEF Europe statutory positions for the upcoming 2024-2025 mandate. If you're attending the Congress, please make sure to check your email for all the latest updates about the event. Want a quick update on the Congress timeline? We've got you covered below. 👇
Do you have any questions, problems, ideas, or simply want to send some #JEFSpirit our way? Get in touch with Andrew Micallef, JEF Europe's Membership Officer at . If you have any questions related to communications about the Congress and tech support, please get in touch with Erica Beccarello, JEF Europe's Communications Officer at . # Call for Participants JEF Europe and JEF Spain are launching the call for participants for the JEF Europe XXVII European Congress which will take place in Madrid, Spain from 10th to 12th November 2023 ## Applications * Full member sections must submit their list of delegates for the Congress as well as for the outgoing Federal Committee Meeting (which takes place on Friday 10th November) and the incoming Federal Committee Meeting (which takes place on Sunday 12th November) [here](https://forms.gle/6JVDLEhrsWAT17Xh8) *()*, by **25th** **September 2023. *****(N.B. Each section should submit only ONE list of delegates.)*** * All individuals (Delegates selected by sections, directly elected FC members, EB members, AC members, AB members, Observers, JEF Europe Secretariat) must register on the individual form [here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSczcw1Ab2mO3O7sEZvRnvzzGnYrNqourBar7vocHy_TeynSlw/viewform?usp=sf_link) *()* by **25th** **September 2023** ## Participation Fee * €80 for OBSERVERS (staying 2 nights – Friday & Saturday night): to be paid by bank transfer AFTER CONFIRMATION by JEF Europe’s Secretariat (confirmation will be received on 29th September 2023 at the latest). * €55 for those with an OFFICIAL POSITION IN JEF EUROPE or NATIONAL DELEGATES ATTENDING THE CONGRESS AND/OR INCOMING FC staying 2 nights – Friday & Saturday night. * €70 for those with an OFFICIAL POSITION IN JEF EUROPE or NATIONAL DELEGATES ATTENDING THE OUTGOING FC staying 3 nights – Thursday, Friday & Saturday night. * €30 for participants who don’t need accommodation covered by JEF in Madrid. The participation fees cover accomodation in a shared room and all meals from Friday breakfast to Sunday lunch for those staying for 3 nights. For those staying 2 nights or for those who already have accomodation in Madrid, all meals from Friday dinner will be covered. **Participation fees of all participants should arrive by 8th October 2023.** Once you pay, please send a proof of payment to and . If you have an OFFICIAL POSITION IN JEF EUROPE or are a NATIONAL DELEGATE (Make 100% sure to confirm this with your section), your participation is automatically confirmed and you do not need to wait for our confirmation to send your participation fee. Payments must be sent to: * **Bank:** Fortis BNP Paribas * **Account holder:** JEF AISBL * **Account number:** 001-1128794-81 * **IBAN number:** BE36 0011 1287 9481 * **BIC Code / SWIFT:** GEBABEBB ## Other Information * You can find the number of delegates allocated to each section [here](https://jef.eu/download/7462/). * Please make sure to note that the Outgoing Federal Committee meeting starts at 9:00AM on 10th November, the European Congress starts at 2:30PM on 10th November, and the Incoming Federal Committee meetings ends at around 3:00PM on 10th November. It’s very important to attend from the beginning of ALL these meetings for quorum reasons. * Please book your flights ONLY after receiving the official confirmation from the Secretariat, unless you have an OFFICIAL POSITION IN JEF EUROPE or are a NATIONAL DELEGATE (Make sure to 100% confirm this with your section). In this case, and only in this case, you can book your flights immediately. In other cases, booking flights before confirmation will not be a guarantee of your confirmed participation. * OBSERVERS from JEF CANDIDATE SECTIONS may apply as well. Should the section be officially recognised during the Congress, this section has the right to 1 DELEGATE, meaning that all current candidate sections should select his/her representative in advance (Statutes – Article 20, sub-article b (iv) (v)). * The Congress will be held in English. * If a visa is required for your travel to Spain and you require signed proof from JEF Europe that you will be attending the event, please email Andrew Micallef . * If you require JEF Europe’s Solidarity Fund to help with your participation in the Congress, you can apply for it [here](https://forms.gle/nD9XZkKfU8y47a3V7). Please note that the Solidarity Fund is available for a limited number of participants, as it depends on the co-funding and grants we receive. The deadline to apply is on 25th September 2023. You will receive a reply by 29th September 2023 the latest. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO ALSO APPLY VIA THE INDIVIDUAL REGISTRATION FORM. #### JEF Spain’s Congress Pre-Programs * If you are also interested in attending one of the pre-programs organised by JEF Spain in Toledo or Barcelona taking place before JEF Europe’s Congress, or a social program in Madrid on Thursday 9th November, please check out the [pre-program booklet](https://jef.eu/download/7475/) for more information. You can sign up through the following [form](https://forms.jefspain.org/preprograms). For any general questions about the JEF Europe XXVII European Congress, please contact Andrew Micallef . # JEF Europe's Solidarity Fund JEF Europe's Solidarity Fund is designed to support the participation of individual members of JEF, whose financial situation makes it difficult to cover their travel costs (e.g. students with few resources, unemployed, young professionals with a student loan
), and whose national or local JEF section cannot cover their travel costs. If you require JEF Europe’s Solidarity Fund to help with your participation in the Congress, you can apply for it [here](https://forms.gle/nD9XZkKfU8y47a3V7). Please note that the Solidarity Fund is available for a very limited number of participants, as it depends on the co-funding and grants we receive. The deadline to apply is on 25th September 2023. You will receive a reply by 29th September 2023 at the latest. Please make sure to also apply # JEF Spain’s Congress Pre-Programs Do you want to add on to the #EUCO2023 experience? Why not attend one of the pre-programs organised by JEF Spain? If you are also interested in attending one of the pre-programs organised by JEF Spain in Toledo or Barcelona taking place before JEF Europe’s Congress, or a social program in Madrid on Thursday 9th November, please check out the pre-program booklet below for more information. You can sign up through the following [form](https://forms.jefspain.org/preprograms). {% embed url="" fullWidth="false" %} # Call for Candidates JEF Europe are launching a Call for Candidates for Statutory Positions for the 2024-2025 mandate. Candidacies will be presented and voted upon during the XXVII European Congress in Madrid, Spain. #### Open Statutory Positions Statutory positions open for candidacies are the following: * Executive Board: * President (1 person) * Vice-President (2 persons) * Treasurer (1 person) * Executive Board Member (4 persons) * Directly elected Federal Committee Member (16 persons) * Arbitration Board (5 persons) * Auditors’ Committee (2-3 persons) For a more comprehensive understanding of these roles and the incumbent members elected during the last European Congress in 2021, please refer to the [following link](https://jef.eu/about-jef/people/). As per the statutes of JEF Europe, there is no set deadline to apply to the positions. All candidacies submitted by 4th October 2023 at 23:59 CEST will be published on the EUCO23 website (more information on this soon) by 8th October 2023. After this cutoff date, candidacies will be published on the website up to 3 working days after their submission.
#### Application Guidelines Please use this **application form (**[**in .doc here** ](https://jef.eu/download/7467/)and [**in .pdf here**](https://jef.eu/download/7451/)**)** to submit your candidacy for any of the following positions. More role-specific guidelines are detailed below. ***President***\ Please fill in the application form with the information that is specified in it, and send it to and .\ Maximum length: 3 A4 pages.\ Besides this, please share a 5-minute video to attach to your application, and it will be shared on the Congress website.\ Ideally, the video should be shared in an mp4 format, with horizontal/portrait orientation. ***Vice-President***\ Please fill in the application form with the information that is specified in it, and send it to and .\ Maximum length: 2 A4 pages. (font size)\ Besides this, please share a 3-minute video to attach to your application, and it will be shared on the Congress website.\ Ideally, the video should be shared in an mp4 format, with horizontal/portrait orientation. ***Treasurer***\ Please fill in the application form with the information that is specified in it, and send it to and .\ Maximum length: 2 A4 pages.\ Besides this, please share a 3-minute video to attach to your application, and it will be shared on the Congress website.\ Ideally, the video should be shared in an mp4 format, with horizontal/portrait orientation. ***Executive Board Member***\ Please fill in the application form with the information that is specified in it, and send it to and .\ Maximum length: 2 A4 pages.\ Besides this, please share a 3-minute video to attach to your application, and it will be shared on the Congress website.\ Ideally, the video should be shared in an mp4 format, with horizontal/portrait orientation. ***Directly Elected Federal Committee Member***\ Please fill in the application form with the information that is specified in it, and send it to and together with a picture.\ Maximum length: 1 A4 page. ***Arbitration Board***\ Please fill in the application form with the information that is specified in it, and send it to and together with a picture.\ Maximum length: 1 A4 page. ***Auditors’ Committee***\ Please fill in the application form with the information that is specified in it, and send it to and together with a picture.\ Maximum length: 1 A4 page. For any clarifications and/or questions please contact the Secretary General of JEF Europe, Judit Lantai (). # Call for JEF sections to host the Autumn FC in 2024 JEF Europe are pleased to open the call for JEF national sections to host the Autumn 2024 Federal Committee Meeting! We are looking for a motivated JEF section interested in hosting our Federal Committee meeting (from Friday evening till Sunday lunchtime) in November 2024. This Autumn FC will be the first JEF Europe statutory meeting after the 2024 European Parliament elections, so it is foreseen that activities surrounding this might also take place during the FC The following characteristics are of fundamental importance: * The hosting city should be relatively well connected to most parts of Europe; * A dedicated team of minimum 4-5 JEF activists on spot who will assist the European Secretariat with logistical matters (e.g. venue, accommodation, public transportation, materials
); * Motivation and commitment to explore and apply for local, regional, and national co-funding sources; * Any proposals for travel options, catering, venues etc are in line with JEF Europe’s internal resolution ‘For a more Sustainable JEF’ (which can be found in [our Member Area](https://jef.eu/member-area/)) to ensure the organisation’s commitment towards environment sustainability. If your section is interested in hosting the FC, you **can send your proposal** to our Secretary General at **** by 5th November 2023. The final proposal should contain: * The reasons why you wish to host the FC meeting; * The name and price (estimate, ideally a quotation) of at least three potential venues, accommodations and restaurants that could host between 80 and 100 people; * Social programme for Saturday evening; * A list of travel options (how to reach the host city from different corners of Europe), including public transportation on site; * Options for co-funding on the local/regional/national level; * A realistic provisional budget. * A brief risk assessment The **deadline** to submit your application is 5th November 2023. Your section will have the opportunity to present your bid at the XXVII European Congress in Madrid (10th-12th November). Do not hesitate to get in touch with Judit Lantai () and Andrew Micallef () for any clarifications or questions. # Hello Newbie! If this is your first Congress, and you're feeling slightly overwhelmed or confused about everything, then this page is for you! ### Save the Date(s)!
We will have three meetings in total which concern the Congress. During the **International Officers' Evening** on 10th October, we will give the latest logistical updates about the Congress preparations and hold a debate training in the framework of our MEET project to provide internal skills development. * Doodle: * Zoom Link: As a lead-up to the Congress, we will host an online event on 25th October (***19:00 - 21:00 CET***), where candidates for the JEF Europe Executive Board will share their visions for the upcoming mandate in more depth as part of a **MEET the Candidates** event. If you consider running for the Executive Board, please mark this date in your calendar especially. In order to be a part of this event, your candidature should be submitted by 22 October (however, there is no general deadline for applications). * Doodle: * Zoom Link: Finally, a **Congress Preparatory Webinar** on 2nd November (***19:00 - 20:00 CET***) will go into JEF's statutory bodies, the agenda items and all the procedures of the event, making it the perfect opportunity for newbies to get acquainted! * Doodle: * Zoom Link: Please fill in the **Doodle** for these meetings to indicate your attendance. If you cannot attend these meetings, the recordings and presentations will be published on this website. ### International Officers' Evening 10/10/2023 * **Presentation**: * **Recorded Meeting:** ### MEET the Candidates 25/10/2023 * **Recorded Meeting:** ### **Congress Preparatory Webinar** 02/11/2023 * **Presentation**: * **Recorded Meeting:** # Important Links To quickly find those Congress documents Looking for *Resolutions, Minutes, Rules of Procedure, and more?* ### **Find everything in our Member Area** {% embed url="" fullWidth="false" %} *Looking to view Resolutions and submit your Amendments?* ### **Amendment Platform** {% embed url="" %} # Digital Guidelines
### **Social Media Guidelines** **Hashtags:** #EUCO2023 | #JEFSpirit **Tags:** @jef\_europe | @jef.spain # Agenda Stay updated with the Congress Agenda below {% hint style="warning" %} **UPDATED 10/11/2023. Please note that this is just the draft agenda.** {% endhint %} {% embed url="" %} # Infokit The Infokit contains all information related to the accommodation, venues, social activities, and how to reach Madrid. For the detailed agenda, check out the previous tab. {% hint style="warning" %} **UPDATED 10/11/2023.** {% endhint %} {% embed url="" %} # President Below you can find the current published candidacies for the position of President of JEF Europe. One person can be elected for this position. {% tabs %} {% tab title="Christelle SAVALL" %} ## Christelle SAVALL {% embed url="" %} {% hint style="info" %} **Contact Christelle** EMAIL: TWITTER: [@crmsavall ](https://twitter.com/crmsavall) INSTAGRAM: [@christellesavall ](https://www.instagram.com/christellesavall/) FACEBOOK: [Christelle Savall](https://www.facebook.com/christelle.savall) {% endhint %} ### **About Me** Hi everyone! I'm Christelle, and I have been a **dedicated member of JEF since 2012.** I am currently **Senior Vice President of JEF Europe**, the main coordinator of Democracy under Pressure, contact person for 8 sections, in charge of enlargement advocacy... and so much more! I also **founded our new and upcoming JEF section in Luxembourg!** Before being elected Vice President, I have been a member of the Executive Board (EB), of the **Federal Committee (FC)** and its **Presidium** as well as **co-chair of the Task Force Capacity Building** and an **internal auditor**. In 2016-17, I was **treasurer of JEF France**. Before that, I had successively been in charge of conferences, Vice President, and **President of my section in Paris**. I was also in JEF in Sweden/Germany during my ERASMUS exchange semesters. I monitor projects in Africa at the European Investment Bank. I hold two master degrees in international affairs/ finance from the University of St Gallen and Sciences Po. Some random things about me: I love to read, to dance (name a partner dance and I probably tried it already), I really enjoy karaoke. I also love to learn and speak different languages: French, English, German, Swedish and Spanish, so feel free to contact me in any of those! ### **Motivation for the Position** JEF made me the person I am today, gave me many friends, a voice, competencies and the courage to step forward. **Today I am stepping forward for the JEF we could be, an even more political and more united JEF, centred around our volunteers and sections.** Starting from my long experience in JEF Europe, I co-constructed my vision and priorities together with the sections and, should you entrust me with that position, I want to focus on our grassroot political development. **The European elections of 2024 must be a stepping stone to build a stronger JEF ready to advocate further for federalism**: a JEF with a higher number of volunteers in 2025 than in 2023, because while civic education and campaigns for voting for 2024 is crucial, federalism goes beyond 2024, we are only starting! Let's surf on the momentum of our ideas! I want to work on more **bottom up federalist campaigns with a fun and youthful angle and to focus both on public awareness and advocacy** to decision makers. I also want to continue to work on advocacy of our ideas within and towards other networks so they adopt it in their platform and to form coalitions. At the same time, JEF Europe should be more present in the media, with for example more op-eds. In terms of highlights of our advocacy next mandate I want us to: * Reclaim the **treaty change** campaign, capitalising on our Conference on the future of Europe success; * In parallel, keep on our work on **enlargement**; * Continue our **EUkraine** advocacy, support Ukraine and work with Ukrainian civil society on enlargement as, beyond formal processes, enlargement is about the connection of people; * Maintain our unwavering commitment to **rule of law**, one of the cornerstone of federalism; * Restart our **Don’t Touch My Schengen** campaign. **JEF is the sum of its sections, we only exist thanks to volunteers on the ground** and our actions at local, regional and national levels. I want us to further **consolidate** our central and Eastern European sections. We should support small sections to reach 50 members as is already the case for most of our candidate sections! It is also crucial to **complete our network** in the Balkans but also in Iceland now that a majority of the population is in favour of EU accession. I want us to find more funding and training opportunities for all, including future EU sections. You might have heard me ask before: What’s the federalist angle? **Every action JEF Europe does should advance federalism, support section growth and ensure the well being of our volunteers!** ### My vision of the future of JEF #### A federal advocacy with strong political sections **Our advocacy for a federal Europe should be federal in itself!** Rather than speaking about rule of law from Luxembourg or Brussels, we should **lift the voices of our volunteers** in Hungary, Poland, Greece etc. Even in a federal Europe, many decisions will happen at the national level, and, in the meantime our advocacy for a federal Europe should be done together with our national sections. To advocate for Bulgaria and Romania to enter Schengen, it is more efficient to publish articles and talk to decision makers in the Netherlands and Austria than preaching the already convinced in Brussels. **2022 saw our membership number fall to the lowest level in 10 years**. While, together with other members of the EB, I have worked tirelessly to start new sections - I am so proud and happy to see so many sections applying for full membership - our network should not be spread thinner to new countries but both enlarged and strengthened. **We need to focus on our sections by organising two trainings a year, one in Brussels and one outside of Belgium.** The current and future board members of our sections trained will live our European volunteering with other Europeans. They will create personal connections all across Europe, as a basis for more collaboration in the network so we remain a **real crossborder youth movement.** They will also be able to exchange good practices, for which there is almost no time for at statutory events. Our small and middle-size sections can get training for their members they might not have had otherwise, and focus on recruitment, civic education and advocacy. We need to reinforce the role of point of contact on both sides to better communicate on our priorities. Through my experience as a contact person of many sections, I experienced how **crucial the role of point of contact** can be to grow the relationship with and within JEF Europe and help sections flourish, both organisationally and politically. I also plan to restart the **open hours of the President for the sections**, so our national volunteers know they can always find support at the European level! #### Invest in our internal democracy **The Federal Committee meetings are the heart of our internal democracy** and a very important moment for our association to work together on our internal development, decide on our policies and campaigns and meet each other. Currently travels of directly elected FC members are not reimbursed, despite their valuable work for our organisation, unless they benefit from the Solidarity Fund. **Every directly elected FC member should be able to access travel reimbursement for their travels to FC meetings**. This is how we ensure the most committed members apply and we increase the diversity of our recruitment. Access to elected positions should not be linked to having a job or coming from a wealthy background or country but only rest on our dedication to federalism! **Investing in our directly elected FC members is ensuring their continued participation and showing their work is meaningful and valued,** thereby contributing to their motivation. The Solidarity Fund would therefore only focus on sections, covering up to a fourth of them, thereby **securing the participation of national delegates from far-away and less wealthy countries and making sure everyone has a voice.** We should also foster **swift internal communication** between the EB, the Secretariat, the FC and sections to **make sure we work as the Europe united team we aim to be** and that everyone can benefit the most of the opportunities offered. The planning and sequencing of deliverables should always be paced to avoid overwhelming sections and volunteers alike. The microgrants should remain a focus of our support to sections, to dynamise both recruitment and social impact. **Both these priorities cost money, good news is that we already have it!** I run as a volunteer and not as a paid President and propose to allocate the amount of the President salary to fund this program. You can request access to the detailed budget [**here**](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10oGipUErmqDX2G6ztLgTkaOrBkqp7xXWoeq11VKYGlQ/edit#gid=0). With 25 and counting JEF travels in 2023, a very flexible work which allows me to telework from abroad and 60+ vacation days next year, **I will be fully dedicated to the role. JEF is my passion and my calling**, I am running for President today because I am fully convinced I can fulfil this position to the benefit of the organisation. #### A healthy managed association of volunteers One takeaway from this mandate is also the need to focus on the well being of our volunteers. **JEF Europe is my home and I want everyone of us to feel welcome, empowered and cared for**. I want the EB but also the FC to feel like a team where everyone has a safety net and know they will be trained but also provided with support when needed, the same way they ́ll support others in time of need. This focus on mental health, and our focus on diversity, **should not be something we do but the way we do everything.** ### **My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups** It will be up for the FC to decide of course but based on the feedback I collected I‘d say we could structure it more, by planning Taskforces (TFs) and Political Commissions (PC) calls in advance to make them **more accessible** on our social media and on our website. We should continue to meet up regularly with the FC to foster team dynamics, inform each other on our work and get trained together. As contact person for PC3, I am very happy to see new important PC resolutions such as the one on Switzerland. As for TFs, as contact person for TF Empowerment and Diversity, I believe this TF is highly needed. We could also regroup Civic Education, Green JEF and Capacity Building in a bigger taskforce with more chairs to foster team spirit and share responsibilities. We could also co-opt one of the editors-in-chief of The New Federalist to further collaboration. {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} # Vice-President Below you can find the current published candidacies for the position of Vice-President of JEF Europe. Two persons can be elected for this position. ### {% tabs %} {% tab title="Xesc MAINZER CARDELL" %} ## Xesc MAINZER CARDELL {% embed url="" %} {% hint style="info" %} **Contact Xesc** EMAIL: [xesc.mainzer@jef.eu ]() ADDITIONAL CONTACT: [linktr.ee/xmainzer](https://linktr.ee/xmainzer) {% endhint %} ### **About Me** My name is Xesc, I am 30 years old, and even though I am originally from the sunny island of Mallorca, at the moment I live in the wonderfully weathered city of Brussels. I am also a Historian, and I am currently finishing my PhD thesis (by the time EUCO 2023 is here, I will more than likely have finished my first draft of the thesis, wish me luck!). On a more personal note, I am a big-time fan of vexillology, coins, and trains, so if you like any of those feel free to approach me for a chat. I have been a member of JEF for over a decade, a time in which I have been involved at all levels of the organisation. On the local/regional level, I founded my own section in my region of the Balearic Islands, while also having been a treasurer in JEF Madrid. And for 5 years I was part of the board of JEF Spain, being its president during the first year of the COVID pandemic. For the past 2 years, I have been a co-chair of the Task Force on Empowerment and Diversity in my capacity as a member of the Federal Committee, while also helping establish a cross-border section (JEF Pyrenees-Mediterranean) alongside JEF Catalonia and JEF Toulouse. Last, but not least, last February I was nominated by JEF-Europe (and elected) as a member of the Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe. ### Motivation for the Position JEF has given me a lot on a personal and human level. I owe most of my personal growth during the past decade to our organisation and the people I have encountered in it. In that sense, I feel I owe JEF back and I want to repay by contributing to the best of my ability. Besides that, my years of extensive experience and contact with the network have given me the expertise that I feel is needed to successfully undertake the responsibilities of a Vice-President of JEF-Europe. What I would like to do if elected can be grouped in **four** different **areas**: * A JEF that’s ***resilient***: * **Reinforce** our **non-strictly-political activities** that help us fulfil our goals while also building community spirit such as the webzines and our civic education programmes. * Further **support** for **section twinning** and fostering the creation of **cross-border sections** on the model of current projects such as JEF Pyrenees-Mediterranean or JEF Oberrhein, while finding ways to involve them in our supranational structures. * **Strengthen the communication** between the EB, FC and the sections to work together on finding solutions to the networks’ problems that work for everyone. * **Continue** with the work done on the **Federalist Academy** by ensuring it becomes a permanent part of our annual schedule (similarly to the Ventotene Seminar or our statutory events) in which our members can better understand what the ‘F’ in JEF stands for and how they can be better Federalists. It would be desirable to expand the academy so that it can be **replicated at national and regional levels** by providing material, contents, and bibliographical recommendations. * A JEF that’s ***safe and plural***: * **Strengthen** our **Code of Conduct (CofC)** implementation by working with sections and TF Empowerment and Diversity to create a network-wide system of CofC enforcement and reporting to better protect our members and ensure all of JEF remains a safe space for everyone. * Include **multilingualism** in our external communications by creating a volunteer-based pool of translators in order to translate our contents to other languages than English and aim at the eventual transformation of jef.eu into a multilingual website. * An ***outreaching*** JEF: * **Stronger** on-the-ground **action**, with new and out-of-the-box **campaigns** to promote our ideas beyond our usual target groups while also fostering a diversified membership growth. * **Promote** active **youth council participation** from our sections to bring our vision to the wider organised young civil society outside of our usual avenues such as the European Movement. * **Involve other organisations** which have a core topic of expertise in assisting in our policy adoption process, with a special view on involving our partners in the European Youth Forum. * Promote **collaboration** between our sections and local **NGOs that share our goals and values**. * A JEF that ***remembers***: * Work with the Historical Archives of the EU in Florence to **digitalise** the fonds of the organisation’s **historical archive** and turn them into an **accessible online archive** so that our members can better understand the historical trajectory that has shaped JEF and our current Federalist thinking. * Institute **regular meetings** between current and **former members of statutory bodies** of JEF to ensure an adequate transfer of knowledge and **exchange of expertise** so that we can better address the issues our network is going through without having to reinvent previously explored methods. ### My vision of the future of JEF An obvious priority for the next mandate is the **upcoming European elections** and bringing our federalist solutions to the forefront of the political debate. However, the EP elections should not be our single priority. After the polls close on June 9, we will be facing a different landscape where it is likely that reactionary and far-right forces, hostile to both civil society participation and our federalist ideas, will have a larger say in EU policy. In that regard, we as a network will **need to prepare to resist** under an institutional framework that may not be as open to our ideas as it has been in previous times. Besides that, one of our priorities will continue to be pursuing a **lobbying strategy** vis-Ă  the European institutions, while also coordinating joint action campaigns by our national sections on their governments. In this area, we should be **stepping up our lobbying** efforts at the **local and regional levels**. The governance levels closest to the citizen are essential as an ally to counterbalance national powers, but can also be proof that Federalism is not about ‘creating a European superstate’ but getting decision-making closest to the citizen. Finally, we need to prioritise **organisational presence and growth in non-EU countries**. The perspective of enlargement in the upcoming years makes it essential that JEF becomes a reference point among the youth civil society in future or prospective EU member states. ### My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups So far, the structure of our Political Commissions and Task Forces has been quite functional. My only recommendation on this area would be to reconvert TF European Elections into a TF Actions and Campaigns after the 2024 election is over. However, I believe that the debate on the structure of our PCs and TFs has to take place in the framework of the Federal Committee that takes place after our congress. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Martin BOGOMILOV PENOV" %} ## Martin BOGOMILOV PENOV {% hint style="info" %} **Contact Martin** EMAIL: [martinbpenov@gmail.com ]() ADDITIONAL CONTACT: [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/martin.bp), [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/MartinBPenov), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinbpenov/) {% endhint %} ### About Me Europe has been at the centre of my activism from the very start. I decided to go into politics around 2014 when both Bulgaria and Ukraine were facing massive protests. After seeing Russia annex Crimea and the parallels with my own country, I decided to get more involved in political activism. While that wasn’t possible in my hometown, European organisations like JEF gave me an avenue to learn more about the continent and why the European project matters, especially thanks to the Democracy under Pressure campaign which I found relatable as a Bulgarian. In 2020, I moved to the UK to pursue a Bachelor’s in Politics and International Relations in Manchester. Despite the obvious challenges of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, I joined a group of JEFers and took part in reviving JEF’s UK section – the Young European Movement UK. This organisation and the amazing people in it would define the next three years of my life as we went from a group of dedicated Europhiles doing online events to a vibrant community of young activists who I will always consider dear friends. As Treasurer and later as Vice-President & International Officer, I’ve worked on events, social media presence, building partnerships, recruiting people and expanding YEM’s network. I also attended numerous JEF events throughout that time, including representing YEM UK at FC meetings. A big focus for me was of course DuP which won us the “Best Social Media” award during the 2022 Spring FC. During my time with YEM I faced many challenges, but I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and that YEM is now the main youth organisation linking Britain’s youth with Europe, as well as the European Parliament’s closest youth partner in the UK. In 2022 I finally made it a reality and founded the local section of the UK’s second city. YEM Manchester quickly grew into an active and diverse section. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February, I spent the entirety of the 24th working on mobilising the section and the UoM Students Union, the largest in the country. We launched a YEM-led campaign to raise funds for charity, collect supplies for refugees and support our local Ukrainian youth in organising their own community which is still active to this day. We ensured that JEF will always have a place in Manchester – the city where we hosted YEM UK’s Annual General Meeting in 2023. Thanks to our efforts, the section was featured in newspapers and won awards for its civic engagement. Outside of my direct experience as a YEM board member, I’ve always made sure to represent JEF at all events I attend, from Council of Europe trainings to conferences linked to Eastern Europe, as well as promoting links with other initiatives I’m heavily involved in such as the Young European Ambassadors and The European Correspondent. ### Motivation for the position The situation in the east is what got me into activism and because of that I’d like to see JEF grow eastwards. I want to contribute to this by using my network in Eastern Europe and the Balkans to find and help motivated young people who can create new sections. I’d also like to support regional initiatives where already established sections can support smaller ones. Europe’s future is in the east where we see the biggest sacrifices being made today. Now is the first time in history that JEF has a chance to expand to these countries and I want to make sure we use it. Democracy under Pressure is also vital for this as it shines light on the challenges the region faces and I would like to take on the campaign and see it continue more ambitious than ever. Ukraine will remain a key issue for me and I hope to JEF can collaborate with youth in the country on projects like Lviv EYC 2025, as well as give a voice to young people from Belarus and Russia who want to see their countries free of tyranny. Expanding JEF’s network is also a top priority. This includes engaging with other youth organisations, as well as with media. I have a background in journalism, having worked previously for Emerging Europe and currently writing for The European Correspondent and EU Neighbours East, and will use it to increase JEF’s visibility wherever possible. The last key point is improving JEF’s visual identity and helping smaller sections hone their skills in design so that we have an attractive and professional organisation. This is something I committed a lot of time on in YEM UK and would like to continue to do so on the European level. ### My vision of the future of JEF My biggest motivation is to see a truly pan-European JEF. This organisation has undoubtedly been one of the most important things I’ve dedicated my time to and I want to see an inclusive JEF present in every corner of Europe. Civil society in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership has been pushing for a European future for these regions and JEF should be a part of this phenomenon. Federalist ideas should lead the way to EU membership for young people. The European Elections are crucial as this is an opportunity for us to promote our federalist ideals among future policy makers. JEF should not be afraid to engage in politics, as long as we retain our non-partisan nature. Another key aspect to this is engaging with youth parties so that we can provide a federalist perspective across the political spectrum. Most importantly, JEF has to be an organisation standing for unity. While enlargement is incredibly important, we also have to look at consolidation of what has been achieved thus far. Populism is rising again in Europe and we must fight these Eurosceptic narratives. As Orban’s Hungary vetoes EU aid to Ukraine and Austria blocks Bulgaria and Romania’s Schengen entry, we have to keep reminding people why being united is so important. This means not only combatting disinformation, but also fighting for reform. ### My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups To have an inclusive JEF, we need to create a working group on languages. JEF prides itself on its pan-European nature and making our website, particularly event statements and policies, accessible is crucial. Engagement with national and local sections is key to achieving this. Goals would include not only translation of future content, but ensuring JEF’s campaign materials are adaptable not only to Latin-based alphabets, but also Cyrillic, Greek, and hopefully one day Georgian and Armenian to ensure all our sections can campaign with a shared visual identity. {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} # Treasurer Below you can find the current published candidacies for the position of Treasurer of JEF Europe. One person can be elected for this position. ### {% tabs %} {% tab title="AlĂ©xandros APOSTOLIDIS" %} ## AlĂ©xandros APOSTOLIDIS {% hint style="info" %} **Contact AlĂ©xandros** EMAIL: {% endhint %} ### About Me I am a passionate JEFer since 2012 and the International Officer of JEF Greece since 2016. Through JEF, I am also a board member of the Alumni Network of the European Charlemagne Youth Prize in charge of political contacts and of the communication with the European Parliament and the Charlemagne Foundation. I hold a Bachelor’s in International and European Studies and a Master’s in Democratic Education and Social Competences, and I am now starting my second Bachelor’s in Law. I am currently working for the Franco-German Forum for the Future and in the last years I have gathered valuable experience in the University Grenoble Alpes, at the German Parliament and at UNESCO. I speak German, French, Spanish, Italian, English and Greek. During the last decade, JEF has offered me amazing opportunities to meet like-minded people from different countries and backgrounds, to participate in exchanges and trips, to grow my capacities and improve my social competences through trainings and workshops, to create a network of socially engaged young people in all Europe, and to raise awareness about European citizenship and the vision of the federalization of Europe. ### Motivation for the position I am thankful for the engagement and the transparency that we in JEF Europe can be proud of, while I acknowledge with all my heart and mind the great work that the current Board and the current treasurer have done and are still doing. My interest in the position of the treasurer is related to my wish to work with dedication to the direction of a JEF that, with donations and partnerships, will be able to organise many of its events in an independent manner and to enable more exchanges with physical presence, with refunds that open our activities even more to members from less advantaged backgrounds and with reduced financial means. I want to put the focus on transparency and on community building JEF-wide and I am convinced that the position of the treasurer would be ideal for the transversal way of working for my priority: a community- building relying on trust, on transparency, on methodical approaches, on cross-team interactions, and on regular opportunities for meetings in real life. My goal is for our JEF always disposing of liquidity and having healthy economics with diversified sources of capital. I am motivated to work for this task because it is indispensable for all the other activities that contribute to for community building, capacity building, and learning opportunities that our hearts burn for. During the last decade, JEF has been a constant factor in my life, helping me grow as a person and as a citizen. Sometimes it has been through trainings, workshops and seminars, sometimes it has been through political activities, online campaigns and street actions. Most importantly, JEF is its members on all levels – and so I have gained many valuable friendships and numerous chances to exchange perspectives with like-minded people from different backgrounds and with different life stories. After I had the privilege to happily profit from all the various activities of JEF as a member and on national level, now it is time for me to give back to JEF Europe as much as I can. I want to invest all the experience that I have gathered as a JEFer and all the competences that my studies and work experience have offered me as a treasurer. What better way than to work on making sure that we can afford our activities, organise them in the most independent way possible, and render them available to even more people from less advantaged backgrounds? I will dedicate myself in the activities of the board and contribute to the preparation of our activities, putting the transparency towards all members, and the community building, as priorities. ### My vision of the future of JEF JEF is simultaneously a youth organization and a youth community; we are in JEF because we want to engage in civil society and promote our agenda for youth participation in European politics, but also because we are like-minded people, passionate about an idea that often does not get the recognition it deserves and is misrepresented by the mainstream media and most political parties. I want to contribute to making sure JEF stands for a strong community building among its members from all levels and that it remains a safe space for a healthy debate and creative social interactions. Furthermore, JEF should prioritise the expansion of its network of politicians and stakeholders, and safeguard that as many members as possible come in contact with them and profit from opportunities to interact with them. From the position of the treasurer I will invest my time and energy in ensuring our liquidity and trying to diversify our sources of funds and income. This is important for me, because only a JEF with sufficient liquidity will be able to organise many of its activities in a non-project-based funding and only a JEF with diversified sources of income will have the flexibility to be more inclusive and open its opportunities to even more of its members from less advantaged backgrounds. I will lead conversations for the board to come to a consensus about which criteria and priorities we would have when asking for donations and establishing partnerships, with the goal of JEF appealing to new members, getting donations and cooperating in funded activities, and being inclusive in its community building and the opportunities it offers. ### My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups As a treasurer and as an individual I will engage myself for healthy and motivating group dynamics and try to ensure that the final constellation of our Political Commissions and Task Forces/Working Groups be the result of collective intelligence and reflect on the qualities and goals of all those elected. I also believe that having Political Commissions and Task Forces that could provide us with access to funds, donations and funded events could become one of the criteria for choosing the topics and goals of (some of) the TF and PC – depending on the context and the subject, of course, and only when compatible with our goals as JEF and our non-partisanship and independence. I advocate for the creation of a Task Force on the Network of Stakeholders, with the task of expanding our contacts with politicians and the civil society and with the goal to create a method and various opportunities for as many members as possible to benefit from the interaction with them. This network can also prove be useful in our research for donations that will not limit our non-partisanship and political independence. I also believe that our Task Force on Green Transition would profit from a focus on all Sustainable Development Goals and would propose having a Task Force on Sustainability instead of a Task Force on Green Transition; I would even consider the establishment of an SDGs Political Commussion, too. This Task Force and/or Political Commission would benefit greatly from contacts with institutions in charge of the monitoring and the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals in the different countries and organisations and this could also impact our access to funds, possible donations and funded events in the mid- and long-term. {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} # Executive Board Member Below you can find the current published candidacies for the position of Executive Board Member of JEF Europe. Four persons can be elected for this position. ### {% tabs %} {% tab title="AlĂ©xandros APOSTOLIDIS" %} ## AlĂ©xandros APOSTOLIDIS {% embed url="" %} {% hint style="info" %} **Contact AlĂ©xandros** EMAIL: {% endhint %} ### About Me I am a passionate JEFer since 2012 and the International Officer of JEF Greece since 2016. Through JEF, I am also a board member of the Alumni Network of the European Charlemagne Youth Prize in charge of political contacts and of the communication with the European Parliament and the Charlemagne Foundation. I hold a Bachelor’s in International and European Studies and a Master’s in Democratic Education and Social Competences, and I am now starting my second Bachelor’s in Law. I am currently working for the Franco-German Forum for the Future and in the last years I have gathered valuable experience in the University Grenoble Alpes, at the German Parliament and at UNESCO. I speak German, French, Spanish, Italian, English and Greek. During the last decade, JEF has offered me amazing opportunities to meet like-minded people from different countries and backgrounds, to participate in exchanges and trips, to grow my capacities and improve my social competences through trainings and workshops, to create a network of socially engaged young people in all Europe, and to raise awareness about European citizenship and the vision of the federalization of Europe – often in activities I organized myself and often in activities where I was a participant of. ### Motivation for the Position During the last decade JEF has been a constant factor in my life, helping me grow as a person and as a citizen. Sometimes it has been through trainings, workshops and seminars, sometimes it has been through political activities, online campaigns and street actions. Most importantly, JEF is its members on all levels – and so I have gained many valuable friendships and numerous chances to exchange perspectives with like-minded people from different backgrounds and with different life stories. After I had the privilege to happily profit from all the various activities of JEF as a member and on national level, now it is time for me to give back to JEF Europe as much as I can. I want to invest all the experience that I have gathered as a JEFer and all the competences that my studies and work experience have offered me as an executive board member. I will dedicate myself in the activities of the board and contribute to the preparation of our activities, putting the transparency towards all members and the community building as priorities. ### My Vision of the Future of JEF JEF is simultaneously a youth organization and a youth community; we are in JEF because we want to engage in civil society and promote our agenda for youth participation in European politics, but also because we are like-minded people, passionate about an idea that often does not get the recognition it deserves and is misrepresented by the mainstream media and most political parties. I want to contribute to making sure JEF stands for a strong community building among its members from all levels and that it remains a safe space for a healthy debate and creative social interactions. Furthermore, JEF should prioritise the expansion of its network of politicians and stakeholders, and safeguard that as many members as possible come in contact with them and profit from opportunities to interact with them. ### My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups As an executive board member, I will advocate for the creation of a Task Force on the Network of Stakeholders, with the task of expanding our contacts with politicians and the civil society and with the goal to create a method and various opportunities for as many members as possible to benefit from the interaction with them. I also believe that our Task Force on Green Transition would profit from a focus on all Sustainable Development Goals and would propose having a Task Force on Sustainability instead of a Task Force on Green Transition; this Task Force would benefit greatly from contacts with institutions in charge of the monitoring and the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals in the different countries and organisations. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Kati SYSTÄ" %} ## Kati SYSTÄ {% embed url="" %} {% hint style="info" %} **Contact Kati** EMAIL: ADDITIONAL CONTACT: +358 44 3007560, @katisyst on social media {% endhint %} ### About Me Hi! I am Kati, a JEFer since 2017 from Finland. My history with JEF Finland started at our yearly Castle Seminar in August 2017 and I was a member of the national board in 2020. I am currently working as advocacy coordinator for a large youth organisation and my academic background is in public international law and human rights law. For the past two years, I have been a directly elected member of the Federal Committee, having also co-chaired the taskforce Empowerment & Diversity. In this role we have worked to make JEF more inclusive as a network and on issues of accessibility, mental health, and lastly updating of the JEF Code of Conduct and the internal resolution on inclusion and empowerment. Outside of JEF, I have more than 10 years of experience in boards of youth organisations on local, national, and international levels which I am sure will be useful in this role as well. Feel free to reach out to me and ask anything! ### Motivation for the Position As a federalist, I believe that a strong European Union is needed in solving the global challenges we face, and that by only this way can Europe be an impactful force for democracy and human rights globally. As a feminist I believe that this future is for all, and everyone should be included in building it. This means that civil society and organisations need to take active steps to be more inclusive for people from different backgrounds. Therefore, I am very much a fan of scary f-words. I see that we should look over our processes and whether our European-level activities are easy to participate in for all young people. This includes events, trainings, and various meetings. I believe that network-wide capacity building is a way to achieve this. We should also look to make the ways we develop our political positions accessible for all. While I enjoy academic debates, these can be more difficult to approach for some. Our aim of a united Europe needs young people from all backgrounds to understand our goals and purpose. This means that our work needs to be easy for anyone to join. I also believe that change and new ideas come from the grassroots level. Therefore, it is important to work for JEF Europe to be more approachable for all different levels of sections and to develop our network together. Communication is not only a one-way street, and we should be developing our messages and campaigns together with our sections. Shared campaigns, also outside of election campaigns, will make our message heard louder and clearer across the continent. These messages need to be developed together and in time. Finally, I would like to work to develop our cooperation with other youth NGOs and movements. We can act as a valuable partner or an ally to a cause that supports our aims and can find valuable allies for our goals. My experience is that such networks and cooperation carry long into the future and help everyone’s voices to be heard louder. I wish to work to recognise if we have any blind spots in the field of youth organisations. My work in advocacy and with various other societal actors has given me good tools for planning and doing advocacy for various issues, as well as building partnerships. ### My Vision of the Future of JEF #### 1. Elections & advocacy in collaboration with our sections 2024 is a big election year. This is clearly the focus of the first half of the first year of the mandate which is soon followed by advocating for our positions, also post-election, to the new elected representatives of all Europeans. This should be done in cooperation with national sections. Our goal should be to meet every single newly elected member of the European Parliament – which is something the work of the national sections would be vital in. #### 2. JEF 2030 & 2050 JEF has developed and matured as an organisation which requires us to think long term. The increased size of the European-level activity, as reflected in the larger budget, gives us whole new opportunities and expectations to take even bigger roles in various forums. We need to look at the development of the membership numbers across the continent and ensure growth also in this front. Long-term approach is not just looking at the next project or the one after that – as a strong pro- European youth organisation is needed also in the coming decades. The steps to set our network in the path of where we want JEF to be in 2030 and 2050 need to be established already today. #### 3. Open and approachable JEF Easily approachable advocacy and understandable positions open doors for more young people – large part of this work is done on national level and locally. The European level has developed various tools for this. There are also resources available for sections to develop their work, and the European level should be available to support sections also through training. Ideally, we would also have forums and platforms where sections could share their tools and best practices. We also need to be present at all European level forums where relevant topics are discussed. This means continued active participation within the European Movement and the UEF, and participation in the European Youth Event. We should also be visible at other events where civil society movements meet, e.g., the EuroPride. We must recognise that young people engage in a range of movements. To meet as many young people as possible, we need to also go outside of our traditional forums. Even if these movements may not be personally relevant for all JEFers, showing allyship to our members and other movements will translate into allyship towards our vision as well. ### My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups I believe it is up to the Federal Committee to decide which Political Commissions and Task Forces are needed. As a member of the outgoing FC, I would however invite them to consider which organs serve the goals they set for their mandate best and how these organs can work in the best way. I also see potential in project-specific task forces. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Nikos CHIRCOP" %} ## Nikos CHIRCOP {% embed url="" %} {% hint style="info" %} **Contact Nikos** EMAIL: ADDITIONAL CONTACT: [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/nikoschircop/) | [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikoschircop/) {% endhint %} At 22 years of age, I am currently undertaking a traineeship in Brussels with a Member of the European Parliament. I am currently a member of the Supervisory and Arbitration Board of JEF Malta while also serving as as the Advocacy Officer of the Malta National Youth Council (KNĆ»). Meanwhile, I am also serving as a member of the Supervisory and Arbitration Board of JEF Malta and as the Advocacy Officer of the Malta National Youth Council (KNĆ»). *Motivation*: I am proud to be a JEFfer and have deep respect for what this organisation has achieved. From the initial post-war actions dismantling Frano- German border posts and foreshadowing Schengen decades in advance, to our position on the Euro, and most recently following the pandemic, deeper fiscal integration, JEF, time and time again has showed that we are not just dreamers, but simply a generation ahead. Where I to be elected on the EB, I would be mindful of the steps made before me and strive to channel the interests and sentiments of all sections into an effective approach along with my colleagues. If I were to be given the opportunity to serve the organisation, I would aim to advance my top three priorities listed below but ultimately always strive to build consensus on the board. *Experience in JEF Malta*: I recently finished by mandate as Vice President and International Officer of JEF Malta, which played a major formative role in better understanding both the workings of JEF Europe on an operational level but also of the different circumstances, needs, and specificities of the different sections, candidate sections, and interest groups. Indeed, this mandate’s highlight was in successfully hosting the Spring 2023 Federal Committee in Malta. Something which my Maltese colleagues and I had been preparing for months in advance with the indispensable help of the JEF Europe Secretariat. Prior to this, I had served as the JEF Malta Secretary General, where I had presided over the domestic political orientation of the organisation, working beyond simply promoting the European Union and making the organisation proud to be Federalist. I was also happy to have seen our first post-COVID Erasmus+ funded civic education initiative Launch Your Potential successfully get implemented. However, my first EB role in JEF Malta probably remains closest to my heart, were as Press Officer I had the opportunity to handle the organisation’s written online content. AA New Federalist article which, irrespective of the pandemic, brings me fond memories is entitled Power and Purpose in a European Federation ([link](https://www.thenewfederalist.eu/power-and-purpose-in-a-european-federation?lang=fr)). Writing remains an example of something I am passionate about and that JEF helped give me a platform to improve upon. For this reason, I remain grateful for the many friends I made in JEF it who encouraged me continue bettering myself. Kindness, mutual encouragement, and acceptance are perhaps three of the basic elements that make networks like ours stronger, but perhaps more importantly, much more inclusive, and human. *Other Formative Experiences*: I started off my academic journey by pursing an undergraduate degree in International Relations with Anthropology at the University of Malta, where I wrote a thesis on EU relations with Tunisian Civil society. Following this, I recently finished my Master of Public Administration in International and European Governance from Leiden University, the Netherlands. The subject of my master thesis being on the Populist Assault on the Asylum Seeker in post-2015 Hungary and Italy. While studying in the Netherlands, I was also active in JEF Rotterdam/The Hague, were I contributed as an interim board member. Aside from this, I also have experience working as a Research Assistant to an International Relations Professor on EU relations with Middle East and North African (MENA) Civil Society Organisations, and also as a Child Support Worker in a state- run Summer School in Malta. The A-B-C to remaining simply a generation ahead is in understanding that following a Pandemic and the start of a full-scale Russian Aggression against a future member state, Ukraine – our Union yet again finds itself at a historic turning point. We either allow nativist populism to take the upper hand, perhaps spend some more money of defence and leave everything else the same, or as Young European Federalists, we seek to continue doubling-down our pressure to instigate the inclusive, green, and lasting deepening and widening of our European Union, a peace-making political project that must also radiate sustainable and just peace in its neighbourhood. With this in mind, these are my three priorities: * **A** Union fit for a minimum of 30, by 2030: We cannot let the current drive towards enlargement fizzle out into nothing. We must continue our work towards pressuring for enlargement, and the required treaty change that must come with it. We need to push for a Union not only of a minimum of 30 by 2030, but a Union that recognises how like a chain, it is only as strong as its weakest link. This means that we must pay special attention to the needs of smaller member states and outermost regions, to ensure that they feel just as heard as any other regions, we must pay special attention towards the Recovery and Resilience Facility’s Implementation and the future of the Cohesion Policy as a tangible driver towards the Fiscal Union that drives Social and Green investment and economic prosperity to all. Finally, we must work towards ensuring that all groups in our society feel safe no matter where they go. What is a non-negotiable is that we need to push for stronger guarantees for enlargement, and stronger implementation of the Union’s Social Pillar. * **B**uilding a better Neighbourhood: As times have shown us, Europe does not live in a vacuum. We can never be a force for good in the world if we cannot be a force for prosperity in our Eastern and Southern Neighbourhoods. To the East, we have human tragedy, where our only solution at this moment is to remain resolute and United against the aggressor – hence why initiatives like EUKraine are indispensable. Meanwhile, to the South, a myriad of challenges, such as the ongoing tragedy in the Mediterranean Sea, persist, but many opportunities also exist. As JEF, we should however also do more to engage with civil society in the MENA region which promote values similar to our own. I feel that we can do much more to strengthen our role in the Southern Neighbourhood beyond migration, and towards promoting people-to-people engagement, and our values. * **C**onsolidation & Continuity: The mandate’s most immediate goal is seeing EurHope to the finish line. My intention to facilitate the smooth conclusion and evaluation of campaign. EurHope is ultimately a testament to the value of teamwork and consensus and is designed to be implemented in a differentiated way to be decided on by the individual sections and local branches. It is with this spirit I wish to enter the board where I do not intend to ‘fix what isn’t broken’. Rather, I would wish to build and innovate on the hard work done before and focus on addressing any specific issues raised to ensure best practice. Consolidation and continuity mean that the board must strive to continue listening and understanding different requirements of sections and have the capacity to be flexible so long as we would remain just with everyone. *On PCs/TFs/WGs*: The current Political Commissions and Task Forces structures works well. I believe that there is room for a Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and its different practical uses for sections. Namely what the best practices for using generative AI in our policy related activities and campaign strategies, understanding better how AI can potentially challenge NGOs like our own and ultimately developing an AI toolkit for sections. What I would also like to see especially is the continuation and strengthening of the Migration working group. I think that there is also room for a working group on Inequality, specifically tackling inequalities between member states, candidate countries, and at the regional and local level – perhaps discussing the future of the RRF and Cohesion Policy. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Hanna LEIN-MATHISEN" %} ## Hanna LEIN-MATHISEN
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Hanna** EMAIL: ; ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Instagram [@hannasifaka](https://www.instagram.com/hannasifaka/); Facebook [Hanna Lein-Mathisen](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009641959361); LinkedIn [Hanna Lein-Mathisen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanna-lein-mathisen-73a32a227/); Twitter [hannalm02](https://twitter.com/hannalm02); +47 40520206 {% endhint %} ### About Me Heisann, hello, olá, bonjour, guten tag! I am Hanna, a Norwegian JEFer running for the executive board 2023-2025. I joined JEF about five years ago and started as a board member in my tiny local section. Since then I have been active in different parts of the organization **locally, nationally and internationally**. I have the pleasure of having been Norwegian International officer, and now **wish to further my reach** of how I can work for a more closely knit federalist Europe! I am a student of political science and international relations at London School of Economics, now on exchange in Paris. I also write on a monthly basis for Norwegian EU-political magazine iEuropa, as well as having **experience as a journalist and communications adviser**. I am **passionate about learning languages** on the side, and have also lived in Lisbon and Frankfurt apart from in Norway. I speak Norwegian, English, Portuguese and am working on my French. My German has deteriorated badly, and I would love to pick it up again to **discuss federalism** with some aid from the German-speaking sections! I have been politically active on the side of JEF for seven years, if you do not count when I was elected to the local board of the organization “the environmental spies” as a child of about eight years old. I followed my successful climate espionage by being elected vice president of the **Young Friends of The Earth** Oslo, where I started my interest in **political campaigning** and especially **political communications**. I there had the great honor of being a part of starting the Fridays for future-movement in Norway, and was awarded with much **media attention** and multiple interviews, TV and radio debates and some **international press**. I worked a lot on media representation when I was later president of the Young Liberals “Unge Venstre” biggest chapter for two years, as well as sitting on their national board and on the board of the Oslo chapter of the Norwegian liberal party and representing us in the Renew Europe group youth academy. I believe it is a strength that we have JEFers from every side of the political spectrum, as they both have different views on European treaties and policy as well as having **different perspectives** on how to run an organization effectively and the possibility of **using our network** to advocate in a higher amount of EP groups and in different creative ways with different lobby groups and organizations that have similar views to us. JEF should **utilize every ally** in the fight for a **progressive, democratic and federalist Europe!** Otherwise I love my cats more than anything, spend all my down time playing HayDay, dancing to preferably techno or reggaeton and reading political comedy and history. These days I am also binging the tv-shows Weeds, Friends, Please like me, and my guilty pleasure, The Miss Universe competition:) ### Motivation for the position I want a European Union **thinking bigger**. I want an EU that works systematically to bring cooperation between states to the next levels, towards security and **military cooperation, a larger eurozone and a Schengen** where you will never be woken up from the night bus to check passports and visas. I want an EU that can take over the traditional role of an unstable US as the **guarantor for safety, liberty and human rights** in the world. I want Europe to guarantee aid in conflict zones, **to lift people out of poverty** and to rehome those running from insecurity and conflict. I have headed electoral campaigns and became good at **working with the press** and formulating my opinions, especially on EU affairs and international politics as well as **environmental issues**, so I would like to contribute to JEF Europe’s **campaigns and advocacy**. I was proudly one of the strong voices turning the second party in Norway to go for a Norwegian EU membership, and the support is on the rise! I have previously had a focus on EU-Brazilian relations in my studies, and am now focusing on political behavior and electoral patterns in my studies, which gives me yet another reason to count down the days to the EU elections and **excited by the EurHope campaign**. However, I have the very sad perspective of being a **national of a country stuck on the outside** when the EU makes decisions, which is why “Europe, what if?” is a useful initiative. Changing this has been my main goal for long. Now I wish to take a broader perspective, working within advocacy, projects and communicating for a **broader and more inclusive Europe**, a haven for democracy, freedom and subsidiarity. And JEF Europe is the perfect place to do that! ### My vision of the future of JEF I want to work for a **proactive JEF** that the institutions look to first when listening to the young and progressive voice of Europe. I wish to focus on **advocacy**, especially in terms of why we need the EU in the first place: for political issues without borders. We need to **fight the controversial fights**, to debate the **refugee crisis**, how to stop talking and start solving the **environmental crisis**, not just in Europe, but across the world. We have to cooperate more with the global south, discussing **human rights and democracy** in a language everyone can understand and implement, not just in the EU, but in JEF. We need a **more diverse JEF**, with more voices with different backgrounds, languages, vocations and cultures to represent the EUrope we all love. I am also very interested in **inclusionary policy**, LGBTQIA+ rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights. On inclusion for all I have used a hearing aid for long myself, and know how hard it can be to have a disability when trying to work 200% volunteering. I wish to be a voice and an aid to those who need a little extra help to be the best they can be for a stronger Europe. This includes my view that we should increase the solidarity fund to allow more people to participate in our organization, no matter the size of their wallet. We need **stronger local, regional and national sections** with more possibilities to work internationally and **cooperate more** in between sections. We need solidarity with countries within our own union falling into populist hands as well as a focus on **enlarging the union** through our organization advocacy, strengthening the sections working to include their nation in the EU. I would love to work with EU enlargement and the **Democracy under Pressure campaign**, security and defense, environment and extra-EU relations with the global south or electoral reform to make the EU more democratic. ### My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups It is important for JEF to **further EU policy** and create **solutions for our European future**. I also very much like the idea of a task force on communications!
{% endtab %} {% tab title="Julius LAJTHA" %} ## Julius LAJTHA {% embed url="" %} {% hint style="info" %} **Contact Julius** EMAIL: \ ADDITIONAL CONTACT: [Instagram](https://instagram.com/juliuslajtha), [Linkedin](), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/lajthajulius), +43 660 3784874 {% endhint %} ### About Me I am a long-standing advocate for a **greener, more united and more citizens-centred Europe** especially within JEF environment for the last years. Having grown in up in Austria but with family in Hungary and Germany, **being mobile and connected with the European continent has been part of my life** from a young age. A big passion of mine is travelling by rail across the continent - and on Insta you will see that I encourage others to do so more as well. Moreover, I love disconnecting from the activist life in the beautiful Alpes and other remote regions or while dancing, which JEF meetings are often keeping me away from ;-) **History of Activism:** Since the age of 15, I have been dedicated to social, and societal causes more generally, on various fronts and with various organisations- This includes chairing youth political conferences such as Model United Nations (MUN), European Youth Parliament (EYP) and founding, co-founding or advising pro-European initiatives focusing on **climate action, civic education, electoral and civic participation, human rights, youth empowerment and media literacy**. The European dimension has been integral to my activism from the start. **Major Roles Held:** Amongst other roles, I have served as the President of the Young European Movement UK (the UK branch of JEF Europe), as an Observer for the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, the EU Delegate for Climate at the Young G20, in the Youth Task Force of the European Climate Pact of the European Commission and as Observer for the OSCE Election Observation Mission (ODIHR) in the National Elections of Azerbaijan in 2019. **Education and Work:** This summer, I finished my academic career by graduating from my **M.A. (Double Honours) in Politics, International Relations and Law** in Scotland. During my degree, I have gained work experience at the worked at the European Parliament & Commission, in programme management at a consultancy, and in traffic & infrastructure consulting. Currently, I work in **European Capacity Management** for the German National Rail (Deutsche Bahn). **JEF**: In 2017, I discovered the European Youth Parliament (EYP) which operates under the brand of JEF in Austria, and started being fascinated by youth work as a concept and civic education in particular. Throughout the I Choose Europe campaign ahead of the May 2019 European Elections, I became more involved in JEF beyond domestic activities by participating in simulations of the European Parliaments and workshops in schools. By dedicating fully around 5 months to EU election activism after my internship at the EU Parliament (working for an MEP) finished in 2018, I got to see the huge unleashed potential of youth working for youth in this domain of election mobilisation. In 2019, in my first university year, I rebuilt my university branch (Young Europeans Aberdeen) and got the involved with the national level of YEM UK to try and see how a relaunch could be done. In 2020, I was elected President of YEM UK for my 1st mandate and together with the team I put together **we started a great journey of recovery of what can now be called a reputable section of the JEF network.** It was incredibly tough to work with the lack of in-person events and effectively empty university campuses at the time, and to feel like having an impact.\ In 2021, by reconciliation of our relationship with our umbrella organisation, European Movement UK (NB: a little fun fact is that this is the largest EM of all with 21k members!) **we recruited our first staff member and were able to see considerable growth in our (re)built branches in London, Manchester and Aberdeen.**\ In 2022, we also started our **partnership with the EU offices in London**. I also decided to run for a 2nd, final mandate as President of YEM UK. with an office team of up to two interns, our permanent staff member and a growing amount of teams we developed immensely through **internal capacity-building activities which have become a fundamental component of my “strategy” for our organisation.**\ In 2023, having succeeded to become an official partner in a 580k EUR grant from the EU on “Building a new relationship with the United Kingdom” and also **successfully implemented other grant agreements**, it was time to say farewell to YEM UK with my time in the UK coming to an end. During my presidency, we revived YEM to become a **strong JEF youth voice in the UK** and despite its status as the first JEF section in a former EU member state. I still consider it the biggest challenge of my life to date to have contributed so much to rebuild this organisation, and as specific the situation is in the UK, the **competencies I have acquired throughout these almost 4 years of senior involvement** in JEF in the UK are **undoubtedly very transposable, sustainable and relevant for the work at the European level.** In terms of other involvement in JEF, I **officially joined the JEF Pool of Trainers in 2021** and recently got my mandate renewed as well. Spoiler Alert: If elected, I would be happily devoting my time to contribute to quality trainings for activists and members of our wonderful European network. Furthermore, together with Kati SystĂ€ and OphĂ©lie Omnes, I have the honour of occupying **what I consider a really important position in the organisation: Permanent Contact Person**. Linked to the Code of Conduct of JEF, with this position I can help ensure that members feel safe and comfortable within the organisation and that any misconduct gets addressed. ### Motivation for the Position Through JEF and various other spaces of civic activism I have expanded my set of strengths significantly. When reflecting on what to do after my presidency of YEM UK ended 6 months ago, I noticed a) that I really miss activism and JEF life and b) that ***the challenges I see for JEF Europe in the present and the future are at times very similar as those we faced in YEM UK.*** Based on the above, if elected, I would hence like to ensure we\ a) **refocus and strategise** on what to do and where with **both our organisational** (long-term, sustainable growth of small sections, focus on the Eastern Europe and non-EU countries, etc.) **and political objectives** (JEF as opinion-leader on youth advocacy for EU institutional and political reform, JEF speaking eye-to-eye with MEPs and European political youth parties to ensure real-world impact, etc.) at the core b) construct **long-term, fruitful partnerships** with not just like-minded but also **very “out-of-scope” organisations** to increase the light we shed and genuinely improve diversity in JEF whilst not swaying our political or topical focus c) secure more **sustainable and diversified funding** for our work stemming from a mixture of public and private and, notably, new funding sources hitherto never accessed d) construct a JEF where the **European level acts as an organisational and experiential back-bone of the JEF family** that is basing its projects, campaigns etc. on the superbe work of its sections and ensures the utilisation of synergies of the work going on in sections I truly believe I can deliver this by bringing all my experience together and, together with a self-reflecting and hard-working team give back to an organisation that has allowed me to grow immensely on a professional but also on a personal level. . ### My vision of the future of JEF Having worked closely with JEF Europe, as co-organiser of projects or as facilitator and by partaking actively in all the Federal Committee meetings since the start of the pandemic, I have developed a great amount of understanding of what could be improved to increase our political impact and our organisational health. First, If elected, I would therefore put a great focus on **internal, strategy-based capacity building**, which is more than just capacity building and includes bespoke projects, focussing on the needs of our organisation. For me this includes a specific focus on the FC as the governing body of the organisation in determining the needs of the network, which the EB and Secretariat must respond to. My 2nd mandate as Trainer for the JEF Europe Pool of Trainers and **my great enthusiasm to invest my own time into visiting sections delivering bespoke trainings focussed on their specific needs**, shall also be mentioned here. Secondly, I have witnessed a **large gap** opening wider and wider between **what JEF is doing on the ground and what the European level is working on.** I see this as a significant bottleneck for this EB to resolve, and I consider the EURhope campaign a first good step in the right direction, but more action must be taking in multiple areas. Concretely, I noticed impracticalities in handling projects due to large dependency on grants from either the Council of Europe or the European Commission / Parliament, which renders organisational resilience tricky. **Diversifying our funding is, therefore, crucial** to mitigate the negative impact associated with public hand funding (such as long-term commitment, strict deliverable agreements, little scope for individual organisational focus). This can be done **by working with non-public or semi-public donors** (such as private donors, foundations, research institutions or companies) as well as by creating a more **direct working relationship between the EB and the FC**. Input (see below for details) is **very** welcome! Thirdly, **Growth of a Political JEF**: By aiming to be “one generation ahead”, JEF Europe will never be a mass membership organisation but rather an **avant-garde group of activists, thinkers and do-ers who are - while being as inclusive as possible - pushing a future oriented agenda.** However, at times I feel like we are trying to be both. JEF must not become a youth engagement unit of European institutions or the go-to Brussels bubble organisation of the European Youth Forum (NB: none of these bodies are bad in any way!). Instead, I see JEF’s Unique Selling Point (USP), and JEF has always been very successful with that, to provide a framework for political solutions to the crises unfolding rather than advocating for specific policy areas in particular, depending on what is trendy on social media or in the interest of public hand donors. I, therefore, believe we must **make JEF more political** in where it puts the organisational focus. JEF can also ensure this by giving the membership **opportunities to acquire knowledge and tools to enter politics and stand in elections**. This includes **establishing ties with political parties at the European level,** especially the youth wings. Finally it means that we need to **encourage our members to carry the JEF flag into spaces outside the organisation they enter,** such as advisory bodies, youth councils, or other settings where they are asked to represent youth interests. This way, JEF can become a really strong voice of youth advocacy, as is the case already in a small number of national sections (kudos!). A final note on long-term strategy: We must think way beyond the EE2024 - because, whilst those are always a wonderful opportunity for activism, loads of initiatives pop from the ground like mushrooms and rarely ever prevail further. **JEF is here to stay** and has the (honourable) **duty to keep pro-European momentum alife** also in the interim between elections. ### My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups I do not consider it my place to make a wishlist on this front here, as this is very much the competency for the wider network to decide. For me, what counts the most is a working strategy leading to long-term impact. I would, therefore, want to review the situation of the FC in great depth (and happily talk about it with anyone ahead and during the elections!) and find a path forward that can guarantee: **a) direct involvement** in the activities of JEF Europe **b) real accountability** of (co-)chairs, **c) organisational/administration/communication support** from the EB and Secretariat to the former and **d) political impact** of the excellent work of many of our PCs in translating the results into campaigns (something that has not happened enough so far). {% endtab %} {% tab title="Alexiane TERROCHAIRE- - BARBANCON" %} ## Alexiane TERROCHAIRE- - BARBANCON
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Alexiane** EMAIL: ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Phone / Whatsapp : +33 6 33 97 88 67 ; Facebook : Alexiane T-b ; X : @Alexiane\_TB {% endhint %} ### About Me Alexiane, or Alex, a 24 years old French citizen coming from a small island on the Western coast, yet, working in Paris, formerly for an NGO focused on mentoring and reducing social and school inequalities (Afev), then, currently, as Sciences Po’s academic partnerships officer. I would like to run as an Executive Board Member, to continue the JEF journey I began in 2018. When I finished my Erasmus in 2018 and that JEF contributed to open my eyes as my interest in European affairs, I decided to first get active for one of JE-France’s local sections, at my home university, Sciences Po, as their head of Europe at School programme. During the first lockdown, in 2020, I became Le Taurillon France’s head of podcasts, and I produced, wrote and coordinated the team in charge of the series of podcasts called « Our Europe » / « A nous l’Europe ». As my second year of master took place in the United Kingdom, during the Brexit negotiations (I studied European Affairs in the first-ever country exiting the EU country– a bit contradictory I know !), I was elected JEF London’s President and shortly after, JEF UK’s International Officer, until March 2022. Then, I decided to focus on digital activism, and I was elected as JEF UK’s podcasts and video Officer. In August 2023, I joined JEF Europe’s pool of trainers. By the way, did you know that I am a huge fan of Swedish kannelbulle (do not check what it looks like on the internet if you are hungry !) ; cats, and lattes ? Then, if you are too, let’s connect over the phone or hopefully, at the next FC 😊 Sadly, due to work-related obligations, I will not be able to meet you in person in Madrid. Contact languages : French, English, Spanish, Swedish and a bit of Italian (if you are not afraid of hearing me speak a fantastic mix of Spanish-Italian grammar. Arf !). ### Motivation for the position I have been a member of both a big section, France, and a small one, being the UK, during one of the most crucial political, social and economic turning points of its history. I held different types of positions, at the local and national levels. I am convinced that our federalist organisation has a key role in educating future generations about the EU, with concrete and fact-checked content ; while also advocating in favour of a stronger EU, which knows its historical roots, and reaches out to its citizens, and the neighbouring countries’ population. Hence, let me suggest the following three ideas that I would be especially interested in carrying out : **1st idea : strengthening, financing and offer training to small sections**, especially the newest, in order to provide them with the network’s best practices in terms of recruitment, fundings, events’ planning and management, as well as local and regional political advocacy, towards elected officials, high school and university students, press and other NGOs. We are a network with several decades of experience : albeit our national contexts are different, why should we not support each other, not only through twinning, but mentoring programs ? Mentoring makes the difference by allowing friendships to form, and competencies to flourish. **2nd idea : use digital activism tools and strategy to reach out to euro-indifferent youth, or non-educated youth, or young people living too far away from our local sections**, to communicate in stimulating, simple terms what the EU does for them, and what JEF thinks the latter can do better in terms of educational policies and involving the youth in its decision-making process. Erasmus+ is unknown for part of the youth population ; then, let us communicate what the EU does to these young people, by reaching out through social media, digital conferences, podcasts, radio shows, and local events, held with places where young people often meet (cafĂ©s, sportsclub, universities, high schools, bars, youth associations or NGOs) ! **3rd idea : knowledge sharing.** Who feels comfortable speaking of a wide range of EU-related topics, ranging from enlargement, to the EU’s industrial policy, to its neighbourhood one ? Our studies imply that we specialise in areas (digital, educational policies, EU institutions and decision-making process for me). However, JEF is able to critically think about all of the EU’s policies and aspects. Thus, I strongly believe that we should create a common and shared library, as well as formal and informal conferences, trainings, or masterclasses for the whole network to make sure that everyone feels entitled to take part into the intellectual debate, as well as on the ground actions. ### My vision of the future of JEF JEF’s priorities should be three-fold : 1. **Financial stability & responsibility**: In order to support both smaller and larger sections, the local grants should be maintained. JEF Europe should keep up the good work of the previous years (namely stabilising while increasing its budget). Yet, in order to think ahead, it should also look beyond public European funds to develop its funding opportunities, and expand its traditional circles, to reach indecisive donors, or firms who are looking for new projects to fund, or new ways to act in favour of inclusion, and social cohesion. However, the financial responsibility should not only rest on JEF’s shoulders. It should offer internal training, for local and national members, focused on advocacy, media relations, funding search and grant application. We should aim to stabilise fundings from all sections, although the context differs a lot from country to country. 2. **Think of a post-EURHope campaign**, to keep the renewed interest for the EU alive. Should eurosceptic or nationalists parties win more seats, the 2024 elections could be a wake-up call to a lot of pro-Europeans who would like to do more at their local or regional level in favour of EU-related actions or projects. For instance, we could target young people from rural or isolated areas, as well as coming from socially and economically disadvantaged areas should be targeted in priority. Our existings tools need to be improved, namely the digital activism toolkit, and our EuropeatSchool, or EuropeatHome toolkits and campaigns, to better communicate the importance of getting active to defend and improve the EU, with regards to the latter’s tireless efforts to enhance our living standards and futures. 3. **Increase JEF’s visibility and influence** in every corner of Europe, thanks to encouraging and strengthening digital activism, digital outreach, combined with -where and if possible – local in-person actions. Thus, I would be a big supporter of rethinking JEF’s digital strategy, and fight against the idea that digital encounters are not as useful nor inspiring as in-person ones. Covid led to many health-damaging digital practices ; based on this knowledge, we can still decide to use hybrid tools and practices to reach out to all youths, in addition to making powerful connections with the local youth ecosystem (see my point about NGOs, and firms above). ### My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups The FC should ultimately decide what their PC, TF and WG should be. However, based on my preference, you can guess that I am inclined to strengthen the TF « Capacity building », « Civic Education » and transform the EurHope one into JEF’s new campaign coordination task force... {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} # Federal Committee Member Below you can find the current published candidacies for the position of directly elected Federal Committee Member of JEF Europe. Sixteen persons can be elected for this position. ### {% tabs %} {% tab title="Melanie Thut" %} ## Melanie Thut
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Melanie** EMAIL: ; {% endhint %} Hi everyone! My name is Mel, I am 25 years old and have been member of JEF for 5 years now. I started as president of the beautiful German local section Heidelberg/Mannheim, was parallelly delegate of the trinational council of JEF Oberrhein and joined the German executive board later in 2021. Here I was responsible for International Affairs and organized the famous International Berlin Seminar or a study trip to Tirana in 2022 for example. At the FC in Prague in 2022 I was furthermore elected to be the Co-Chair of the JEF Europe Task Force for the European Election Campaign #EurHope together with our president Antonio. It is amazing to see how our campaign evolved, how we have been able to boost the consultation platform together and localize the campaign with events in different national sections. The spirit in the Task Force has been inspirational and productive so far and I am very excited about the hot phase of the campaign that is now laying ahead of us. In my non- JEF life (is there even such a thing?!) I started a Master’s degree at the beautiful College of Europe Natolin Campus in September 2023 after I completed an Erasmus Mundus Master’s degree in Political Economy at the universities Glasgow, Barcelona and Göttingen this summer where I was able to conduct a field research in the village of my grandmother in Eastern Romania for my Master’s thesis. I am interested in Feminist Foreign Policy, European Neighborhood Policy and post- communist transformation processes in Europe. For the next mandate I am delighted to run for member of the Federal Committee to continue my work as Co-Chair of the Task Force European Elections. The upcoming elections of the European Parliament next year are a crucial event in our common European history and I feel the personal urge to get involved in this serious matter. Through the Task Force I see the unique chance to continue using my JEF experience in coordinating superordinate processes, bring the interests of both the national, local and European JEF levels together and contribute to a creative and inclusive environment. Through our campaign we have been able to already establish high level cooperation with institutions all over Europe and gain a great visibility. I believe that we as an organization can seize this framework in the next month to push our vision of a United Federal Europe on various levels and continue the historical work of our predecessor in a time of poly crises where this spirit is oftentimes lost. Not only will we be active on a European level, even more important will be the activities, events and conversations in our local sections. I remember the election campaign in 2019 in my city very vividly, how we organized street stalls to promote the election, panel discussions with candidates of different parties or trainings for young people about the significance of the elections. This time was very inspirational for me and gave me the spark to evolve even more with JEF, our beliefs and visions for the future. I would love to bring this spirit back to the campaign of this year and play my part in a successful 2024 campaign. Therefore, I hope for your trust and I am at your disposal for any questions. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Sofie Rebekka SchlĂŒter Knauer" %} ## Sofie Rebekka SchlĂŒter Knauer
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Sofie** EMAIL: WHATSAPP: +45 30 89 30 94 INSTAGRAM: [@sofie.rebekka](https://www.instagram.com/sofie.rebekka/?hl=en) {% endhint %} **About Me** Hej! I’m Sofie, a 22-year-old minority-German from Denmark, who is studying Political Science in Copenhagen and is currently on her Erasmus exchange semester in Freiburg. As a dual citizen and pro-European, I’ve been an active member of JEF Denmark since 2019 and have had the pleasure of serving as Vice President of the organization over the past year. Previously, I was a member of the Executive Board and chaired the Communications Committee, where I led several campaigns. The most notable one was around the successful referendum on abolishing the Danish Defense opt-out. Furthermore, I was part of the International Committee and had the opportunity to participate in various JEF events, such as the Congress in Liùge, FCs, and several seminars. **Motivation for the Position** Although my tenure with JEF Denmark is nearing its end, my energy and passion for the EU and the vision of a Federal Europe have not dimmed. I’m running for the Federal Committee, where I aim to foster a closer working relationship with the elected Executive Board and influence JEF Europe’s future development. My ambition is to co-chair a Task Force, preferably contributing my expertise in communications and campaigning to develop a comprehensive communications strategy for JEF. **My Vision of the Future of JEF** I envision JEF as an inclusive platform where a spectrum of opinions, ideas, and perspectives coexist. In this future, JEF will stand as a significant voice in European politics. To achieve this, clear and strategic communication is important for the next two years. Internally, fostering open debates to decide the organization’s direction and ensuring everyone’s voice is heard are crucial. Externally, we need a new strategic plan to clearly define our target audience, strategize our outreach, and use effective tools to engage even those unfamiliar with federalism. Our messaging should be provocative, entertaining, and insightful. **My Opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces / Working Groups** I strongly advocate for the establishment of a dedicated Task Force to refine JEF’s communications strategy. This Task Force entails the systematic conduct of membership surveys and the initiation of broader discussions to determine our long-term strategic direction. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Sorcha Ní Chonghaile" %} ## Sorcha Ní Chonghaile
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Sorcha** EMAIL: ADDITIONAL CONTACT: +32471508207 {% endhint %} **About Me** My name is Sorcha and I am a member of JEF Ireland. I have been involved in JEF in a variety of ways both on a local level as VP of the Irish section and on a European level via Task Forces and Political Commissions. I am currently a teacher in an international school based in Belgium and have gotten more actively involved in JEF Belgium as a result. My background is in global citizenship education, focused on human rights and climate change. I have also served as National Secretary of another organisation which gave me valuable experience in organisation and drafting of resolutions. **Motivation for the Position** I am dedicated to JEF and value the importance of the Federal Committee. I can be a valuable asset to the team as someone reliable and diligent in tasks. I have been impressed by the level of commitment and dedication from existing FC members, and know I can deliver the same if offered the chance. I enjoy review and writing of policy, and by being involved in the PCs throughout the last term, I have seen some superb progress. I would be keen to be involved with what is currently PC2 as the topics which generally are covered hit my key interest areas, and given my experience in organisation and resolution writing, I think that I could help inject some energy into the PC. **My Opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups** I would see the existing remit of PC 2 needing to continue into the next term, as these issues in Internal European Affairs are ones which are complex and rapidly changing. The topics of the climate, work and reality of European citizens’ lives are everlasting as essential to address and these need to be continued to ensure we are up to date. The Empowerment and Diversity Task Force is key to ensuring JEF remains a place we can all thrive, and specific focus into how we can diversify our membership is still as relevant as ever. An area we can address is accessibility of our events, especially the FC, as it can be financially and socially intense accessing an event for members when new. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Elise Magne" %} ## Elise Magne
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Elise** EMAIL: ADDITIONAL CONTACT: +33652014166 {% endhint %} About Me I started my involvement in JEF in 2017 during my first year of University, studying political sciences. I began as the Europe at School officer for my local section of JEF Toulouse, south of France. I then took over the presidency of JEF Toulouse for a year, before being asked to join the national office of JEF France, where I stayed for 3 years: 2 years as a local sections officer, and 1 as Vice President & International officer. At the same time, I was doing a double master's degree in European affairs and business. As a fervent federalist, I am also involved in other European civil society organizations, with several current mandates at the European Movement, the Union of European Federalists and Volt Europa. My passion for Europe also translates professionally, as I have completed internships at the European Parliament and the EU Delegation in Morocco and am now in charge of relations with European institutions at the French Ministry of Economy and Finance. * Motivation for the position (Explain why you are running for the position and what you would like to do if elected\*) I was able to take part in several JEF Europe events, seminars, FCs and Congresses, but now I'd like to be more committed. After my involvement at local and national level in our incredible association, I think it's yet time for me to get involved at European level in areas where I can add value. I want to be part of the TF Civic Education as I have a very good knowledge of our Europe at School activities, which I don't think are sufficiently valued and promoted at present within JEF Europe, despite the fact that many local and national sections are carrying out innovative and ambitious educational work. * My vision of the future of JEF (What should the priorities of JEF be for the next 2 years?) I'm convinced that for people to love Europe more, they first need to understand it. Education must therefore be a core part of JEF Europe's activities, alongside activism and advocacy. While the end of 2023 and 2024 should be focused on the latter in the run-up to the European elections, I think that from 2024 onwards we will be able to refocus on education, trainings and awareness-raising, particularly for younger people, in order to sharpen the minds of future voters in 2029. * My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups The PCs should be reworked to better distribute the workload, which is currently quite asymmetrical: PC 2 and 3 are very much in touch with current events, while PC 1 is, by its very nature, much more static, as our position on the institutional reforms to be carried out varies little. In addition, I think that the TF currently dedicated to the European elections could be transformed into a TF dedicated to all campaigns, both new and long-standing (e.g. Democracy under pressure). {% endtab %} {% tab title="Antoine Chabal" %} ## Antoine Chabal
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Antoine** EMAIL: ADDITIONAL CONTACT: +33 6 66 38 48 86 {% endhint %} **About Me** My name is Antoine, I am now living in Paris and working as head of the French Red Cross youth. My involvement in JEF started almost 10 years ago, but my first contact with JEF Europe was in 2018 when I was elected board member of JEF France just before the last European elections. I also served as President of JEF France until August 2023. Between street actions, europe\@school activities, debates and other projects, I've also had the chance and pleasure of representing JEF France and getting involved in other organizations. Today, I'm an active member of JEF and European Movement - France, but I’m also in charge of the UEF-France campaign for the European elections, and Vice-President of “CNAJEP” (French national youth council) in charge of Europe and International affairs. **Motivation for the Position** I would like to bring my experience by getting more involved in JEF Europe but also enlarge my JEF experience, because you never stop learning. I am therefore running for a place in the Federal Committee and, in particular, I would like to contribute as co-chair of the Task Force Civic education to the relaunch and development of Europe\@school and non-formal education in general as a strong activity and a real core value of our organization. I truly believe in the importance of the work done at the local, regional and national levels but also that we can do better by sharing good practices and go further by working together. That is why I would like to offer my help to support and coordinate those working or willing to work on civic education. We can also learn from previous successes, including JEF France “L’Europe Par les Jeunes” civic education program which raised awareness among hundreds of thousands young people since its beginnings and which I am very proud of. I also believe it is necessary to strengthen the place of Europe and democracy in school programs because despite our constant efforts, it is still not enough. **My Vision of the Future of JEF** The priorities of JEF for the next two years are very clear : we need to push our agenda and lead the EurHope campaign until the elections in June but also make sure we keep up the fight in the following months. In order to do that, I believe we need to continue innovating, but also position JEF Europe as a major player in non-formal and informal education and make sure we are as inclusive as possible. **My Opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups** In my opinion, we need a Task Force on civic education because it is not just an activity, it is also a genuine and meaningful political approach, an essential aspect of our strategy to build a federal Europe that is truly democratic and closer to its citizens. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Federico Tosi" %} ## Federico Tosi
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Federico**\ EMAIL: \ ADDITIONAL CONTACT: +39 3296343867 {% endhint %} I am Federico Tosi, a member of JEF Italy. I started my experience in Jef in 2014, focusing on local groups and communities. Thanks to my activities in the town of Bologna, I could serve as Secretary in the JEF board of the Emilia-Romagna region. There, together with my team, I focused my political activity on sharing the Ventotene Manifesto perspective among civil society organisations and institutions. In particular, we put special efforts on going outside our “bubble”, stressing our actions in the so-called “peripheral” communities. In the meanwhile, we tried to coordinate our seminars in the schools, aimed at activating young generations. Professionally, I dedicated my activity to the Euro- Mediterranean dialogue, serving as research assistant first (at IEMed in Barcelona and ISPI in Milan), and working as migrant officer later. Currently, I am working in Tunis in an Italian NGO for international cooperation. Given my interests and experience, I would like to run for the position of co-chair at PC 3. If elected, I would focus our work on linking local communities with international phenomena. Too often Foreign Policy (FP) has been faced as an “elite” subject, disconnected by citizens and their every-day life. The complexity of international phenomena risks to push politicians and experts to avoid the public engagement in diplomacy; exceptions are made when FP is used for propaganda. Against this backdrop, the democratisation of the foreign policy is part of the democratisation of the international arena. As JEF Europe, in line with current efforts, I believe we should start assimilating this process, trying to link our local communities to the international agenda on one side, and letting local actors give us inputs to update our political agenda on the other side. Specifically, the PC 3 should continue its job of federalist analysis, merging it to a stronger engagement in debating and building bridges with extra-EU civil society members. In this way, thanks to this bottom-up process, our external strategy could help us to avoid eurocentrism and a self-centred attitude. The neighbouring countries could represent a good starting point, giving us the opportunity to merge the external action of the EU to other important and relevant topics such as migration, war resolution, democracy and human rights. Firstly, building bridges with the democratic civil society in our neighbour countries, both in the MENA region and in our Eastern borders, should be JEF's priority. Secondly, the return of war in Europe, with the illegal Russian aggression of Ukraine, must push JEF to speak up for peace; and, at the same time, Jef has to prepare an arena for building in the long run new and different relations with Russia, made of democratic coexistence and multilateralism. Thirdly, current and future challenges force us to build stronger ties with Africa. JEF should draw the way and experience it by getting in touch with local organisations. In conclusion, the future Jef should continue in the existing path towards guiding the European civil society, adding an external aspect of our strategy. In this regard, being ready to build specific working groups to face new challenges (e.i. Migration, Climate Change etc.) in a dynamic way, could be a good example for implementing our connections and political elaboration. Many efforts were made to improve the internal knowledge between local groups, they must continue; to share problems and challenges is a vital opportunity for us. Starting from what I think represents the main problem, being the low presence of diversity in our organisation. In order to break the “bubble”, we need new strategies, even more connected with existing networks, even more ready to embrace a constantly changing society. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Chiara Bertolli" %} ## Chiara Bertolli
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Chiara** EMAIL: INSTAGRAM: CHIARA\_BERTOLS {% endhint %} Hey Jeffers, I’m Chiara, an Italian girl from a little village in Tuscany, and I’m 23 years old. The fact that I was born in a small town of 3.000 inhabitants has never stopped me from thinking of myself as a citizen of the world. I just started my studies at the University of Padua, I’m attending a Master's degree in Management for sustainable firms within a curriculum in Human Resources. I've been a JEFfer since 2018 when I first entered the JEF section in Lucca, of which I’m currently treasurer. Then I’ve been involved at the national level (JEF ITALY) as a member of the task force managed by the Executive Board "Development and Coordination of local sections'' office, and taking part at the Ventotene’s Seminar as a co-coordinator of the debate groups. I’ve also had experience of the European level when I took part in JEF Europe’s Congress in 2021 and I fully understood the impact on territories and the dissemination of our association when I went in MĂŒnster (Germany) for the Erasmus+, and I joined the activity of the local JEF section. **I’m running for the FC position because** I strongly believe that the European Federation is the key to ensuring an organisation that can best respond to the challenges of our time, and I would really like to contribute to our internal debate at European level co-coordinating the work of PC1 work. From my Erasmus experience and the studies in Intercultural Management, I have understood the importance of confrontation, and I really believe that each person with their own opinion and ideas can bring a new point of view, which is a resource for everyone. This is what motivates my interest in being a member of the Federal Committee. If I am elected I will also contribute to the development of the EurHope campaign, because I think that 2024 European elections are a crucial moment for the future of our Union. In the very first months of the mandate, I would therefore like to improve the link with the EurHope task force, deepening the debate in PC1 also in the light of the EP vote on the Treaty reform proposal drafted by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO). **When I think of JEF in two years' time**, I see an established organisation within European civil society, I see a reference point for many other associations and a driving force among pro-European realities. JEF is already all this now, but I am sure that it will be able to deepen its engagement in civil society even more. At the same time I also see a JEF growing to include new national sections and enhance the smaller ones. I would like JEF to reinforce a way of thinking about federalism that could be called the “intersectional federalism”, i.e. an approach that perceive federalism as a platform in which other struggles (environmental, feminist, for the rights of the LGBT community, for the rights of migrants, for the defence of democracy...) can also recognise themselves, and through which they can take their struggles to a higher level, be it European or global. **In my opinion one important task force** should still be about European Elections because it’s the moment where citizens are called to express their view on the future of Europe, while another one should continue the work on the federalist academy, to deepen the reflection on “intersectional federalism”. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Anna van de Moosdijk" %} ## Anna van de Moosdijk
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Anna** EMAIL: ADDITIONAL CONTACT: +33636820942 {% endhint %} My name is Anna, I am a French and Dutch passionate young professional working at the European Council of Young Farmers in Brussels as Project Officer. My journey with JEF began in 2019 in the Lille section in the North of France. I became a European Federalist before becoming a member of JEF. I grew up in the countryside in Normandy, France, on a dairy farm in a town of just 80 people. When I discovered JEF, I found a place that resonated with my values and beliefs. Since then, I have made every effort to promote our cause among those unfamiliar with the concept of European Federalism, especially outside of our more urban and highly educated circles. My initial involvement with JEF included giving presentations to youth in rural and less privileged urban areas about the functioning of the European Union and their European citizenship. During the pandemic, I became more deeply engaged with JEF Nederland, first as an International Officer, then as President, and most recently as Treasurer. In these roles, I had the opportunity to organize fantastic events with the active participation of our network, which includes many inspiring and talented individuals. Thanks to this engagement, I have learned a lot, sometimes the hard way or through less glamorous tasks. I learned how to keep the section running administratively, build a team, and encourage a new generation of JEFers to take on leadership roles. I'm fortunate to say that all these efforts to preserve my section have paid off, and I'm grateful to my JEF NL team for giving me the opportunity to run for the Federal Committee of JEF Europe. I am running for the Federal Committee with the aim of becoming co-chair of the task force on capacity-building. Capacity-building is the foundation of our volunteer work, as it's crucial to ensure the stability and continuity of our sections, particularly given the high turnover we experience in youth associations. This situation is especially challenging for smaller national and local sections of JEF. To keep our JEF spirit alive, we need to invest in the leadership skills of our members consistently through a structured program that continues over the years, along with relief programs in case of major issues. I've personally witnessed how a lack of capacity-building and support can, at best, cause members to leave the association and, at worst, lead to volunteer burnout. I believe I have the skills to launch this program, I've had the opportunity to build a strong network among JEFers and identify our strengths. In the first few months of the mandate leading up to the European elections, my goal will be to identify the immediate needs of JEF's member organizations and set up one-on-one assistance and collective online workshops to address those needs. Over the next year and a half, my focus will be on creating and consolidating JEF's capacity-building program in collaboration with our network, European Board, and Secretariat. JEF has had several successful programs in this domain in the past, such as "Pimp my JEF" in the previous mandate, offers of sub-granting to member organizations in the current mandate, and the twinning program, which contributes to peer-to-peer learning. Building on these experiences will help us design a long-term, forward-looking solution. In our association, it has been increasingly challenging to find individuals willing to take on leadership roles. Nevertheless, this is a key factor in our survival and growth. Investing in our membership will serve our goals of creating a more diverse and inclusive JEF that strives for the well-being of our volunteers. The capacity-building program could also help our members become familiar with the work in our various PCs and Task Forces, which are oriented towards action and could serve as the backbone of recruitment for their activities. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions for me! See you all in Madrid! {% endtab %} {% tab title="Samuel Tammekann" %} ## Samuel Tammekann
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Samuel**\ EMAIL: [samuel.tammekann@eurooppanuoret.fi](#undefined); [samuel.tammekann@gmail.com](#undefined) ADDITIONAL CONTACT: [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/stammekann/); [X](https://twitter.com/stammekann?lang=en); Telegram: @stammekann; BlueSky: stammekann.bsky.social; WhatsApp: +358445506816 {% endhint %} I am Samuel Tammekann, a 28-year-old progressive federalist from JEF Finland. This year I have served as the International Officer for JEF Finland, supervising our section’s continuing expansion into a more cross-border and a multilingual organization. The possibilities of the last two years, especially contrasted by the preceding lockdowns, have opened me a new world of shared values, common action and cross- border friendships from my first FC in Luxembourg to the wonderful camp in Norway. Outside politics and organizations, I have worked for some years in consulting in strategic communications and public affairs – and now I have gone back to finish my bachelor’s thesis in geo-economic statecraft and export policy, also co-authoring in a think tank a civic information project on EU enlargement to potential new members that endure a state of conflict. ### Why am I here? I come from a family that fled the occupation of Estonia in 1940 going through Switzerland and Sweden, before settling in Finland. In these times this personal history has been reawakened in a deeply unsettling way. I am now certain to see federalism as the way to transform borders from barriers to bridges of cooperation, in a climate where mutual respect and co-existence, commonly agreed values and shared objectives guide our path forward. In 2024, the purpose of JEF could not be more urgent. Still, looking from my experience as a Finn, there is much to do for the federalist cause to make a difference, and play a part in European politics. The first goal for JEF is to finish the EurHope campaign and go through the European Elections of 2024 with remarkable success. But that doesn’t mean that the work should end there. Many in Europe have long considered only the short-term profits of integration and have forgotten the grim reasons behind the future dreamt by those who started the European project. Therefore, after the European Elections, for the next two years JEF should stand both as a reinforcer of our positions from Brussels to the grassroots – and as the foremost torchbearers of the vision for united Europe. ### What do I want to do? Vice-chairing a prominent youth party, before I moved onto JEF Finland, I have gathered crucial experience in advocacy, politics and especially coordinating and chairing drafting political platforms. Given my primary interest and concurrent projects on foreign policy, I would like to co-chair PC3, but I am also interested in discussing the roles the TFs have in the next term, being available to also take the responsibility, by the role of a co-chair if needed, of any new roles I endorse for the Task Forces. In the next term it is elementary to establish a selection of Task Forces that both capitalize on the motivation and skills of the Federal Committee members, in a way they get meaningfully engaged, and answer the needs of the JEF community. Considering the detailed, professional and insightful work done by the Political Commissions we should consider the ways we could make the results more meaningful and visible. Theory will only take you so far – an effective JEF actively takes a stand and enables and provides support for its national sections to easily use the wide policy platform to actively communicate with our surrounding society, often unpredictable and continuous change, to make an impact. This is why I endorse the TF Elections 2024 to transform into an Elections & Campaigns Task Force, which could also focus on helping the Federalist movement to deal with critical elections and political decisions on national level too – even more important in the times we live in. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Julianne Vella" %} ## Julianne Vella
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Julianne** EMAIL: [vellajulianne@gmail.com ]() ADDITIONAL CONTACT: [LinkedIn](https://mt.linkedin.com/in/julianne-vella-4724b6182) | +356 99698957 | [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/julnnev/) {% endhint %} ### Who am I? I’m Julianne, a passionate JEFer from Malta. At 20 years of age, I am currently president of JEF Malta and am currently reading for a degree in Statistics and Computer Science. I have been active in JEF Malta for 4 years and have a varied experience in all things JEF – from leading a team with empathy and determination to creating and implementing educational as well as political projects. Last Spring I had the pleasure of spearheading the organisation of the Malta Spring FC 2023 together with the rest of my team. I am particularly keen on empowerment and participation in activism. Throughout the years, I have had the honour to address the first Women Empowerment seminar taking place in Malta (SIGEF 2023) as well as mentoring young females all across Europe on participating in the digital age. ### Why am I running for the Federal Committee? By bringing in my energy and fresh ideas, I am looking forward to creating further cohesion and stronger connections between sections and the Federal Committee. I look forward to engaging in meaningful conversations on how we can foster further gender equality at representation level, diversifying our membership as well as celebrating best practices. I also aim to co-chair the Empowerment and Diversity taskforce to celebrate the diversities within our beloved JEF as well as work on empowerment strategies to keep alight the flame of our organisation’s efforts during the past 51 years towards a more united and democratic Europe. During the upcoming mandate, participation in political commissions and task forces must be made easier and more attractive to create further discussions and debates amongst JEFers on the political direction of our organisation. We should ensure our PCs are resilient and adaptable to the realities of our continent and union, sharing a balanced workload amongst them. With regards to the TFs, I would like to see the further development of the Empowerment and Diversity taskforce as well as see the advancement of a TF focussing on campaigning and European citizenship to build upon the work currently being done on EurHope. ### What comes to mind when thinking of the future of JEF? During the upcoming two years I envision a JEF that continues taking an active stance in empowering young people to take an active role within their Europe as well as promoting the importance of participation in the European elections. Throughout the upcoming years, we need to guarantee that we remain ‘Simply a Generation Ahead’ by adapting, innovating and strengthening unity in diversity to benefit all of our members, irrespective of their socio-economic circumstance, gender identity, sexuality or beliefs. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Benedikte Svendsen" %} ## Benedikte Svendsen
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Benedikte** EMAIL: ADDITIONAL CONTACT: [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/benediktesvendsen/?hl=en), Whatsapp: +47 412 09 284 {% endhint %} ### About Me My name is Benedikte and I am 23 years old and come from a small island in Norway called Karmþy. I have been an active member of JEF for the past six years, and have held various positions at a local, regional, national and international level since then. First as Vice-President and then President of JEF Rogaland, then as Board Member in our student section in Bergen, and Vice President of JEF Vestland, before being in the international committee of JEF Norway as well as more recently being the International Officer. I am also Vice President in YENB, which is the Nordic-Baltic network in JEF. Other than that I also have experience from various other political organisations in Norway. I have participated in several international JEF events throughout the years, such as the Congress, FCs and multiple seminars, many of which I have also contributed to plan. I have also been engaged in a twinning project between JEF Vestland and JEF Turin, and am currently in the middle of the planning process of a big twinning event between JEF Haugaland and JEF Aarhus. ### Motivation for the position and my vision for the future of JEF I wish to be a voice for JEFers who are non-EU citizens. Most people in my home town are very anti-EU, which is something I have noticed has a lot to do with the lack of knowledge about the European Union. Though this problem may be more apparent in countries such as my own, which are not (yet) member states, I have also come to discover that this is also a general problem in European countries. My hope and ambition for the next mandate is that JEF as an organisation will do even more to spread awareness about what the European Union actually is, what it does and what we as JEFers want it to be through campaigns across the continent. JEF is an incredibly large organisation which means that maintaining a high level communication between all parts can be challenging. My wish for the next mandate is to better this area even more and increase the communication across the different sections and levels of the organisation. This I think we could do by for example spreading more knowledge in the different sections about the twinning program, and encouraging the sections to pursue this even more as a way of connecting with other JEFers and thus increasing the communication between them in the process. We should also strive to have every JEFer subscribed to our news letter so that every member can have access to the opportunities and tools that exist in the organisation. ### My opinion on the needed PCs and TFs I have ambitions about creating a task force specifically dedicated to communications, social media and campaigning which are areas I have gathered much personal experience in over the years and am really passionate about. I believe there is much potential here that JEF can expand on from what we already do today and perform even better in. I hope we can be more creative and innovative in the type of campaigns we lead and become an even stronger voice in the European forum. I also hope that we in the next mandate can be more open and reflective over our work, and if we notice that something is not working as efficiently as it should, such as a new TF or other systems, that we change what does not work and find new solutions and ways to do things instead of keeping everything the same throughout the entire mandate. It is important that we don’t limit ourselves and constantly strive to do better and be better. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Jana Gleim" %} ## Jana Gleim
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Jana** EMAIL: ADDITIONAL CONTACT: +49 157 89712394; [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/jxna.glm/?hl=en) {% endhint %} ### About Me My name is Jana Gleim and I am a 20 year old European enthusiast. I just finished my Bachelor degree in International Business and work as a digital product manager for the Region Europe. My first contact with JEF was in 2019 when I went to Strasbourg with JEF Baden WĂŒrttemberg. I was fascinated about this chance to explore the behind the scenes of the important institution of democracy, the European Parliament. I then immediately joined JEF Munich after beginning my studies in 2020. Half a year later, I became a board member and later vice-president of the regional section JEF Bavaria, where I have been responsible for international affairs and political effectiveness. In this way, I was able to establish an international network for JEF Bavaria, in order to bring Europe closer together. At the same time, I got involved in JEF Germany ́s International Berlin Seminar, which I organized for two years in a row. ### Motivation for the position Ever since I became a part of JEF, I participated in multiple activities all over Europe. I got to develop skills on a much greater level than at university or work, while working on something I truly believe in. My friends often ask me where I get all my motivation from to get active. Well, I became part of JEF during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the world was already shaped by uncertainty. We live in times where populism and euroscepticism are rising. I tell my friends I cannot just wait for a better future, when I see European citizens full of frustration, anger and fear. I therefore must stand up for a democratic European federation. Having been involved on different levels within JEF, I want to strengthen the exchange between directly elected FC members and national sections and also between FC and EB. I am convinced it is important to hold the threads together, especially in such difficult times. I am thus looking forward to bring in my energy and sharing my experiences as part of the FC Presidium. ### My vision of the future of JEF My vision for JEF is that our members can all call JEF their political home. I see JEF as a place, where voices are being heard and different perspectives can brought together. I envision JEF as a diverse place with people from yet untypical backgrounds. Therefore, a clear communication across all levels is necessary in order to foster the emergence of new ideas, make everyone ́s voice heard and create a better future for all citizens. With the help of effective tools, information exchange can be increased to push our vision. That requires motivated members that strive for the goal of building a European federation. ### My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups I want to emphasize the importance of all already established PCs or task forces. By being a potential member of the FC presidium, I want to create a consciousness for the intertwining of the different working groups and their topics. In particular, when it comes to civic education and the European elections. The relatively low diversity at JEF calls for action to break through our JEF bubble by a clear targeting and communication strategy. Especially the internal knowledge exchange across levels is vital for our work. My goal is therefore to create a stronger focus on communication and political effectiveness of all activities in order to achieve a holistic output of the PCs and task forces. Especially in times of European elections, it is crucial to make young and federalist voices heard. I am therefore hoping for your trust and please feel free to ask any questions. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Mirko Ondras" %} ## Mirko Ondras
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Mirko** EMAIL: ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Whatsapp +41 76 405 73 82 {% endhint %} ### About me Nice to meet you! My name is Mirko, I come from Slovakia and I live in Switzerland. I studied economics and have been involved in political campaigning in Swiss elections. I joined the board of JEF Switzerland in 2021 and I’ve been our international officer since 2022. My priorities on the board have been member outreach through events, deepening our ties with other JEF sections and promoting European federalism. I strongly believe Switzerland should aim to join the EU and have been passionate about European federalism for a long time. I have experience in drafting and advocating pro-European policies within the Swiss political system. My recent pet project in JEF is a European Parliament simulation in Switzerland, a fun manner to reach young people and find new members. ### Motivation for the position At the federal level of JEF, we agree our common policies, we engage directly with all of Europe and we serve as a valuable source of data and experience for the local sections. The Federal Committee is crucial in this process, so I would like to bring in my motivation and experience in order to support our ideals as much as possible. While I have a general interest in the work of the FC, I am most interested in the Political Commissions, and have a preference for PC 1. In addition to ensuring the smooth functioning of my commission, I would like to work with the rest of the JEF Europe team to explore what else could the PCs do to enhance our potential. Involving more people in policy drafting would be a great way to increase membership engagement and to train future dedicated members of JEF. I would also like to try out new things, like doing thematic debates on the topics we work on, or making databases of useful arguments for advocating our positions. ### My vision of the future of JEF JEF is the vanguard of European federalism and as such, I see two main priorities for us. One lies in building a dedicated community of supporters of federalism, by convincing people, by attracting new members and by helping members become more active. The other priority is to be active and visible in the political discourse to come, to offer a radical vision of a better future and influence the political class in the direction of federalism, while also promoting our other goals, such as EU enlargement, democracy, solidarity and inclusive society. ### My opinion on the needed PCs and TFs / Working Groups We should streamline the way the PCs and TFs communicate with members, to make it easier to follow what they are doing and make their work more accessible. A common communication channel and database would help. We could create new ad-hoc Working Groups for specific short-term purposes, and this would be easier to do, if there is a common framework for the various groups. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Mădălin-Cătălin Blidaru" %} ## Mădălin-Cătălin Blidaru
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Mădălin** EMAIL: [madalin.blidaru@jefromania.eu ]() ADDITIONAL CONTACT: 0040751838178 (WhatsApp, Signal); [Twitter](https://twitter.com/blidaru); [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/madalinblidaru/?hl=en); [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/MadalinBlidaru/); [LinkedIn ](https://ro.linkedin.com/in/madalinblidaru) {% endhint %} ### About Me Dear fellow JEFers, hello from Bucharest! I am Mădălin and I was involved in JEF, since 2021, as delegate from JEF Romania, one of the newest sections in the network. We have started from scratch, with an increasing number of active members, including in the activities under JEF Europe umbrella, and I am happy to see their active participation. As background, linked to the candidacy, I have graduated with a degree in International Relations and European Studies, continuing with research in this field, which may be useful for the debates and discussion we hope to have in proposed PC/TF/WG. ### Motivation for the position I am motivated by the slow pace of positioning on multiple aspects happening in the European neighbourhood. JEF Europe seems to confirm the perception often attributed to the European Union (i.e., moving two steps behind the current events). We have resolutions, but sometimes we fail to affirm them when it is needed. It took seven days after the 7th of October massacre, and a war launched in response, only to have a message on this topic and, even in this case, it was the message of another organisation. We consider, in our political platform, that „the aim of federalism is to ensure peace”, yet no reference to peace can be found in the first six paragraphs of that statement, and no direct call to peace. Without peace as a natural principle, the terms of the strongest will become peace, and that peace will be an unjust peace, with damage inflicted to young people on all sides. There are grassroot JEF activists asking questions on what our vision in such cases is, and the failure to state, even the call for peace, disappoints. Similar on other EU neighbourhood-related matters. ### My vision of the future of JEF A more dynamic JEF that asserts the solutions it has. And let’s have them where we don’t have them. ### My opinion on the needed PCs and TFs / Working Groups The European neighbourhood is more complex than ever before. From the developments in Ukraine to the ones in the United Kingdom, from Moldova to Norway, and from the conflict between Israel and Hamas to the European integration of the Western Balkans, the dynamics in the EU neighbourhood are shaping how the EU project will evolve. The war in Ukraine has shown for example that we need a Europe that can react quicker and able to deter aggression, inviting for further competences and streamlining current processes. ### Responsibility Political Commission 3 (External Affairs and Global Governance) or, if feasible, a Taskforce/Working Group focused on EU neighbourhood {% endtab %} {% tab title="Robin Mudry" %} ## Robin Mudry
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Robin** EMAIL: [robin.mudry@jef.eu ]() ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Signal and WhatsApp - +41 79 510 88 54 {% endhint %} ### About Me My name is Robin and I have been with JEF almost for a decade. I first joined a JEF student group in 2014 at my university in EichstĂ€tt, Bavaria and, a couple of years later, was elected to the presidency of JEF Bavaria for two consecutive terms. Later, I dedicated a lot of time to the Czech-German relations in JEF and beyond as my life centre had moved to Prague. I am also a student of philosophy and art history, working on the interstices of politics, aesthetics and ethics. In the last two years, it was my honour to serve JEF Europe as a member of its Executive Board with a special attention to finances given my role as treasurer. ### Motivation for the position I am running for the FC with the particular idea to be part of its future collective presidium. In this, I would like to both draw from my experience as an EB member (I am the treasurer in the current mandate) and from my understanding of JEF Europe’s sometimes convoluted internal structures. I would like to put specific effort into creating a positive dynamics within the FC so it is able to work well and make the best of its particular statutory and political position within the organisation. ### My vision of the future of JEF The next two years will be crucial for JEF, both in terms of its internal organisation as well as with regard to the world we inhabit. Internally, JEF Europe will have to make sure it lives up to the high expectations that come with its current size and status. Externally, the 2024 European elections with both their legislative and executive dimension will be decisive for the possibility of a different institutional future of Europe. At the same time, the pressing issues and crises around us will not disappear, but rather aggravate. JEF’s role is to be seen at the interlockings of the two. Without proper institutional reform and a strengthened as well as more democratic EU, Europe will not be able to tackle the climate catastrophe, global migration, AI challenges and, most of all, the question of war and peace. Yet, if Europe remains self-focused and circles only around its provincial(ised) problems, it will equally be overwhelmed by the massive nature of a world order that is increasingly out of control. ### My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups In my opinion, the current three Political Commissions are working well. In terms of Task Forces, I would wish for an active TF Green as the climate crisis keeps imposing itself with great urgency and JEF’s federalist green is not yet reflective of a truly “green” organisation. The abovementioned question of war and peace is equally urgent and might be addressed within a specific FC setting. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Gergana Blazheva" %} ## Gergana Blazheva
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Gergana** EMAIL: {% endhint %} ### About Me Hello there JEFers! In case we haven’t had the chance to meet yet, let me tell you a bit about me and my JEF journey. I’m Gergana and I’m from Bulgaria. I joined JEF in 2017 when I started my first year at university. At the time, there was an International Seminar which took place in Sofia. I gladly skipped a few uni classes, just so I could fully participate in the week-long seminar, solely to talk about Europe, European integration, and learn what FEDERAZIONE EUROPEA SU-BI-TO actually means. I instantly felt the contagiously exciting atmosphere that was going around. I then loved the like-minded peers I met, I now love how some of these people are still my close friends, and overall, I loved the fact, that there’s still so much more to learn. I quickly became involved in the activities organized by my national section. I became President of JEF Bulgaria in December 2018, which I was until January 2022. At the Congress in Liùge in 2021, I was elected to become the first Bulgarian Member of the Executive Board of JEF Europe. It’s an understatement to say that this has been an absolute honor and privilege for me, but it is correct. ### Motivation for the position My motivation to run for a position in the Federal Committee is rooted in my unwavering commitment to JEF. My decision for this candidacy is a follow-up of my current work in the Executive Board. After spending my last two years as part of the EB, I once again felt like there is so much that can happen, change and improve in the functioning of our organization. I gained a whole new point of view of our organization, how it works, how we make decisions, where we need to refine, be more innovative, adapt and react to the current challenges, but also be visible, and altogether, think and act as if we are a generation ahead. Therefore, I see a pressing necessity in having more people involved in a dedicated Task Force for Communication. If elected, I will be fully dedicated to supporting the newly elected board, as well as the Secretariat members, working on our Communication. I want our work to not only benefit our members, but also contribute to the overall betterment of the JEF community and our societies at large. ### My vision of the future of JEF With the EP elections coming next year, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Israel-Palestine conflict reaching new peaks every day, the climate crisis and all other phenomenon, I want to help streamline the workload of our employees and Board members. JEF should be an organization, which empowers, motivates and nurtures the growth and development of European youth. I want us to foster a more sustainable environment for everyone. What I’d like to see happen in the future of JEF is to continue fostering positive change, strengthen sections in already existing countries, continue its outreach and offer space for meaningful participation for young people in Europe. I would furthermore like to see our organization prioritize more mental health, by becoming a safe and inclusive space for all. Showcasing accordingly our activities and political advocacy is essential in achieving our vision of a federal Europe, but at the same time, the mental health of everyone involved must not be neglected. ### My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups I strongly think that we should establish a dedicated Task Force for Communication. For that reason, I’m so looking forward to working on the betterment of our communication strategy, the development of a visual guideline and work on the maintenance of the already created events calendar. In order to achieve great results, we need to plan in advance, strain JEF’s communications strategy, and commit to fostering inclusive discussions, ensuring that members from all our sections have a voice and are equally represented to contribute to a meaningful debate, serving our long-term strategic direction and goals. Dear JEFers, I would be very thankful for your support and would be thrilled to continue shaping JEF Europe together! See you in Madrid, Gergana {% endtab %} {% tab title="María Martínez López" %} ## María Martínez López
{% hint style="info" %} Contact Maria EMAIL: ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Phone number: +34 629 031 205 Instagram: @starry.mer {% endhint %} {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ### About Me Hello everyone! My name is María, I am 26 years old and I’ve a member of JEF Spain since 2021. Currently, I am working at UCLM on an internship at the International Doctorate School where I coordinate different international projects for university students and combining it with my Ph.D. studies. I have been such an active member in my section, JEF-Castilla Mancha where I have been working as Secretary, Vicepresident and President and after that, as the Vicepresident of Spain. I came from a rural area, Castilla-La Mancha, and I am really in touch with everyday problems that young people can have on accessing to European opportunities, especially as a woman. I have participated in different international projects that put everyone together as young Europeans and help us to grown not only as professionals but also personally. I know that United in Diversity are some words that we use almost daily when it comes to European terms, but, I really believe in their importance and enhancing not only our similarities but what make us diverse to help us grown stronger as a community. ### Motivation for the position Something I am proud about my participation in JEF these last years is the development of the Ursula Hirschmann project, where we put a lot of effort of putting female jefers together to fight against inequality and empowering women to raise their voices against any type of violence or discrimination against women not only in Europe but all around the world. As it is in our values, federalism is the key for keeping us all together, no matter where do we came from but as people. For this reason, I’ve organized different activities at regional and national levels such as political debates, seminars, and the pre-program of Castilla-La Mancha to enhance multiculturality and critical thinking on participants. All these experiences have bring me to applying as a member of the FC, I want to bring these values and experiences to help JEF Europe to grow as much as possible and to create new projects which will enrich all the participants and their sections. ### My Vision of the Future of JEF As I’ve explained before, my compromise with JEF is nothing but clear for me because I really wish that Spain can be an active participant in all the issues regarding JEF Europe. I want to be involved in new projects that help us to reach out different communities and national sections in terms of growing up together through educational projects and cultural exchanges which help us to improve communication all around Europe. ### My Opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces / Working Groups In my opinion, we really need to focus on educational projects to enhance multiculturality and to strengthen European values in all the sections. We must keep working on spreading the values of democracy, equality, and diversity to bring us together as a European youth plenty of hope for the future. # Arbitration Board Member Below you can find the current published candidacies for the position of Arbitration Board Member of JEF Europe. Five persons can be elected for this position. ### {% tabs %} {% tab title="Flavia-Gabriela SANDU" %} ## Flavia-Gabriela SANDU
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Flavia** EMAIL: {% endhint %} ### About Me Hey everyone! I am Flavia, 25 years old, born and raised in a city in Romania that you probably never heard of (it's okay, no one ever does). I have been a member of JEF since 2017, having been involved on the local and national level in JEF Denmark, as well as being a PC2 chair in the FC in the 2019-2021 mandate. For the past 2 years I have been an EB member, which hopefully you might have been aware of. I have a bachelor’s degree in Language and International Studies, a master’s in European Studies, with a specialization in public policy, and I currently live in Brussels while interning at the European Parliament. Other than JEFing, I enjoy sewing, watching video essays on sociological issues as well as fashion history, sword fighting, and drinking tea. I promise I am not as pretentious as this makes me sound. ### Motivation for the position I have been holding positions in the European bodies of JEF since 2019, which offered me great insight into relevant documents and procedures such as the statutes, the code of conduct, rules of procedure, credentials committee etc. I am familiar with the work of the Arbitration Board through the side of the people requesting and reading the information provided, which makes me believe I am also capable of reading (and interpreting) the statutes upon request. In my time in JEF, I have seen the organization grow and develop significantly. With this, so have the rules and structures necessary for running JEF in a comprehensive way which ensures good governance and also a safe space for our members. Moreover, I also placed in the top 3 in the famous (well, maybe not for you) quiz on the statutes of JEF Europe. I’ll gladly engage in another Kahoot Battle for Statutes Knowledge Supremacy, shall the Congress decide they’d like to see the AB candidates take it. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about my candidacy and background. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Maija MAUNU" %} ## Maija MAUNU
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Maija** EMAIL: {% endhint %} ### About Me Hey everyone! My name is Maija, I’ve been a JEFer for about 8 years now and by the day I am a jurist specialised in European and business law. While I come from Finland and have my JEF background mostly in Finland and on the European level, I am based in the Netherlands and frequently shuffle from here to Brussels and Helsinki for work, study and family. Outside of JEF and work I spend a lot of my time with my family, teaching an occasional Finnish class, hike or cook with my partner or friends, and most evenings relax with a cat or a dog on my lap, depending on which of my home countries I am in at that moment. I started my JEF journey as a secondary schooler with JEF Turku in 2016, first as a member and later as a board member. Soon after I was elected to the Federal Committee for the 2018-2019 term and acted as the chair of the European Parliamentary Elections 2019 Task Force. In 2020 and 2021, I spent two years as the International Officer in the JEF Finland board and loved also that national perspective of JEF Europe affairs. Most recently, in 2022 and 2023, I have been a member of the Arbitration Board of JEF Europe where I am now seeking a second term. ### Motivation for the position The last 2 years in the AB have shown how important the role of this body is for the organisation, as well as given me perspective on the matters we certainly still need to develop in the coming 2 years and beyond. What pushed me to seek a second term in the AB were the meaningfulness of the work we were given in the ongoing term, the opportunity for learning along with other experienced JEFers, supporting the functioning of our organisation, and lastly, ensuring the continuum in the body, to relay the lessons of the current term to the next. We have a lot of work to do on clarifying our Statutes, the Code of Conduct and other rules, and it is important pass on the discussions and knowledge gained over the past years to the coming term for our organisation to function optimally. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Ignacio ESTEBAN AVENDAÑO " %} ## Ignacio ESTEBAN AVENDAÑO
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Ignacio** EMAIL: [ignacio.esteban.avendano@gmail.com ]() ADDITIONAL CONTACT: +34 629730901 @ignacio\_52 {% endhint %} ### About Me I am 28 years old and I am active lawyer specialised in digital law (data protection, AI, social media, cybersecurity and IT) working at a law firm in Madrid, Spain. I was born and raised in the beautiful city of Madrid, city that you all have had now the chance to know as it is the city hosting the European Congress 2023. Although, (un)fortunately I have lived and worked most of my life in my home city, I love travelling and have always felt a European citizen. I learnt about JEF in 2015 attending a Model of the European Union organised in my university. I joined without hesitating and have been involved in JEF ever since. In JEF Spain I have held board executive positions at both regional and national level in Spain between 2016 and 2022 including President of JEF Spain (2018-2019) and international officer of JEF Spain (2019-2020). Since 2022 I hold no office in JEF although I have continued to actively work within JEF as a member. ### Motivation for the position The Arbitration Board is a aimed at settling conflicts within JEF members, sections, and bodies as well as interpreting the Statues and other statutory rules of JEF. In this regard, I have always heard that the main characteristics of a good arbitration board member are a long involvement in JEF and a sound knowledge of legal principles. I am motivated to continue working for JEF from the different perspective of the Arbitration Board and, if elected, I will be happy to contribute to the discussions in the arbitration board and offer all my knowledge and expertise obtained from more than 8 years in JEF and from working in the legal sector. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Knut André SANDE" %} ## Knut André SANDE
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Knut** EMAIL: ADDITIONAL CONTACT: +47 413 25 676 {% endhint %} Dear Friends of Europe, My name is Knut, I recently turned 27 years old, and I have been a JEFer for more than ten years. I am Norwegian, and have held positions in JEF on a local, regional, national, and European level. For the moment I am studying law at the University of Oslo, and I am graduating next year. I work at the Norwegian Data Protection Authority. For the past two years I have been an Executive Board Member of JEF Europe. It’s been a blast, but there is a time for everything, and now it’s time to step down. Two weeks ago, I was elected Vice-President of the European Movement in Norway. Getting Norway into the EU will be my main priority in the years to come. (Let me know if you want to contribute!) Nevertheless, I do care a lot about JEF, and I want to contribute more. Therefore, I am running for the Arbitration Board. I believe that the experience I have gained in JEF since 2013 will be a major asset in such a position. Soon to be a jurist, I do also have considerable knowledge about legal principles. It is important to me that the Arbitration Board acts with integrity, fairness, and transparency. The Arbitration Board must be a trusted institution that can prevent and resolve conflicts. The aim is a safer environment for all JEFers and a well-operated and stable organisation. Please let me know if you have any questions related to my background or my candidacy. Looking forward to seeing you all in Madrid! {% endtab %} {% tab title="Mariasophia FALCONE" %} ## Mariasophia FALCONE
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact Mariasophia** EMAIL: {% endhint %} ### About Me I’ve been a JEFer for 9 years and I’ve worked locally, nationally, and at the European level. Currently, I'm the director of eurobull.it. ### Motivation for the position I am running for the position of a member of the Arbitration Board because I am deeply committed to fair and transparent practices within the organization. If elected, I would like to contribute with my experience and dedication to ensure that the Arbitration Board effectively addresses issues efficiently and constructively. {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} # Auditors' Committee Member Below you can find the current published candidacies for the position of Auditors' Committee Member of JEF Europe. Two or three persons can be elected for this position. ### {% tabs %} {% tab title="CĂ©lia Marie FONVIEILLE " %} ## CĂ©lia Marie FONVIEILLE
{% hint style="info" %} **Contact CĂ©lia** EMAIL: ADDITIONAL CONTACT: +33656821702; [@celia\_sciendi](https://www.instagram.com/celia_sciendi/) {% endhint %} ### About Me I'm a student of Political Science and Economics in Paris and Bordeaux, France, and during my Erasmus in Constance, Germany, I discovered the world of JEF and JEF Europe in particular. I've also become a member of JEF France and in particular the local section in Bordeaux, where next week I'll be taking up a post as JEF's European relations officer. In addition, I was able to attend many JEF events with local and national sections all over Europe. ### Motivation for the Position I'm very interested in taking on this responsibility as it would allow me to get even more involved with JEF Europe, particularly by taking on a position that matches my skills in accounting and financial management. I take this role very seriously, and I've already had the opportunity to manage and audit accounts during political campaigns (position of mandataire financier for the 2022 legislative elections in France). I also know how to work as part of a team, as I firmly believe in the need for dialogue and listening to each other to make a team function. If elected, I will assume my role as statutory auditor with dignity and seriousness, because I know the implications and duties that come with this position. I also know that this work is a necessary cog in the overall smooth running of JEF Europe, and that any failure to do so could be detrimental to it. This is why, in agreement and collaboration with my team, I will work meticulously to respect the duties and responsibilities assigned to me. ### My Vision of the Future of JEF In my view, JEF Europe should focus on issues of inclusion, equality and the protection of freedoms in Europe (including the protection of the fundamental principles of democracies). {% endtab %} {% tab title="Mathilde CONTENSOU" %} ## Mathilde CONTENSOU {% hint style="info" %} **Contact Mathilde** EMAIL: {% endhint %} ### About Me I am a political science student in Sciences Po Bordeaux in France. I am half Romanian I am inside JEF Bordeaux since 2 years and I like it very much. I participated in many JEF events. I did the IMPACT project in Mollina and Prague. I was also in the Strasbourg Summit 2022, and in LevelUp ! in Brussels in October 2022. I recently participated at the Summer camp 2023 in Norway with JEF Denmark and Norway. ### Motivation for the Position I really liked JEF when I participated to the events and I really want to get implied furthermore in the JEF position. Now I know well the functioning of JEF. ### My vision of the future of JEF I think JEF Europe needs to fight more for democracy and against the democracy problems. Also JEF should create more events with Eastern Europe, and fight against the corruption. ### My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups I think we should talk more about the fight against corruption in Eastern European countries. Today this is a big problem, also with poverty. {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} # Permanent Contact Person for the Code of Conduct Below you can find the current published candidacies for the position of Permanent Contact Person for the Code of Conduct of JEF Europe. {% hint style="info" %} According to the Internal resolution on the Code of Conduct, at least two Contact Persons shall be elected by the upcoming Federal Committee and have a two-year mandate. The Permanent Contact Persons shall represent different gender identities. {% endhint %} * ### Sorcha NĂ­ Chonghaile * ### Helena Robert i Campos