More than 600 Catalan students step into the shoes of a European MP in the second edition of ‘Get to Know the European Parliament’
The project, managed by Learn to Check for the second consecutive year, reached 630 secondary school, upper secondary school, and vocational education students from 22 educational institutions across 18 Catalan municipalities. These figures significantly exceed those of the previous year.
The “Get to Know the European Parliament” project enabled students in 4th year of compulsory secondary education (ESO), 1st year of upper secondary education (Batxillerat), and vocational training programmes to learn about the functioning of European parliamentary democracy and the role of the European Parliament in the European Union’s decision-making process through a virtual role-playing exercise. Through a simulation guided by Learn to Check trainers, participants took on the role of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and were required to negotiate, debate, and vote on a legislative proposal.
In the shoes of an MEP
The students worked on a new regulation concerning food labelling based on greenhouse gas emissions. Following the stages of a real legislative procedure, they developed a common position within their fictional political groups, presented and defended amendments in a parliamentary committee, and ultimately submitted the proposal for a vote in plenary session.
Beyond bringing European institutions closer to young people, the “Get to Know the European Parliament” project aims to foster critical thinking, encourage reflection on disinformation, and strengthen democratic values among citizens. Through a practical, participatory experience linked to current issues, students gain first-hand insight into the challenges, responsibilities, and complexity of the work carried out by Members of the European Parliament, while also developing a better understanding of how European politics functions.
Presence in 18 Catalan municipalities
This academic year, the role-playing activity was held in schools across 18 Catalan municipalities, four more than in the previous edition: Reus, Lleida, Celrà, Terrassa, Barcelona, Vic, Igualada, Tarragona, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Banyoles, Mataró, Girona, Torrefarrera, Vila-seca, Castelldefels, Moià, Salt, and Roses.
This programme is an initiative of the Directorate-General for Communication, launched in the 2015–2016 academic year with the objective of bringing the institution’s legislative and political work closer to secondary school students.
